Friday, 23 November 2012

Planning and Preparing for a gap year: by a student for fellow students

Gap Year Can Present Opportunity if Planned Correctly

By KRIS VENEZIA

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Published: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Updated: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 11:10

Share on email 1

Courtesy of Hugh Grannum/MCT

Students are increasingly taking gap years in-between high school and college to pursue non-academic interests.

More high school graduates are deciding that time away from the classroom is a better decision for them from college. The Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California-LosAngeles says about 1.2 percent of up-and-coming college freshmen will take a year off before heading to a university.

That is not a huge number, but it is a growing trend. And hey, why not spend a year exploring a new country, learning a new language or working to earn some money to pay for school?

Jeff Coltin, FCRH ’15, columnist for The Ram, wrote that he likes the idea of a gap year. He says that he would like to visit a Spanish-speaking country to learn the language intensively.

Bernie Stratford is the director of experimental education at Fordham University’s Office of Career Services. He says that if young adults are productive with their gap years, it can look good on a resume.

“With the marketplace being as volatile and as dynamic as it is, employers are interested in students’ experiences,” Stratford said. “I don’t even consider the gap year a year off, it’s just another year developing your employability and developing as a person.”

Padding a resume is not the only reason people are delaying going to college; some students need time to save up cash. According to USA Today, tuition went up 15 percent from 2008 to 2010. Administrators in Fordham University’s Office of Admission say they understand that some students must defer going to college for a year because of financial reasons.

“Since 2008, we’ve seen more students expressing the need to save for college,” John Buckley, associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment, said. “Economic reasons [among deferring students] have probably climbed in recent years.”

The gap year can have its downsides, as some young adults struggle to find the motivation to get back into the swing of things. A study done in 2003 by the National Center for Education Statics shows that only roughly 15 percent of students who waited a year to go to college picked up a bachelor’s degree. In that same report, 44 percent of those who went straight to a university got their diploma.

There are some high school graduates who defer enrollment for a year and take classes at a community college. This is a risk, as students who perform poorly at a local school can hurt their status at other universities.

“If they [gap year students] go to another school for a period of time to strengthen their academic profile, there would be a reassessment of their credentials” Buckley said.

Stratford agrees that anyone thinking about time off should have a strategy in place.

“If you’re going to take a year off, make sure you have a plan because the importance of receiving an undergraduate degree speaks for itself,” he said.

The U.S. Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections has some tips for those interested in taking a gap year. The department says students should figure out how their financial aid will be affected by talking to the school they are interested in attending. It is also important to plan out a budget that calculates living expenses for the year.

After talking with Fordham’s Office of Admission, career services and students on the Rose Hill campus, I thought about whether I would have taken a year off before coming to Fordham knowing what I do now. I could have gone to Italy, learned Italian and found a nice Italian gal to settle down with in Venice. Luckily, coming to the Big Apple from a small suburb in Arizona has worked out pretty well for me so far.

“The whole idea of a year off sounds like a good time,” Martin McCormack, FCRH ’15, said. “But I don’t regret my decision to come to New York City. I’m having a blast here.”

I could not agree more.

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Keeping a Pulse on our Gappers & the News.

Have you wondered what some of our gappers are up to around the world? Currently, we have several gappers traveling, preparing to embark, and many that are just beginning their journey. We look forward to some guest blogs by one of our gappers in the coming weeks. For now, let's explore the South American adventures of one of our gappers who is currently travelling our wonderful world.

Of Buses and Beaches

Trip StartSep 17, 2012

Trip EndDec 06, 2012

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Baños, Pastaza, Ecuador
Sunday, November 11, 2012

Greetings from South America!

Following our Machu Picchu excursion, we packed our bags and began our week long voyage to the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador. Lucky for us though, there were quite a few stops along the way!

The first of said stops was in Lima, the capital of Peru and one of the largest cities in all of South America. The city itself was unlike any we have visited thus far in terms of both size and nature. It is a city of extremes and in the the short time we spent there we were exposed to modern urbanization and rich cultural tradition, extreme wealth and rampant poverty, as well as both the very familiar and the inherently strange.

As soon as we dropped off our bags, many of us decided to visit the catacombs of the San Franciscan Friary in the heart of the historical district

Mancora Beach

. For hundreds of years this crypt has housed the remains of many saints and monks, and today is widely regarded as one of the jewels of the city. Following our tour, a short ten minute walk took us to the main plaza, an area that looked like it could have belonged in Western Europe. The plaza consisted of many high end boutiques and department stores, and also played host to the first McDonald´s any of us have seen in the last two months (interesting to note, that here McDonald´s is more along the lines of a legitimate restaurant as opposed to its more traditional role of fast food back home). As night fell, we decided to stay in the hostal (not wanting to take any unnecessary risks in a city as large as Lima), playing instruments, telling ghost stories, and mentally preparing ourselves for the days ahead.

The next day we boarded a bus destined for Mancora, a town situated in the beautiful northern beaches of Peru. The ride was a twenty hour haul up the coast, made nice by the luxury bus we decided to splurge on. Although the ride sounded awfully intimidating beforehand, many of us used the time to begin our vacation a little bit early, catching up on some sleep, reading, and watching movies (the bus attendants were nice enough to play several in English, as our group took up more than three quarters of the bus).By the time we arrived in Mancora we were already in full relaxation mode

Our Beachside Hostel

. We changed into our bathing suits and picked our favorite hammocks as the next two days passed in a blur.

Our first night we built a bonfire on the sand and were serenaded under the stars by Noah and Shawn. I think the old saying is true that ¨music is the universal language,¨ because not long after the instruments were brought out, were we joined by the other members of the hostal. Soon we had Americans, Canadians, Germans, and Argentinians all singing around the fire. It was truly a sight to see (and hear)! This was also the night of the presidential election and everybody, no matter the nationality, was interested in the outcome. The few with wi-fi enabled devices kept us all updated on the latest news, and when the final decision was announced, those of us who were still awake celebrated Obama´s victory with a couple of late night hamburgers.

Mancora passed all too fast, and before long we found ourselves on another bus, this time headed for Cuenca, our first stop in Ecuador and the beginning of the last leg of our three month journey through South America. We crossed the border with no problems and arrived in Cuenca late at night. Not to worry though, because the next day we had ample time for independent exploration of the old colonial town

Hammocks where much time was spent in Mancora.

. We stayed in the middle of the historical district. The streets were cobblestone, the buildings old, and each corner, it seemed, had a church and a bakery.

First impressions of Ecuador had us realizing that there is something different about this country than the others we have visited thus far, although none of us could seem to place our finger on it. Perhaps it is a more modern culture with less of an Aymaran and Quechuan influence, or perhaps it is a tad bit newer or the area as whole cleaner. It is too early to tell for sure, but we are all excited to see and experience more of this new chapter of the trip.

Again, after having only spent two nights in Cuenca we boarded another bus to Baños, a city known for its natural baths and outdoor adventure. With just a two night stay to enjoy one of Ecuador´s main attractions, we decided to make the most of it. Donning our wetsuits and life jackets, we braved the whitewater rapids of the Rio Verde. We left with more than a few stories to tell. It is safe to say that this rafting adventure has definitely been one of the highlights of the trip thus far!

Feeling rested and relaxed after our mini vacation of sorts, we are now all eager to begin the next portion of our adventure -- the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest

The beach at Mancora.

. It is sure to be a difficult two weeks both mentally and physically, although for many of us it is the challenge we have most looked forward to. We will not have access to internet and so, unfortunately, there will not be another blog post for quite some time. However, as the holiday season nears, we would like to say that we love and miss all of you back home and wish you the very best. Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, 2 November 2012

Up in the Air & AQ

Above is the flight patterns throughout the globe over time. Pretty interesting, no? The
way the artist has captured them shows how truly beautiful it is that we can see the world
through flight.

Sometimes when we are up the in air, things change, we change and maybe we become different people. What happens to you when you are up the air? On an episode of Definitely Not the Opera, the team explores life Up in the Air. This podcast shares a series of stories of
things that have happened to others while they are off the ground having adventures.

Why does this matter when talking about mygapyear?

In our work, we explore emotion intelligence. In a recent visit to Psychology Today, we
found a self-assessment for your AQ - any guesses what that could be?

Adventure Quotient (AQ) Test

On the site you will read the following:

77 questions, 30 min

How adventurous are you? Thrill-seeking can come in different forms, whether it's doing a swan dive bungee jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge in New Zealand, or trying that new exotic restaurant around the corner from work. The type of adventure you enjoy (or avoid) depends a great deal on your personality. Are you more of a planner or spontaneous? Courageous or careful? Do you have the energy level of a bee or a sloth? Find out more about your adventure personality with this test!

Examine the following statements and choose the answer option that best applies to you. There may be some questions describing situations that may not be relevant to you. In such cases, select the answer you would most likely choose if you ever found yourself in that type of situation. In order to receive the most accurate results, please answer as truthfully as possible.

After finishing the test, you will receive a Snapshot Report with an introduction, a graph and a personalized interpretation for one of your test scores. You will then have the option to purchase the full results.

Friday, 26 October 2012

A Primer on Gap Years

This is a great article that answers some varied questions about gap years that are especially pertinent this time of year when youth are thinking about their next steps in life. We would love to share our experience as Canadian advocates of gap years, and approaches to alternative time away from school at any point in a college, university or workforce year.

A primer on gap years

By Valerie Strauss

It’s the season when high school seniors are frantically filling out college applications and trying to figure out where they will be and what they will be doing next fall.

There is some evidence that a growing number of U.S. high school graduates are taking a year off before going to college. But there are questions about how gap years work, and who they benefit and what colleges think about them.

To get some answers, I talked with Laura R. Hosid, an expert on gap years at the Vinik Educational Placement Services, Inc. in Bethesda, and you can read the Q & below.

Q) What exactly is a gap year and when do students take one? Is it always right after high school?

A gap year typically describes a year off between high school and college. While gap years have long been a common practice in England and other countries, they have only recently gained popularity in the United States. Gap years offer an opportunity to travel, explore different interests, and gain experience and maturity before beginning college.

Q) How many kids do this in the United States? How different is this than in England?

There are no official statistics on how many U.S. students take gap years, but many colleges and guidance counselors have noticed a recent upward trend. According to a 2010 Time Magazine article, "[t]he number of Americans taking gap years through Projects Abroad, a U.K. company that coordinates volunteer programs around the world, has nearly quadrupled since 2005."

While gap years are gaining popularity in the United States, they remain more popular in England, where the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services found that 7% of all British students deferred admission to take a gap year in 2007. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, an estimated 1.2 percent of first-time college freshmen in the United States deferred admission to take a gap year in 2011. Neither of these numbers include students who may have applied to college after taking a gap year.

Q) Why do kids usually taken a gap year? Are they exhausted from high school? Looking for a way to boost their resumes to get into college?

Many students choose to take a gap year because they see it as an opportunity to try something new and take a break from formal schooling, while also realizing that the perspective, maturity and experience they gain can benefit them in their college careers. A gap year can be an excellent opportunity to actively pursue an interest or passion and thereby gain experience that will be attractive to employers after graduation.

Some students take a gap year because they feel that they need the time off because they are not academically or emotionally ready for college, and still others want a second chance to reapply to colleges the following year.

Regardless of their reason for taking a gap year, these students often return to school with renewed vigor and focus — in fact, a New York Times article cites a study by the Dean of Admissions at Middlebury College who observed that the average GPA for Middlebury students who had taken a gap year was consistently higher than those who had not.

Q) Would a new high school graduate who wants to take a gap year apply to college and get in first before declaring they want to take a gap year and ask for a deferment, or should they wait to apply? Are college/university admissions officers generally open to requests for a deferment for the purpose of taking a gap year?

The majority of students apply to college and secure a spot by placing an enrollment deposit, and then ask for a deferral. Almost all colleges will approve a gap year if presented with a reasonable plan — in other words, one that does not involve lounging on the beach for a year! In fact, Harvard University's acceptance letter actually encourages students to consider deferring admission to take a gap year. According to Harvard's website, each year 50-70 students take advantage of this option. Other schools have also formally encouraged gap years -- for example, Princeton University's Bridge Year Program, and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill's Global Gap Year Fellowship Program.

Q) If a student is looking to improve their chances of getting into college, what sorts of things do colleges like to see done during a gap year?

While a gap year can certainly enhance your admissions profile, it cannot compensate for deficiencies in your high school record. While colleges support and encourage gap years, admissions officers rarely see gap year experiences have a dramatic effect on a student's chances of admission.

With this in mind, the most valuable experiences are often those that delve deeper into a student's demonstrated interests, or otherwise reflect maturity and purpose. For example, a college is likely to view more favorably a prospective international relations major who completes a language immersion program while also interning or volunteering in a foreign country, compared to a student who backpacks and parties his way through Europe without a plan.

Q) What kinds of things do students do on their gap years?

Many students choose to spend their gap year in structured programs volunteering abroad or in the United States. There are also many opportunities to explore interests in the environment, arts, and other cultures. Taking courses to improve academic skills is another option. Within these broad categories, there are a myriad of options ranging from studying at the International Culinary Center in New York, to performing musical stage performances in multiple countries while living with host families with Up With People, to building trails in state parks with the Student Conservation Association.

One thing to keep in mind is that gap years need not be expensive or involve international travel. City Year, part of AmeriCorps, provides a stipend and scholarship for 10 months of service in inner city schools. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms offers offer meals and housing in exchange for farming work.

A gap year also does not need to be one full-year program. Students often piece together different options to explore a range of interests, or can work for a few months to fund a shorter opportunity. Short-term options can range from three weeks at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa with BroadReach to a month studying French at Concordia Language Villages in Minnesota.

Q) How do families get help planning one?

There are several good books available, including "The Complete Guide to the Gap Year" by Kristin M. White and "The Gap-Year Advantage" by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson. Websites such as Teen Life offer listings of gap year programs by type - many private high schools and colleges also have lists available online. In addition, USA Gap Year Fairs offer over thirty different fairs throughout the country (fairs are scheduled for Feb. 26, 2013 in Rockville, MD and Feb. 27, 2013 in Fairfax, VA). Finally, there are a small number of educational consultants who focus on gap year advising and can help students figure out what they want to do and help identify specific programs that would be a good match.

This is what mygapyear offers to our Canadian clients. We look forward to working with you on creating your personalized gap year to fit your needs, dreams and goals.

Friday, 19 October 2012

Education - anywhere, anytime, for everyone

This week we would like to highlight an article that was published in the Globe and Mail by Caroline Alphonsso. Our gappers, and all gappers, are explorers of the world. They are keenly interested in learning more about themselves, others and the world around them. Often this means becoming aware of their place in the world and exploring ideas and beliefs around belonging.

Katimavik, a Canadian volunteer program, recently cancelled by the Federal Government, offered the participants credits for their involvement in the program. Why is this important, you ask? Well, I invite you to read this article and think about the intersection of gapping as informal and experiential education. Maybe while you are taking a gap year you want to learn more about your deepest passions - this could be a good place to start.

What if anyone around the world could learn from the best instructors, for free?

Daphne Koller is dramatically transforming the face of higher education, and she’s doing it through technology. Dr. Koller, a professor at Stanford University, is also the co-founder of Coursera, a major U.S. initiative that offers open online courses for free to anyone in the world, from some of the best instructors in top institutions. The program has about 1.25-million enrolments, proof that students want more out of their university education than simply attending lectures.

"With the technologies that are now available, there is an opportunity to remarkably enhance the traditional lecture experience," Dr. Koller said.
Coursera holds plenty of appeal for older learners and those in remote locations around the world. And traditional undergraduates can build on what they are currently learning with courses that their university does not offer.
Students log in to Coursera, and have lecture modules every week and homework assignments that are graded for free either by their peers or through Coursera’s online program. For those who argue that there’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction, it turns out that students who take these courses self-organize into small online groups to work together. At the end of the course, students receive a certificate if they have mastered the material.
Coursera's success is evidence of the exploding interest in open online courses. More than two dozen universities, including the University of Toronto, offer courses through the online program. For Dr. Koller, it is about not denying anyone the opportunity to learn in a global economy.
"I would like to make it so that education was a right, and not a privilege. [So that] anyone around the world who felt the wish to learn ... that opportunity would be there for anyone, at any time, regardless of their geographic, financial or social circumstances."

Friday, 12 October 2012

The Who, What, How, Where and Whys of Gapping.

Browse more data visualization.

Friday, 5 October 2012

Part II: Alignment: Judger/Learner

There was a reason the blog signed off with a video about the book: Change your Questions, Change your life. The first question in the next set of questions from Martha Beck is listed below. If we focus too much on what is wrong, instead of looking towards what is right, or what could be better one can fall victim to aligning yourself and attaching negative experiences. This traps us.

On October 27th, mygapyear has created a forum to help open two groups to question their relationships, conversations and how they align themselves with a changing world. Young Men Finding Direction is a collaborative event hosted by mygapyear in partnership with several men who can relate to questioning being a man growing up in the 21st century. We invite families and their sons to come and explore this question.

In the meantime, laugh and live into these questions.

11. Where am I wrong?
This might well be the most powerful question on our list—as Socrates believed, we gain our first measure of intelligence when we first admit our own ignorance. Your ego wants you to avoid noticing where you may have bad information or unworkable ideas. But you'll gain far more capability and respect by asking where you're wrong than by insisting you're right.

12. What potential memories am I bartering, and is the profit worth the price?
I once read a story about a world where people sold memories the way we can sell plasma. The protagonist was an addict who'd pawned many memories for drugs but had sworn never to sell his memory of falling in love. His addiction won. Afterward he was unaware of his loss, lacking the memory he'd sold. But for the reader, the trade-off was ghastly to contemplate. Every time you choose social acceptance over your heart's desires, or financial gain over ethics, or your comfort zone over the adventure you were born to experience, you're making a similar deal. Don't.

13. Am I the only one struggling not to {fart} during {yoga}?
I felt profoundly liberated when this issue was raised on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." Not everyone does yoga, but SNL reminded me that everyone dreads committing some sort of gaffe. Substitute your greatest shame-fear: crying at work, belching in church, throwing up on the prime minister of Japan. Then know you aren't alone. Everyone worries about such faux pas, and many have committed them (well, maybe not the throwing up on PMs). Accepting this is a bold step toward mental health and a just society.

14. What do I love to practice?
Some psychologists believe that no one is born with any particular talent and that all skill is gained through practice. Studies have shown that masters are simply people who've practiced a skill intensely for 10,000 hours or more. That requires loving—not liking, loving—what you do. If you really want to excel, go where you're passionate enough to practice.

15. Where could I work less and achieve more?
To maximize time spent practicing your passions, minimize everything else. These days you can find machines or human helpers to assist with almost anything. Author Timothy Ferriss "batches" job tasks into his famous "four-hour workweek." My client Cindy has an e-mail ghostwriter. Another client, Angela, hired an assistant in the Philippines who flawlessly tracks her schedule and her investments. Get creative with available resources to find more time in your life and life in your time.

16. How can I keep myself absolutely safe?
Ask this question just to remind yourself of the answer: You can't. Life is inherently uncertain. The way to cope with that reality is not to control and avoid your way into a rigid little demi-life, but to develop courage. Doing what you long to do, despite fear, will accomplish this.

17. Where should I break the rules?
If everyone kept all the rules, we'd still be practicing cherished traditions like child marriage, slavery, and public hangings. The way humans become humane is by assessing from the heart, rather than the rule book, where the justice of a situation lies. Sometimes you have to break the rules around you to keep the rules within you.

18. So say I lived in that fabulous house in Tuscany, with untold wealth, a gorgeous, adoring mate, and a full staff of servants...then what?
We can get so obsessed with acquiring fabulous lives that we forget to live. When my clients ask themselves this question, they almost always discover that their "perfect life" pastimes are already available. Sharing joy with loved ones, spending time in nature, finding inner peace, writing your novel, plotting revenge—you can do all these things right now. Begin!

19. Are my thoughts hurting or healing?
Your situation may endanger your life and limbs, but only your thoughts can endanger your happiness. Telling yourself a miserable mental story about your circumstances creates suffering. Telling yourself a more positive and grateful story, studies show, increases happiness. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, choose thoughts that knit your heart together, rather than tear it apart.

20. Really truly: Is this what I want to be doing?
It's been several seconds since you asked this. Ask it again. Not to make yourself petulant or frustrated—just to see if it's possible to choose anything, and I mean any little thing, that would make your present experience more delightful. Thus continues the revolution.