SOMEWHERE in last week’s column, the Eye briefly mentioned the popular trend of taking a gap year among youngsters who have just finished their secondary education in developed countries.
A gap year basically means taking some time off from studying, between school and college or university.
There are many things that can be done in a gap year. Most popular gap year activities are to travel, volunteer in various types of social programmes and to get work experience in the fields of interest.
A gap year may not seem alluring to most Asian families where priority lies with finishing higher education, landing a job, earning an income and settling down.
To many Asians here, a gap year is often misconstrued as a waste of time and even money.
Nevertheless, the concept is slowly catching on among young ‘in between’ students here in Malaysia, thanks to a handful of youngsters who have proven that a gap year, when planed and utilised properly, can be an advantage for their future undertakings.
The Eye was introduced to the gap year concept a decade back while hosting a tour group and encountering a young lady from the United States travelling solo throughout Sarawak at a local national park.
She explained that she had applied to carry out an undergraduate degree like any other student in her school, landed a place in a university located along the west coast of the US, and was granted a ‘deferred entry’ when she indicated that she would first take a gap year to “travel and widen her horizons”.
She was one of the luckier ones who had her folks to help her fund her travels through Asia (India, Indo-China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines). She had also saved up some money of her own during her high school years.
This was a far-sighted young lady who knew exactly what she wanted and who had planned well ahead. Last Eye heard, she had returned to the US after a year of solo travel to pursue a law degree at the university.
It also helps that some universities are open to facilitating students taking a gap year by having them defer their placements.
Eye wonder if our local public universities are ready to facilitate such students who strive to widen their horizons before going back to hitting the books.
Over the years, the Eye has encountered gap year students who make the best of their time taking up internships and volunteering for social outreach programmes through non-governmental organisations.
These youngsters do not request to be paid financially. They ask only to be included in work and activities carried out to make the most of the experience. The meaning of interning these days has developed much further than merely helping out around the office with files and photocopying.
Many companies and organisations put these interns to the grind and assign them with specific projects and expect output like any other paid employee.
Yet, in order to safeguard their organisations, these interns or volunteers would be made to sign a secrecy agreement and a disclaimer before they begin work.
More recently, a private radio station featured one Rhonwyn Hagedorn. This young girl initially planned to take one gap year after school to volunteer with local communities in Malaysia. Her gap year turned into four gap years and she is now the founder and chief coordinator for Project Whee. Project Whee stands for “We the youth. Helping those in need. Exceeding expectations. Empowering others” .
Youth from all over Malaysia participate and a key project undertaken takes place right here in Sarawak, in the mountain range of Bario, teaching English to the village folk and at the same time learning culture and the way of life of the natives here.
A quick browse through the project’s website shows a growing number of Malaysian students who have signed up as well to volunteer, many stating that they would like to carry out meaningful work with local communities on a gap year.
They pitch their objectives, estimated expenses required and are crowd-funded by members of the public who visit the website.
A wisely planned gap year has many advantages. The experience gained can make one a better person, academically and socially when finally entering university.
The skills acquired along the gap year through volunteering or internship will prove to be valuable in the working world as well.
Surveys have found that those who have taken a gap year (or years) to carry out meaningful work and even to travel to experience new things, have an advantage over graduates with no experience outside school and university.
A gap year also allows youngsters to evaluate themselves, their passion and interests in life. For example, a person with ambitions of becoming a veterinarian can sign up for hands-on experience with animals in shelters, vet clinics and wildlife centres before they decide if they are really cut out for the job.
There are disadvantages though, especially for programmes that require some form of financial expenditure.
Yet, there are ways to overcome this, like those on Project Whee who look at crowd-funding and the kindness of people who wish to see youngsters develop themselves through worthwhile projects.
Travelling to see the world too will require a substantial amount of money.
Students that Eye have met, supplement their income by taking up part-time work in restaurants and bars in the cities where they spend more than a month in.
This too, can be tricky, depending on a country’s labour regulations.
Gap years aren’t for everyone. They are for the determined and focused.
A poorly planned gap year can even be disastrous, and like some believe, a total waste of time if one ends up lounging around and not learning much at all.
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