We all know how difficult it can be to decide what you want to do after having graduated secondary school. You might not know what you want; maybe you are tired of school or you just don’t know what to study. If that is your situation I suggest you take a gap year. By doing so you will learn a lot about yourself, meet new people, learn about new cultures and have great fun, all at the same time!
I have now spent five weeks in Auckland, New Zealand and I have got five left. My decision to come here was based on my willingness to improve my English as well as get to know a new culture. Coming to all alone to the other side of the world hasn’t always been easy, some days the only thing you want to do is to take the next flight home again, but then as suddenly as the weather in Auckland changes you find some beautiful park or lovely people which will cheer you up.
There are a lot of activities you can sign up for; the school organizes trips in the week such as ice cream, shopping, sports and visiting museums. A lot of other companies organize weekend trips, both whole weekends and just one day trips. One must-see is The Bay of Island where you can go swimming with dolphins or just relax in Russell – the first capital of New Zealand. While staying in The Bay of Island the Cape Reinga 90 miles beach tour is a must and why not try sand-boarding, but watch out so you don’t fall off you sledge, then you will have sand absolutely everywhere.
By doing a gap year you will learn so many things that will help you grow as a person. You will learn to take greater responsibility, make sure you go to your classes and make the most of your stay here. Learning to be independent might be challenging but it is one of the greatest things you learn by being abroad. Not only do you learn all these things but you also improve your language skills and meet new friends. By meeting new people you will have a greater understanding of different cultures and get a great knowledge of the rest of the world.
Your gap year can turn out to be the trip of your life.
Text by Anna Herge, a student at Languages International
Photo by noticelj
