If you’re any of such students, there’s an option for you; go into business or take a year off after college and do a gap year program. A gap year program abroad can be an important opportunity to gain professional and personal experiences in a global context. Especially for college graduates, a gap year program done abroad is more than you think. It gives you the chance to accomplish the same things you would’ve at gotten home (i.e. an internship, further study, teaching, or entry-level job), but you will do them in a much broader setting. So, if you have a wrong notion about gap year programs, get ready to change your mind. Because a gap year is a year to improve your skills and knowledge. Keep reading as we show you the true meaning of a gap year, help you understand the benefits, the type of programs available, and the effects your career will have by taking a year off after college. The table of content below gives a broader view of the topics this article treated. Stay with us!
What is Gap Year?
A gap year is when you take a year off after every level of education. A gap year can also be any period, it does not have to be a full year. It can be a semester or a few months. Gap years are free time for high school or college students to either work, volunteer, or study. A Post-College Gap Year is an intentional break between college and the next phase in a student’s life. It is also known as the Gap Year After College.
What is Post-College Gap Year?
Post-College Gap Year can either be a full-time job, graduate school, volunteering, or something else.
Why Take a Gap Year After College?
Most students are raised to follow the same path – make good grades in high school, go to a great university, graduate in four years and then go into business or enroll in graduate school. After a grueling four-year period of apparently uninterrupted learning, most college graduate may feel like he deserves a break. And for many, those short summer vacation after graduation won’t be enough. Meanwhile, some graduates are unsure of the career they want to pursue, while others are disappointed that they were not admitted to their grad school of choice. Some even have it all figured out, go to college, graduate, and start-up their career. One of these events occurs in the life of most college graduates. For those seemingly confused or need a break, taking a year off is the perfect way to fill in the middle period and let you steam off. Also, taking a year off after college gives you a chance to reflect on your personal mantra, goals, and values. Observing and experiencing the way people live in other parts of the world, can help you reevaluate your life and its problems and also give you the perspective you need in life. If you’ve had enough of your current lifestyle, a gap year may even inspire you to completely change the direction of your life. You will learn more about yourself and what you are capable of, without the comforts of family, friends, a job, and a native language that you master. Whatever your motivation, spending a year abroad before entering the workforce is a solid plan. After all, it will be much more difficult for you to travel once you start your career or have a family to support. Most importantly, by gaining relevant work experience and a new international perspective, you will become significantly more attractive to a potential employer when you return home. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of your year abroad to discover new interests or discover old passions. Have you always loved animals but can’t afford a veterinary school? Spend a year abroad conserving wildlife in sanctuaries.
How Does a Gap Year Work?
As a college student seeking to take a gap year program, you need to understand how the gap year works. The great thing about most gap year programs is that you can choose the type you want to major in. Due to the recent popularity of gap years, you can find almost any type of experience in a variety of industries. Whether you want to use your environmental degree to work in conservation in Tanzania or improve your Chinese language skills in China, there is a gap year program to suit your interests. We are here to help you explain the most common types of gap year programs that you will encounter as a college graduate.
Study
If you are a college graduate and not ready to leave the academy, consider taking classes during your gap year. Language courses are the most popular and useful gap year programs, and being able to speak another language is a real CV booster.
Volunteer
Volunteering abroad is another gap year program type. It is a great way to immerse yourself in a culture and make a difference in the world while developing your career skills. You can spend the whole year working on one project or doing several smaller ones in different parts of the world. Explore some of our favorite gap year volunteer programs.
Paid Work
If you are concerned about being financially dependent on your parents, you can combine your gap year program with a paid job. Look for a job that you can do abroad during your gap year. You can find a job online, so your work never interferes with your trip. Internships, teaching English abroad, and working as an au pair are some of the most popular ways to earn money, finance a year of travel, and learn skills to include on your CV.
How Much Does a Gap Year After College Cost?
Financial responsibilities are one of the main reasons young graduates don’t take a gap year. This is not (and should not) be the case. A gap year is one of the best options to generate income while studying. From paid internships to working as an au pair to landing a part-time job, there are plenty of ways to earn money on the go. Depending on what you are doing in your gap year, you can also apply for related grants or scholarships or even crowdfunding. Also, be sure to research which parts of the world work best for your budget. Your money will go much further in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, or Mexico than in France or England.
What to Do in a Gap Year Before University
A gap year after college is a great opportunity to explore.
There are great options for you. You can choose to follow the crowd to spend a year abroad while you update your Instagram followers or how you visited every city of that country. Or you can spend it by being productive such as work abroad, volunteer abroad, or learn a new language.
Not only that, a gap year is open to anyone, even college graduates, whether you’re doing a paper in a corner booth or climbing the corporate ladder.
There are many gap year travel programs for gap year travelers that are not that cliché, so consider a gap year trip after college.
If you’re a college graduate and you want to impact the world, here are some transformative gap year programs to consider during your year off.
How to Choose a Suitable Gap Year Program
Gap year programs are big business these days, with a plethora of stylish international agencies offering a seemingly endless range of options. Keep in mind that most are for high school dropouts, while some are for college graduates confused or totally need a break. Whatever be your case, opt for a program that requires a college degree or experience in your field. In this way, you will gain a lot of useful and practical experience in the process. Seek for those engaging experiences that add up to your resume and opt for those gap year program that matches your chosen field. For example, aspiring teachers will want to work in education, environmental scientists in conservation, and medical graduates. Although finding the right program can be a challenge, we have made it easy. Below you will find the Best Post-College Gap Year Programs spread across in 2022. All you need to do is just click and enroll for one. It’s simple, right? These are someadd great and best gap year agencies: These companies offer a full range of immersion experiences abroad, from volunteering to internships, job placements, and everything else. However, you have to pay a fee to use their services.
10 Best Post-College Gap Year Programs in 2022
Taking a gap year class may seem like a drag after four years in college, but it can actually help you make significant progress. Many graduate programs only last one year, so instead of taking a year to travel and then going to graduate school, why not combine the two and attend graduate school abroad? Stay with us as we outline the 10 Best Post-College Gap Year Programs in 2022.
#1. Water and Sanitation Projects – Blue Missions
Blue Missions is a charity organization that aims to improve public health by providing families with clean water and sanitary environments. This clean water charity runs one-year after-college programs every summer to work on water and sanitation projects in rural areas of the Dominican Republic. This is a great opportunity to serve and study abroad for a one-year gap year program after college. At Blue Missions, the volunteers join their team abroad and work with locals to construct the project from the start to the end. They are to sign up for a service project and fundraise the cost of materials for the project. Also, you’ll live in a rural community for 8 days working, learning, living, and enjoying the moment. This might also be a good option for you if you don’t have a full year of graduate vacancy to spare, but you still want to get involved in an important project and meet like-minded students and recent graduates beforehand early in your career. Although the time frame is short, most participants describe it as a positive and immersive experience. Application for this program starts Dec 1st every year, and it lasts for 5 weeks. Click the link below for more information about Blue Missions Gap Year Program.
Requirements
Internship fee of $550 covers:
Airfare (round trip from Miami to the Dominican Republic)In-country transportationLodging and most meals Travel insurance
Must participate in workshop training prior to the summer of 2022
Must be first-aid and CPR certified with the American Red Cross before May 1, 2022. Highly recommended becoming Wilderness First-Aid certified.
If you are a South Florida resident, you must attend their trip preparation meetings in the Spring
#2. Study Abroad & Internships with Linguistic Horizons
Linguistic Horizons offers customized international internships, language immersion, CAM, and study abroad programs for all majors. They offer a variety of gap year programs ranging from 2 weeks to a full year. You can choose from the various internship, study abroad, and foreign language immersion programs! They have several options from South America to Europe and New Zealand. Linguistic Horizons gap year programs after college can connect you with tailored internships or volunteer projects while immersing you in Spanish or English. Choose how long you want to spend abroad with minimum commitments of two weeks and programs of up to one year. Accommodation, meal plans, project supervision, field trips, and excursions, and 24/7 emergency support are included in the program costs. Here are Linguistic Horizons gap year programs after college in 2022: South America: Peru!
Intern in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, PERUNutrition & Natural Medicine in PERU
Europe: SPAIN!
Intern & Study Spanish in SPAINSummer Study Spanish in SpainSPAIN: Semester or Academic Year
Europe: UK!
Intern in the UK
Oceania: New Zealand!
Intern in NEW ZEALAND
#3. Gap Year Semester Program – Pacific Discovery
Pacific Discovery Gap Year Programs are based on the concept of experiential education and combine cultural immersion, personal and leadership development, volunteer and community service projects, ecotourism and sustainability, and transferable college credit options. If you are looking for an experience that challenges you, broadens your horizons, and blends cultural awareness and environmental sensitivity with fun and adventure, then you’re at the right place. Their educational travel programs are suitable for high school graduates, gap year students, college students, and graduates, ideally between the ages of 18-24. Pacific Discovery Gap Year semester programs are a 10-week journey with an optional 1-3-week independent extension. Programs are offered Fall and Winter/Spring and can be taken consecutively for an in-depth and transformative gap year experience. Academic credit options are available on all programs.
#4. GoEco: Volunteer Abroad – Affordable & Trusted Programs
GoEco offers a wide range of volunteer experiences with flexible durations ranging from two to twelve weeks. You can volunteer at an animal rescue shelter in Ecuador, health and medical care in Costa Rica, or helping with animal conservation and conservation efforts in Zimbabwe, Kenya, United States, etc. The link between these many opportunities is a focus on responsible and green travel. Choose a program if you cannot spend your entire graduate gap year volunteering, or contact GoEco to arrange multiple consecutive experiences. Here is the different volunteer opportunity GoEco have in 2022:
#5. Gap Year Volunteer Programs | International Volunteer HQ
Every year thousands of people choose to join IVHQ gap year volunteer programs. Because: International Volunteer HQ offers the world’s most affordable and reliable volunteer programs in more than 50 countries, including Bali, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Peru, South Africa, and Kenya. You can join programs for periods ranging from 1 week to 6 months and many gap years volunteers choose to combine multiple programs in different destinations. Whether you are looking to volunteer in education, child care, medicine, community development, construction and renovation, turtle conservation, or wildlife conservation, IVHQ has a gap year volunteer opportunity. With volunteer program fees starting at $180, you won’t find a more affordable and reliable volunteer organization.
#6. Learn Japanese in Tokyo, Japan with KCP International
KCP Japanese International Language School is open to all full-time university students regardless of their field of study, graduate students, and adult professionals. The program is open to American students and students from other countries who have a visa treaty with Japan. Students who make the most of the KCP program must have completed at least one year of university Japanese. If you are not a native English speaker, you must show your fluency in English.
Requirements
Generally, to be accepted into the program, you: Enrolled students need a GPA of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale). There is no transcript requirement for college graduates or adults who are not students over the age of 21.
#7. TEFL Certification for Teaching English Abroad – International TEFL Academy
International TEFL Academy (ITA) is a world leader in TEFL certification for teaching English abroad and teaching English online. Basically, ITA offers accredited TEFL certification classes online and in 21 locations worldwide and has received multiple awards and widespread recognition as one of the best TEFL schools in the world. With regards to their gap year programs, you can use your graduate gap year to become certified to teach English as a foreign language, and then land your first job in your new field. TEFL Academy’s international programs offer the option of earning your TEFL certification online or visiting one of their sites to train for four weeks abroad. This includes Teaching English in: Once you have completed your training, the Academy will help you find your first placement and all others after with Lifetime Placement Assistance. While this is more independent than many overseas graduate gap year programs, the agency also helps find accommodation and arrival assistance at each new placement location and facilitates meetings. Including networking opportunities among alumni of the program.
#8. Gap Year and Internships in Spain – Instituto Hemingway
Instituto Hemingway offers a great number of gap year program opportunities to college graduates. Opportunities like the au pair, volunteering and internships in Spain, and many more. Instituto Hemingway will place you in a full-time service position in spas and hotels throughout Spain with their gap year programs after college. This program allows you to undertake internships in Spain in different areas. They pay an up-front fee for the placement, but once you are there, in exchange for your work, they cover your lodging and meals, as well as a modest allowance for your free time. The program requires a minimum commitment of four weeks, but can be extended for much longer stays if you take advantage of it. Take the opportunity to explore Spain and the surrounding region on your days off.
#9. TEFL Certification Gap Year Programs in Latin America – Maximo Nivel
Máximo Nivel is the leading organization for study abroad and educational trips in Latin America. They are an internationally accredited organization with 4 local institutes in 3 of the most beautiful countries in the world: Costa Rica, Guatemala and Peru. You can choose from a variety of programs: volunteer abroad, international internships, TEFL certification, Spanish immersion, study abroad and much more. Every month it launches a new TEFL certification program at one of the three Top Level sites in Latin America. After four weeks of training, including 15 hours of hands-on experience and classroom observation, the organization will help you find your first TEFL teaching location. They are usually located in Asia, so this could be a great way to travel the world on your graduate gap year. The TEFL certification program does not include accommodation in the program fee, but Maximo Nivel can help you arrange accommodation in student accommodation, self-catering apartments or host families at affordable prices. Whether you want to study, volunteer, teach, take a year off, gain international work experience, or simply get involved in life, language, and culture, Máximo Nivel has a program for you!
#10. Gap Year Programs in Africa – African Impact
African Impact provides reasonable and exceptional volunteer abroad, gap year programs, internships and study abroad in Africa. African Impact’s graduate gap year options will provide you with the opportunity to participate in established volunteer projects or internships in various African countries. Given the project locations, meals and accommodation are generally fairly basic, but safe and sufficient, and included in the program fee. Different projects have different deadlines, but you can generally choose from programs that vary in length from 2 to 12 weeks. While there are many projects to choose from, wildlife conservation projects in particular seem to most students favorites. Here are 5 gap year ideas for volunteering in Africa that will make 2022 unforgettable: Volunteer in Africa with the best provider!
Conclusion
As we noted earlier, the real deal about gap years is that they are 100% what you do with them. You can jump from country to country and experience a ton of new things, or you can live in one place year-round and really immerse yourself in another culture or you can share your year and do both. The opportunities are endless, so don’t be afraid to personalize your time abroad and make it as beneficial as possible. Happy Gapping!
