Plenty of students are looking at the economy, their finances and the state of the world in general and saying, “Hmm–maybe I’ll just put off college for a year and spend some time doing something that will help me figure out what matters to me and what I really want to do.”
Bravo!
Unfortunately, many potential gappers don’t do any planning and end up working a retail job in their hometown and taking a two-week trip to Mexico with friends and calling it good. OR they choose a pricey gap year program that puts them into debt before they even start college.
Taking a year to do something completely different can provide clarity and a sense of direction–plus excellent skills (knowing how to navigate on your own abroad, communicating in another language, learning about another culture). But before you decide how you’re going to spend that year, make sure you are clear about how you can maximize your experience and avoid spinning your wheels.
Many gap year programs are nothing more than expensive group tours with other American students, and even if they offer a chance to volunteer, most don’t provide the elements that can make it a powerful personal experience of the type that can really help you blast forward once you return to the U.S.
If you are looking for a gap year that will give you a clear advantage personally and academically (rather than just a fun time and a line item on your resume), consider these points:
1) Leave the U.S.–and other Americans–behind. Go someplace where you can experience a sense of solitude and anonymity. Be a foreigner in a strange land, and let go of your identity. Who are you without the trappings of hometown, family, friends, sports, activities, awards, etc? This is your chance to find out.
2) Go to a place in which English is not the native language. Making mistakes is humbling. Being confused, lost, or seemingly stupid at times is a powerful way to develop compassion for other confused/lost/seemingly stupid people in the world. Learning how to let others help you is important–and learning how to connect with others even when you don’t speak the same language is priceless. You’ve got to make several embarrassing mistakes before lunch in order to get the most out of the experience, which means you can’t hang back, you can’t spend your time typing in internet cafes, and you’ve got to disconnect from the iPod. In other words, you’ve got to be fully present–no props or barriers allowed.
3) Find a way to connect with the locals directly. Plenty of gap year programs will give you a chance to sit in a classroom abroad with other Americans or work on a project alongside other Americans for the benefit of the locals. Your goal should be to connect DIRECTLY, even if that means you don’t get to put the name of an internationally-recognized organization on your resume. It’s better to be the only teacher in a tiny makeshift English school for several months than it is to be one of several Americans who show up at a designated school as part of a three-week program. Strip away the layers and get to the core of the experience–being with the people in a new culture, building relationships with them, and being of service.
4) Do an independent study or take classes–even if you don’t get credit. There are those who think a gap year should not be academic. I beg to differ. If you spend some time doing research via interviews, trips, or events, and you have to present something at the end of your stay, you’ll take the experience more seriously and recognize what you are learning in a more tangible way. At the very least, you should be blogging or writing in a journal so that you give yourself the chance to articulate your experience. Living and learning abroad can be a fantastic way for you to understand more about the kinds of learning that light you up–and the kinds that don’t. Don’t be afraid to take a class in something you’d never consider studying back home. Be open to areas that don’t fit in with your planned major or proposed path in life. (Physical activities or things you can learn by watching–like art or cooking–are great for beginning language learners!) This is your chance to try new things and challenge yourself in a new setting.
5) Find a mentor. One of the most valuable experiences in life is connecting with someone who inspires you. Finding that person abroad is even sweeter as you can learn so much more about where you are when you have a caring person who can offer information, share stories, teach you about the culture and give you advice. It can be a teacher, a host parent, the guy who runs the little tea shop on the corner, anyone, but don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain wisdom by connecting and listening.
What about volunteering? Shouldn’t that be part of a gap year experience? Sure, but most programs charge you a lot of money to do so and set it up so that you are actually spending more time talking with other Americans than the locals. Instead, focus on going solo, connecting with the locals, and finding a mentor who can help you learn. These are the people who can tell you about the needs of their community and how you can help them directly.
If you’re serious about seeing the world–and your possibilities–during a gap year, step away from the packaged plans. You’ll develop more skills, greater confidence and a clearer sense of your own culture–and you’ll save thousands of dollars in the process.
Looking for tips on how to set up your own gap year experience? I’ve got a whole section on that in my book! Basically, all you need is an internet connection and a willingness to do some Googling. Choose a destination (see pointers above) and find organizations or individuals that share your interests. Use Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, Couchsurfing, Global Freeloaders, Inter Nations and other sites to find people in your destination and then reach out to them directly. Let them know your interests and how you’d like to connect with them or help their community.
Being independent is cool but being collaborative is cutting edge. You don’t need a fancy program to make friends abroad and create a fantastic gap year for yourself. Go forth and connect!
Note: Are you worried about safety if you’re not part of a program? Here’s something you should know–connecting directly with the locals and learning from them how to stay safe is likely to protect you far more than hanging out with a group of Americans (always a target for crime abroad). The key is not how many Americans you’re with in the bar–it’s whether you’re paying attention to risks and making smart decisions about your safety. Those who spend time with locals will learn more quickly how to avoid the places and situations that may be hazardous. The key is building relationships with people who care about you AND know the area. Surrounding yourself with other newbies may provide a sense of comfort and the illusion of protection, but it won’t increase your safety level–and it’s more likely to attract the attention of those who prey on tourists.
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These are some great tips. Having such an international experience is on my to-do list, even though I graduated college years ago. Maybe your second book should be “Gap Year for Grown-Ups.”
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