Why New Zealanders should take a gap year? New Zealand has a whole wealth of amazing places to visit in its own right. But look out from these islands and there’s an even bigger world out there waiting to be explored. How about finding yourself living in London with European destinations on your doorstep? Or in the bustling Thai capital, Bangkok?
This is just part of what makes a gap year an incredible experience. But there’s much more to it than just travel – here are a few reasons why you should think about taking a gap year in your near future.
Experience of working in a different country
One of the main things about taking a gap year is the chance to work in a different country. You get to leave behind New Zealand (well, for a year), and jet off to experience what life is like elsewhere. While there’s plenty to be said for the differences between North and South Island in New Zealand, nothing quite compares to the actual experience of far-flung destinations.
Learn about different cultures
It’s easy to jump straight from school to university without thinking about it, but you could easily stick a gap year in the middle. This can provide you with invaluable experiences of different cultures that could change the way you look at your chosen uni course. Whether you’re lapping up the multicultural cities in the UK or diving headfirst into the cultures of Australia, a gap year is more than just a memorable experience.
Explore new ways of doing things
Let’s face it: you’ve pretty much spent most of your life doing basically the same thing every day. There’s the routine of going to school and then to college. But how about taking the leap and trying something new to mix things up a bit? Many people don’t get to travel at all, and may experience a similar daily, even yearly, routine for decades. Seeing how things can be done differently can give you a real advantage – and it can be fun, of course.
Meet new people
One of the best parts of taking a gap year that you may not have even thought about – aside from the adventure and trying new things – is the people you meet along the way. The other people that you work alongside or simply meet in your new day-to-day life will most likely be different from the people you know back home.
Really different, in some cases. But this is an amazing opportunity to connect and make new friends. You never know, you may even make some lifelong relationships with people from all over the world.
Earn some money
Making yourself some hard-earned cash is never a bad thing, really. You’re already (basically) on an adventure as a life experience, so the chance to earn some money while you’re doing it is a bonus. You’ll be paid for working your role, allowing you to see more of the country you find yourself in. If you’re smart, you may even be able to save a bit of cash, too. Don’t worry – in our programs accommodation is included, along with meals, so you may not need to factor that into your wages.
Take a breather from education
From classrooms, coursework and exams to lecture halls, seminars and yet more exams, education can seem to go on forever and ever. If you’ve been working especially hard at school to get into your dream university, then you could look at a gap year as an opportunity to take a well-earned break. That way you can approach university fresh-faced and with a whole lot of experience and stories to tell, instead of being burned out or not bothered anymore because you’ve sapped your enthusiasm for education by studying so darn hard.
A good chance to travel
And lastly, but definitely not least, travel is a huge perk of taking a gap year. New Zealand isn’t really near anywhere, really, and it takes a long time to get to a long list of dream destinations. Taking a gap year means you’ll be based in a completely different country – a fact that you can take full advantage of.
Those who find themselves in the UK, for example, will have the whole of Europe on their doorstep. You can spend your time hopping on trains or taking a low-cost flight to Paris, Rome, sunny Spain or even Morocco for less than the price of a nice lunch out. Even though you’ll be working during your gap year, you’ll definitely have time off work to make use of, and this is when you can head off for day trips and weekends away exploring the world.
If you have that little voice telling you that you should do a gap year, now is the time! Check our Paid Gap Year programs, contact us here or send us a message on Instagram if you need more information about future adventures!
