Participant Reflection: Annie Rogan

Western-Australian-coastline-ariel

Annie from the UK caught up with Sophie Rae our Gap Year program coordinator to recap on her gap year experience at Perth College in Western Australia! 

Q. Annie, what have you learnt about yourself during your gap year?

There have been many things I have learnt during my year in Australia. I realised early on that Perth was a lot further from home than I first thought, so it is important to make friends with your colleagues and put yourself into social situations where you will make friends who have similar interests.

Q. How’d you get over your jetlag and adjust to life in Australia?

I joined a local hockey club and loved meeting up with them each week for training and games, it was a great way to go out and do things externally from the school.

It also helped me get over the time difference which was tough at first because it was hard to contact people at home. Another thing I learnt this year was the importance of budgeting. I worked before my gap year but after travelling to Bali and around Australia in the school holidays I realised that I needed to budget better, even prior to coming to Australia. 

Q. What did you get up to during your placement? Any school trips?

A. What I learnt most from this year was to have fun with everything you do! The year flies by so make the most of every opportunity you’re given even if at the time you are not too keen. I went on Year 9 camp to the bush and slept in a tent for 10 nights, I attended school functions where I met a variety of people from the school community and beyond, I went on a variety of weekend activities with the boarders like Adventure World, Laser Tag and West Coast Fever Netball games because these were the moments to make memories with the girls that I will look back on in years to come and will make me smile and remember what an amazing time I had at Perth College.

Q. Finally Annie, you’re about to head back on a long flight to the UK. What’s the plans for your return?

A. Other than getting home and seeing family, friends and eating all the food I have missed. I have been offered a position in a private school in Yorkshire as a boarding tutor. I also hope to complete my Masters in Education and use my teaching degree and boarding experience to further my career. Eventually I would love to head back to Australia to travel more and potentially work at a school in the future.

 

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