A Year On; Not A Year Off

BECOME A gapper

Whether you want to take a breather after 12 years of schooling, get to know yourself better, explore the world, gain some work experience, or simply pursue your passion – a year after school can give you the gap you need to do this and more! Margarethe Booysen investigates.

Some people believe a gap year gives you time to explore your options before exchanging the four walls of a classroom for the four walls of a lecture hall or office. The idea of spending time to get to know who you are in the world without the demands of formal schooling or a full-time job is appealing for many school-leavers. For others, it is a necessity to raise funds to further their education. As with any decision that impacts your future, you should do your research, be realistic about your own circumstances, and choose what is best for you. What are the benefits of a gap year? One of the reasons many school-leavers decide to take a break after matric is because they are not ready to commit to a dedicated qualification or a specific career. Rather than risk not completing their studies and wasting money, many school-leavers opt for a gap year. For them, a gap year is an opportunity to get to know themselves better and to experience more of the world in order to make an informed decision in terms of their studies and their future career choice. It is important to develop useful career-readiness tools during your gap year.

According to Pieter Gouws, who coordinates the Pneumatix gap-year programme (www.gapyearcapetown.co.za/ index.php), the importance of exposure to career opportunities during a gap year should not be underestimated. “That is why our programme is specifically designed to give the gappers exposure to at least 35 careers and more than 100 industry professionals during their year with us.”

However, a gap year is also an opportunity for self-growth and personal development. “Every year, we see how our gappers become more mature and self-reliant, while their worldview expands,” explains Gouws. “Their growth is truly holistic.” Finding yourself in an unfamiliar environment away from the structures and rules of school and parental presence, you are forced to make your own decisions and form your own values and principles based on personal experience. You will have more independence, and with that comes a

different type of responsibility that can lead to becoming more self-sufficient and self-motivated.

Gouws says a gap year can be a catalyst for the rest of your life. “If you use a gap year to truly reflect on who you are, what motivates you, and what your values are, it can become a year of tremendous personal development that brings significant maturity and increased self-confidence.” When the gap becomes too wide When you decide to take a break from everything with the sole purpose of acting without a care in the world, throwing wild parties and engaging in reckless behaviour, then chances are that your gap year won’t be the solid platform from which you launch your future. It is important to understand your reasons for choosing to take a gap year and to set goals for yourself during this time.

01 Perform better academically. 02 Achieve language fluency. 03 Increase job satisfaction. 04 Get global citizenship. 05 Become more financially aware. 06 Cultivate priceless soft skills. 07 Become more employable. 08 Avoid academic burnout.

A gap year should not be seen as a ‘vacation’ or year off. A gap year should be a year on! CHECKBOX

Add a year; don’t take one off

Explore your options

Gap-year ideas

Pros and cons

8 reasons to take a gap year

Explore your options

When you know why you want to take a gap year and you know what your goals are, there are endless options to choose from, depending on the funds you have available.

• Make an impact

When you work as a volunteer, you give your time and skills to a non-profit organisation without financial gain. At the same time, you gain valuable work experience and the opportunity to explore your interests. There are many volunteering opportunities available in South Africa and abroad, so there are options for most budgets.

• Explore the world

Travelling can expose you to different cultures and, because you have more time, allow you to truly immerse yourself in a different way of life. If you decide to stay in a country for a while, you might consider learning a new language. Covid-19 has certainly clipped our wings in terms of travelling, but bear in mind how much of our own country there is to explore. You can also consider combining your travel plans with volunteer work.

• Structured freedom

There are numerous structured gap-year programmes available. These are ideal if you want to have independence but prefer some structure as well. Some of these programmes are specifically tailored for self-development, so this might be for you if you have personal development goals on your list.

• Fill the piggy bank

For some, a gap year is born out of necessity – and might be an opportunity for you to raise some money to further your education. While some may opt to work while studying or take a student loan, others prefer to first build capital before they enrol for a qualification. However, finding a job straight out of school can be hard as most employers require some experience. Alternatively, you can consider the skills and resources you have and start your own small business. For those who have some funds available, another attractive option is to enrol for short courses at one of South Africa’s numerous colleges while working.

8REASONS TO TAKE A GAP YEAR

DID YOU KNOW?

The concept of a gap year is not a new phenomenon. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, young people of sufficient wealth undertook what was known as ‘The Grand Tour’ – a year-long trip around the principal cultural centres of Europe. Why a gap year might be good for you • Structured volunteering, part-time work and language-based travel may help you develop skills useful for university study. • Cross-cultural experience, language learning, real-life work, and volunteer experience can add to your skill set. • When used constructively, a gap year should not slow down your academic momentum; instead, it can help you gain new skills and better your grades. • It’ll look pretty good on your CV. Potential employers may be impressed by the skills you have gained, like cultural awareness, organisational proficiency, and an ability to work independently. • The gap year will allow you to discover others, make new friends, and interact with people from all walks of life. • You’ll have tons of stories to tell. These are great as conversation starters during job interviews, at parties, or when you look back and reflect on your life and the memories you’ve made. • You may find that a gap year will be the best period of non-traditional life you’ll ever have. It’s often a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the chance to escape the daily grind. • It will also be an educational opportunity of growth and other benefits, and not just a ‘vacation’ or a year off. A gap year should be a year on! Why a gap year might not be good for you • Gap years do not just happen. They take a lot of planning. • Gap years can be expensive and, depending on what you decide to do, can cost as much (if not more!) than your first year at university would. • You may be totally on your own and find it difficult to make new friends. • Taking a break can cause you to lose momentum. • It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. • It’s hard to keep in touch with friends and you will often find that you have grown in different ways. • You’ll be a year ‘behind’ your peers if you decide to study again. • You can become homesick.

GAP-YEAR IDEAS

Adventure travel Au pair Camp jobs Experiential/hands-on learning Internships Work abroad Journalism experience Language immersion Medical gap year Music Scuba Teach abroad Volunteering

End extreme poverty by 2030

The Global Citizen organisation was co-founded by Hugh Evans, Simon Moss and Wei Soo in 2008. Their mission is to build a movement of 100 million action-taking global citizens. This movement consists of engaged citizens from across the globe who are using their collective voice to end extreme poverty by 2030. The Global Citizen Fellowship will give 15 young Africans who have exceptional potential the opportunity to participate in the programme. These 15 young people will each engage in a paid, year-long fellowship aligned to one of Global Citizen’s four pillars of activity: creative, campaigns, rewards and marketing. The multiphase curriculum will equip you with the skills and tools you need to excel - not only while you are in the programme, but in your future professional career as well.

Being part of the Global Citizen Fellowship will assist me in gaining skills and knowledge on how I can make my solutions sustainable. I also want to uplift communities.”

– Lerato Tsolo, Global Citizen Fellow

Scan here for more information!

Frank Karsten

CASE STUDY

“My plans for the future are taking shape”

Frank Karsten from Kathu in the Northern Cape is passionate about dog training and breeding, and always knew that he wanted to work with dogs. He completed his matric at Curro Kathu and was uncertain what the best path would be to pursue his dream career. He decided to become a gapper with Pneumatix in Somerset West while he contemplated his options. Frank says that he made the right decision and his plans for the future are taking shape while he is doing his gap year. He loves the fact that he is meeting new people and making friends.

Frank’s advice for those who consider becoming a gapper is that you need to have a plan for your gap year, and it has to fit in with your future plans.

• At Pneumatix, the focus is on spiritual, emotional and relational growth that enables young people to find purpose and influence in their communities and beyond. This organisation sets out to create life changes in young adults through training and community building.

Additional resource links: • GoAbroad.com – tinyurl.com/ypv5vv3d • International Volunteer HQ – www.volunteerhq.org/gap-year-programs • GVI Africa – tinyurl.com/4cj28jxp • Parents.com – tinyurl.com/655vxzwk • Gap Year Association – tinyurl.com/9krzcdb5 • Go Overseas – www.gooverseas.com/ gap-year or tinyurl.com/GoGapSA • Oyster – tinyurl.com/3k24kdaf • PNX Gap Year – www.gapyearcapetown. co.za and tinyurl.com/59t4pba5 • Eco Training – www.ecotraining.co.za/agap-year-in-africa

EDUCATION FOR ALL

New international approach to tertiary education brings studying within reach of all. South Africans can now achieve their educational dreams from as little as R500.00* a month, says Regenesys.

Regenesys Business School is proud to introduce the EdForAll initiative to all South Africans and students globally. We believe it will help solve many of the traditional issues that have beset the delivery of tertiary education for many years. These problems, which locally have included the cost of university tuition and pressure on the government-led student loan system, have combined to make it difficult, if not impossible, for millions of students from impoverished homes to realise their dreams.

By bringing education within the grasp of many more South Africans, we believe we will be enabling many people to escape the poverty trap. This will occur as educationally qualified family members begin securing higher-paying jobs that will enable them to help uplift their families. Naturally, a better-educated workforce will also have benefits for the wider South African economy. EdForAll empowers students to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty of no education – no job – no money – no education.

Through the EdForAll programme, students will be able to study for internationally recognised certificates, bachelors, postgraduate diplomas, and even MBA degrees. The new programme enables: • Students identified as financially disadvantaged or deserving to sign up for studies and pay a monthly portal fee from as little as R500.00* • Once they have qualified and are employed, they can then pay the outstanding tuition fees. • If already employed, but not earning enough to afford studies, students can join the scheme and study now and pay later. “We have ensured that the programmes offered through EdForAll cover key areas such as business administration and management, project management, IT (including coding and AI, machine learning, cybersecurity and other disciplines), financial management and professional business writing skills,” comments Dr. Marko Saravanja, Chairperson of Regenesys Business School.

Regenesys is deeply committed to helping develop leaders capable of solving the current challenges facing the world- from unemployment and poverty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to corruption and sustainable development.

“Our mission is to create a world in which higher education is a human right for all and not a privilege of the wealthy. We are honoured to make this important worldwide contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. We wish to wipe away the tears of parents who cannot afford to pay for their children’s higher education,” concludes Ms Indherani Reddy, Head of the Regenesys Foundation.

*T&C’s apply. Available on our website

www.regenesys.net