10 Life-Changing Ways to Spend a Gap Year
The fact that Malia Obama chose to attend Harvard surprised no one. What is somewhat more unconventional, though, is her decision to take a gap year beforehand. While gap years are standard practice in Europe and Australia, on this side of the pond it's much more common to go straight from being a high school senior to a college freshman, which is a shame because how are you supposed to really know what you want to do with your life if you've never experienced it outside of a classroom? If done properly (i.e. not spent sitting around watching Netflix in your parents' basement), a gap year can be a great opportunity to get some real-life experience and learn more about who you are, thereby ultimately enriching your college experience.
And the best news is that you've got loads of options to choose from! Here are some truly awesome ones:
If you've got a flair for academia, teaching English is a great way to make money while living in another country, and gives you the chance to have a meaningful cultural exchange with the people who live there. All you need to do is get a TEFL certificate, which typically only takes 3 weeks and can even be done online. Bear in mind that, as an American, it's easier to get positions in Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe than in central Europe, where the market is saturated enough that they prefer UK candidates because they don't need a work visa.
2. Travel.
This is one of the most popular options, particularly if you want to do something that requires a significant chunk of time. A friend of mine spent his gap year traveling from London all the way to China via Russia and said it was the best time of his life. Thanks to the Internet, you can supplement your income by doing some travel writing or freelance work while abroad. If you want the adventure of living in the foreign country with the structure of being in a program, though, there are lots of options at your hands.
Want to see the world while giving back to the community? You can do volunteer work in virtually any country and in a wide variety of fields, whether your want to be a nurse at an orphanage in Russia, a medical assistant in Malta, a wildlife volunteer in the Australian rainforest, an eco-agriculturalist in Costa Rica, or something even more exotic.
If agricultural work is your cup of tea, farming abroad can be amazing. You can become a sheep herder in New Zealand, a cattle farmer in Australia, an apple picker on a French vineyard, and even get up close and personal with some wildlife in South America.
If you love kids and want the fun of travel with the comfort of living with a host family, being an au-pair is a great choice. It's also the best option if you specifically want to go to Europe, because if you get paid in cash and are there for less than six months you don't need to worry about a visa (and countries like Germany even offer an au-pair visa for non-EU citizens). And come on, being an au-pair in Paris for a year sounds tres chic.
If you know what you want to do with your life and want some hands-on experience, interning abroad could be the right move for you. There's an endless variety of opportunities in many different countries, from doing a business internship in London to a hospitality stint in Mumbai. The best part is that you can earn college credit while doing it, saving you money (and boring core classes) once you're back in school.
If you dream of sailing the high seas and don't want to go the fishing route, you can earn a significant amount of money pouring lemonade iced teas on luxury yachts traveling all over the world.
8. Become a tour guide abroad.
Being a tour guide almost feels like cheating because it means that you get paid to really experience another country. Bear in mind though that this can be a challenging gig (think of all the people you have to deal with on a daily basis), but can be a great way to visit places off the beaten path by becoming, say, a safari guide in Africa.
Can you imagine doing what you love all day in a foreign country? If you're particularly skilled at a certain sport, you can put that knowledge to great use and become, say, a ski instructor in the Swiss alps, a windsurfing instructor in Australia, or any other myriad of exciting options.
10. Become a princess at Disney World right in the gold ol' USA!
You don't need to go far from home to have a memorable gap year. Volunteering at a local business or working at the neighboring amusement park can be a great way to make some extra cash, read and write, and really think about what you want from life. Even here you've got lots of options, like becoming a princess at Disney World and living out all of your childhood dreams.
Remember, the world is your oyster!
