Gap Year help please
Discussion
My daughter, who completes a fashion photography course this summer, has decided that she wants to take a year out and go abroad somewhere to work.
Clearly I'm worried about her and probably overly so, but I want her to go somewhere where she will be with others and where, if things go wrong, there is back-up available near to where she stays.
She has an interview with 'Changing Worlds' but can anyone here please make a few other suitable suggestions or contact websites worth looking into?
Any other advice will be greatly received either from people who have taken a year out or from parents who have equally worried over this.
>>> Edited by Davel on Monday 14th February 14:56
>>> Edited by Davel on Monday 14th February 14:57
Clearly I'm worried about her and probably overly so, but I want her to go somewhere where she will be with others and where, if things go wrong, there is back-up available near to where she stays.
She has an interview with 'Changing Worlds' but can anyone here please make a few other suitable suggestions or contact websites worth looking into?
Any other advice will be greatly received either from people who have taken a year out or from parents who have equally worried over this.
>>> Edited by Davel on Monday 14th February 14:56
>>> Edited by Davel on Monday 14th February 14:57
Wise move to get things 'sorted' as you say, when I took a year out I just packed a rucksack, left with a pile of money I got from working on a drilling rig and left on the spur.
Looking back now I could've run into so many problems but by hook or crook I made it through. Few close calls including buying bikes off 'cycle dealers' in Amsterdam up dodgy unlit sidestreets for 20 guilders where things turned a bit hairy.
Hey a great book to get and take with her would be 'Work your way around the world' by Susan Griffith. Useful when all your money runs out after 3 weeks in Amsterdam on the er 'amenities'
Bon Voyage to her.
Looking back now I could've run into so many problems but by hook or crook I made it through. Few close calls including buying bikes off 'cycle dealers' in Amsterdam up dodgy unlit sidestreets for 20 guilders where things turned a bit hairy.
Hey a great book to get and take with her would be 'Work your way around the world' by Susan Griffith. Useful when all your money runs out after 3 weeks in Amsterdam on the er 'amenities'
Bon Voyage to her.
Hope she enjoys her gap year, but make sure she only goes through reputable companies and keeps a sense of proportion about what's acceptable - I know a lot of students get financially screwed over and used as pretty-much slave labour by some less scrupulous employers (and if the students are of a far-left persuasion they seem to go along with it and come back boring the legs off everyone with stories of squalour and exploitation, but I wouldn't expect a daughter of a PHer to turn out like that )
)I reckon the biggest waste of money is the usual beaten track by the typical gap year posse. Get her hooked up with a couple of mates and tally ho! How about getting say 3 mates, an old diesel car and driving to india (selling the car) and then continuing the adventure S and E. That's what I would do.
The amount of gap year nonsense I hear has led me to believe it a stereotyped ritual practiced in a final frenzy before your career starts, often there are few stories and a lot of true culture/experience missed.
That's my particular bent on it. I've done some big trips but would never do a "Round the world" one. It is an expensive rip off tailored for the £££££.
Sorry to be cynical.
The amount of gap year nonsense I hear has led me to believe it a stereotyped ritual practiced in a final frenzy before your career starts, often there are few stories and a lot of true culture/experience missed.
That's my particular bent on it. I've done some big trips but would never do a "Round the world" one. It is an expensive rip off tailored for the £££££.
Sorry to be cynical.
I know that this is sexist and if it was one of my sons, I'd say exactly that - but it isn't.
It's my little girl and I'm very worried about her safety out there.
I know that I'm over-reacting and that most kids come home relatively unscarred and glad about the experience but, equally, you do hear horror stories and so maybe I'm being paranoid.....
It's my little girl and I'm very worried about her safety out there.
I know that I'm over-reacting and that most kids come home relatively unscarred and glad about the experience but, equally, you do hear horror stories and so maybe I'm being paranoid.....
I think you're perfectly justified Davel.
I'll be honest, shoestring world travel isn't really my thing. When I finished college I had the choice of a gap year working somewhere, or a one-week 5-ster holiday in Tuscany. I chose the holiday, I certainly experienced more 'culture' than I would have if I'd had to go to work for a week.
However, it's not about me, it's about her, and I think you're better off slightly worried about things she may encounter than blase and noncomittal/over-liberal and permissive about it all.
Before she decides what she's doing, sit down with her and talk over some 'standards' to keep on her journey. Make it informal - it doesn't have to be a lecture, just a chat - so that she knows you care about her wellbeing. That's what I'd appreciate from my Dad anyway. What I wouldn't appreciate is being nagged at as though I was about to go on a school trip as a 6-year-old.
I'll be honest, shoestring world travel isn't really my thing. When I finished college I had the choice of a gap year working somewhere, or a one-week 5-ster holiday in Tuscany. I chose the holiday, I certainly experienced more 'culture' than I would have if I'd had to go to work for a week.
However, it's not about me, it's about her, and I think you're better off slightly worried about things she may encounter than blase and noncomittal/over-liberal and permissive about it all.
Before she decides what she's doing, sit down with her and talk over some 'standards' to keep on her journey. Make it informal - it doesn't have to be a lecture, just a chat - so that she knows you care about her wellbeing. That's what I'd appreciate from my Dad anyway. What I wouldn't appreciate is being nagged at as though I was about to go on a school trip as a 6-year-old.
How about suggesting she starts her year out somewhere closer to home, then moving further afield as her (and your!) confidence grows? Do you know what she wants to do, and where? 3 months working in a British bar, or 3 months up a mountain working in a school?
Does she speak any languages? I don't, and that restricts my longer trips to English-speaking countries. My girlfriend doesn't speak any other languages either, and she managed to travel across India, Russia and China. I can only imagine the opportunities that are opened up by speaking, say, Spanish can do for you. Take classes together.
Encourage her to take self-defence classes.
If you really, really need to, there's practically nowhere on the planet that is more than 48 hours from home.
Does she speak any languages? I don't, and that restricts my longer trips to English-speaking countries. My girlfriend doesn't speak any other languages either, and she managed to travel across India, Russia and China. I can only imagine the opportunities that are opened up by speaking, say, Spanish can do for you. Take classes together.
Encourage her to take self-defence classes.
If you really, really need to, there's practically nowhere on the planet that is more than 48 hours from home.
I quite wnated to do the Camp America thing for part of my GAP year, but ended up teaching in an English Prep School instead. Still good fun, though.
It must be a nightmare having kids go off on GAP years, but it's a key part of growing up. We could certainly tell the kids who hadn't taken them when we arrived at uni - they stood out like a sore thumb. It's amazing how much you can grown up in that year.
Sadly, it's kids of 18 who (no matter what they think) are NOT streetwise or savvy, and can get themselves into trouble. My brother was robbed in Mexico and had a gun held to his head - he admits he was in a sh*tty place where he shouldn't really have gone. She will be fine, as long as she and her friends realise they aren't immortal. People DO die in South American waterfalls, get killed by lions in Africa, and get eaten by crocs in Australia.
Apart from that, it's as safe as houses, and she'll have a fantastic time.
Remember, you only ever hear about the thing that go wrong - you don't hear about the 1000's and 1000's of kids who go away each year and have the best time of their lives.
Hope this is helpful.
It must be a nightmare having kids go off on GAP years, but it's a key part of growing up. We could certainly tell the kids who hadn't taken them when we arrived at uni - they stood out like a sore thumb. It's amazing how much you can grown up in that year.
Sadly, it's kids of 18 who (no matter what they think) are NOT streetwise or savvy, and can get themselves into trouble. My brother was robbed in Mexico and had a gun held to his head - he admits he was in a sh*tty place where he shouldn't really have gone. She will be fine, as long as she and her friends realise they aren't immortal. People DO die in South American waterfalls, get killed by lions in Africa, and get eaten by crocs in Australia.
Apart from that, it's as safe as houses, and she'll have a fantastic time.
Remember, you only ever hear about the thing that go wrong - you don't hear about the 1000's and 1000's of kids who go away each year and have the best time of their lives.
Hope this is helpful.
Oh yeah, some mates did various projects through Operation Raleigh. Not sure if it's voluntary or you get paid, but they all loved it.
A common GAP year seemed to be working in London for 4/5/6 motnhs, saving as much cash as possible, then going to Oz / NZ / Far East / Africa / USA etc and b*mming around for 6 months.
I think it's important to do no 'work' for a bit, rather than work all the way through - even if it IS in a different country.
A common GAP year seemed to be working in London for 4/5/6 motnhs, saving as much cash as possible, then going to Oz / NZ / Far East / Africa / USA etc and b*mming around for 6 months.
I think it's important to do no 'work' for a bit, rather than work all the way through - even if it IS in a different country.
bouffy said:
Oh yeah, some mates did various projects through Operation Raleigh. Not sure if it's voluntary or you get paid, but they all loved it.
A common GAP year seemed to be working in London for 4/5/6 motnhs, saving as much cash as possible, then going to Oz / NZ / Far East / Africa / USA etc and b*mming around for 6 months.
I think it's important to do no 'work' for a bit, rather than work all the way through - even if it IS in a different country.
Some useful skills are to qualfy as a teacher in English to foreigners (TOEFL) and also as a PADI diving instructor. With these you can travel the world and stop and make money when necessary.
My brother helped on a reef mapping project with a GAP charity (who's name escapes me). As with most of these things you have to pay (or "raise" some money.) He enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if he'd do it again.
I did the whole SE Asia/working in Oz thing and then on to the US. Although I did some pretty amazing climbing I do vaguely regret not doing something a bit more off the beaten track. But given how naive I was t the time it was probably good I didn't.
I've done a bit more travelling since then and never had any significant trouble, but I am healthily paranoid (and being 6'2" and a bloke probably helps
).
The people I've met who have had problems have been idiots mostly. Getting pissed up or stoned in unfamiliar surroundings is not smart.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if she has her head screwed on properly she is unlikely to get into trouble.
I did the whole SE Asia/working in Oz thing and then on to the US. Although I did some pretty amazing climbing I do vaguely regret not doing something a bit more off the beaten track. But given how naive I was t the time it was probably good I didn't.
I've done a bit more travelling since then and never had any significant trouble, but I am healthily paranoid (and being 6'2" and a bloke probably helps
). The people I've met who have had problems have been idiots mostly. Getting pissed up or stoned in unfamiliar surroundings is not smart.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if she has her head screwed on properly she is unlikely to get into trouble.
I did some work in Brazil and Romania with www.vso.org.uk, it was some years ago, and arranged by my employer, but the website looks useful.
Can recommend looking into Trekforce, I know a lot of mates here have done that and it's a great experience. One friend lived in the jungle in Belize for 4 months and helped to build new buildings and provide clean water for the villagers. You get a real sense of achievement from it afterwards as well.
Me on the other hand, I have just been selected to take a 6 month university swap in Sydney so I am going to travel a bit as well and blow that student loan!
Me on the other hand, I have just been selected to take a 6 month university swap in Sydney so I am going to travel a bit as well and blow that student loan!
I didn't take a gap year for the simple reason that I knew that if I didn't go to uni straight after leaving school I'd never go. I found studying hard and I knew I'd end up getting a job and never getting a degree.
Now, 16+ years later (OMG!), I still stand by that decision.
But everyone is different, of course.
Sorry, not really a lot of help here really, am I?
Now, 16+ years later (OMG!), I still stand by that decision.
But everyone is different, of course.
Sorry, not really a lot of help here really, am I?
Having said about safety, I had one in Gambia, a Rassclat on crack decided he had a problem with me. He was very aggressive indeed, I'm a BIG BLOKE and I thought "If I whack him, I am just going to be lynched by Rastamen, if I don't I'm probably going to get stabbed, the police were non-existent and I properly shat myself" I do have one of those faces though. Let's face it, as many kids get murdered in the UK as do UK kids abroad, if you go out of your safe home zone, you're running a risk.
It's got to be done though, risk or no risk.
It's got to be done though, risk or no risk.
I took a gap year cos I couldn't face another week in the education system without going nuts - so I left with a few A-levels and started working in August. A friend of mine had done a similar thing and we just worked in the UK and went around the various universities staying with our friends and trying our all the different campuses. Went abroad a couple of times, but nothing like a 6-month-round-Oz thing.
When it came to going to college, I knew much more about why I was there and what the working world was like, much more so than those that had gone trekking or whatever. I worked harder at college because I knew what was waiting for me if I screwed up, and I'd learnt some serious drinking games. And I went to college with money in the bank.
Point is, you can learn a lot without doing the whole travel lark (which we waited until we were 30 to do...)as long as you remember to have fun.
When it came to going to college, I knew much more about why I was there and what the working world was like, much more so than those that had gone trekking or whatever. I worked harder at college because I knew what was waiting for me if I screwed up, and I'd learnt some serious drinking games. And I went to college with money in the bank.
Point is, you can learn a lot without doing the whole travel lark (which we waited until we were 30 to do...)as long as you remember to have fun.
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