The decision of whether to embark on a university/college education immediately after high school or to take a gap year to travel or study is a topic of great interest and relevance in today’s society. I’ve been thinking about what to do after I finish high school. Some of my friends are going straight to college, but I’m considering taking a year off before starting my degree. I think taking a “gap year” could be a good idea. It gives you time to learn and grow before more studying.

When I brought up the topic with my friends, we had an engaging discussion about the pros and cons of taking time off between high school and college. I was curious to hear if my friends thought a gap year should be focused on additional studying to boost college applications or if the time should be used for enjoyment through travel and new experiences. Most of my friends felt strongly that favoring enjoyment over academics would provide greater long-term benefits.

They reasoned that the college admission process puts so much emphasis on grades and test scores during the high-pressure senior year. While extracurricular studying may help boost applications, it comes at the cost of a much-needed break.  Firstly, international travel provides incredible opportunities for personal and intellectual growth that cannot be replicated within a classroom. Navigating foreign countries independently develops life skills like independence, flexibility, cultural understanding, and problem-solving in real-world scenarios. Memories from these trips can last a lifetime, while classes and grades will fade in significance over time.

Spending months volunteering abroad, interning, studying a new language, or simply backpacking leads to self-discoveries that could inspire new passions and future opportunities.

Engaging in volunteer work abroad allows a hands-on experience that can cultivate empathy, compassion, and a sense of responsibility toward global issues. Internships during a gap year not only enhance skills and knowledge but also help in building a professional network. They offer a chance to explore career interests, confirming or redirecting one’s path before one commits to a specific educational track. Colleges may even look kindly upon a well-spent gap year, impressed by an applicant’s demonstrated maturity, global perspective, and drive gained from meaningful adventures overseas.

A gap year dedicated to study can also be highly beneficial. It allows individuals to explore their academic interests, gain practical skills, or prepare for specific career paths. During this time, one could take specialized courses, engage in internships, or participate in research projects related to one’s desired field. This focused study period could provide a solid foundation for future academic pursuits and enhance the overall learning experience. It allows students to approach college or university with a clearer sense of direction, as they have had the chance to explore and develop their academic interests during the gap year.

Taking a gap year, whether for travel or study, can provide numerous benefits. Traveling allows individuals to broaden their horizons, develop important life skills, and gain cultural understanding. On the other hand, a gap year dedicated to study can offer academic exploration, practical skills development, and a clearer sense of direction.  Considering the perspectives of my friends, it is apparent that many support enjoying life during a gap year to explore personal interests and discover passions.

Personally, if I do end up deciding to take a gap year, one thing I’m really excited about is using that time to learn new languages. Not only do I believe it will be beneficial for my future studies, but it’s also a hobby of mine. I enjoy the challenge of mastering new vocabulary, grammar rules, and pronunciation. It’s like solving a puzzle or unlocking a secret code. I believe it will not only enhance my academic skills but also broaden my horizons and make me a more well-rounded individual.

Read More: A Student’s Journey at Canadian International School of Beijing

Images: Zonaira Ali, Pexels

How should I spend my time after finishing high-school? Should I apply for college straight away? Or should I rather take a break from the education system to do something entirely different – a gap year?

A lot of students are asking themselves these questions, and you will be surprised how many don’t know – even if they are already going to graduate next year – what exactly they want to do after school. In order to offer you some help with your decision, here are the sometimes vague and sometimes more concrete plans of thirteen international students here in Beijing that might inspire you:

After graduating, I want to stay here in China for one year and learn Chinese. Then I will probably go to university.

(Alicia Schwarz, 17)

My plan is to visit an acting school in New York for one year. Or maybe, I will go to Spain and learn Spanish.

(Ayisha Wangsun, 17)

I plan on studying Arts or Design directly after my graduation. Therefore, I will probably go to Germany or somewhere else in Europe.

(Chantal Adam, 17)

My parents want me to travel around here in China for one year, so that I can improve my Chinese skills. But after that, I have no idea what I want to do yet.

(Justus Boewer, 17)

For half a year, I will participate in a cultural exchange and help building a village in Africa. After that, for the second half of the year, I want to work as a lifeguard in Germany. If everything works out like that, I will be a happy man.

(Lorenz Hoffmann, 17)

I already know what I will do after graduating: I will study Chinese at a Beijing University.

(Luna Jursch, 19)

I will probably travel around in Europe or the USA. While I am doing that, I will have enough time to think about where and what I want to study afterwards.

(Maxi Ulrich, 16)

I’m not exactly sure what to do directly after graduating, but I want to study Physics.

(Paul Hilgers, 16)

After the Covid pandemic, I really want to travel around. If possible, I would like to combine that with studying Chinese. I see university quite relaxed, because I already roughly know which subjects I want to study and finding that out is the hardest part, in my opinion.

(Ben Aurel Gstattenbauer, 17)

I have already applied for three university’s courses in International Business, but only because my older brother did the same. Work and Travel is also an opportunity that I have considered if I don’t get accepted by these universities.

(Lena Jahn, 16)

After graduation, I will travel around Europe or the United States. I am planning to study Politics in Paris at SciencesPo subsequently and hoping to get a degree in International Governance and Politics, because later, I want to attain a job in the German Federal Foreign Office.

(Gianluca Kropf, 17)

I will go to college straight away after school or do something called “prépa” in France. The “prépa” – two years before college – enables you to get access to very good universities in France.

(Emma Sortais, 15) 

I plan on taking a gap year before going to college. I will play volleyball for the entire gap year.

(Dino Liu, 16)

Out of the twenty-five people asked about their plans after finishing high-school for this article, fourteen are already relatively sure about what to do after graduating, while eleven of them still don’t have a concrete plan and only tend in a certain direction or are torn over two or more options.

But only nine of the twenty-five students want to go to college directly after graduation. The other sixteen all prefer a gap year instead – some of them simply want to travel around, others want to learn languages or engage in social projects.

So, as you see, there are tons of possibilities to spend your time after finishing high-school. The difficulty is, of course, to choose the right option that suits you best. But oftentimes, the decision comes naturally: Since twelve or thirteen years of schooling are quite a lot, many students are ready to take a break before diving into the world of education again, but if school is something you enjoy, then continuing to study at the university directly after school might be the right thing for you.

Images: Unsplash

Graduation season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate this accomplishment than giving a special gift? We at beijingkids went out shopping and made a list of cute gifts found online and out and about in Beijing.

Cupcakes made in Beijing

This fab baker makes these lovely cupcakes that are a perfect addition to any graduation party. Made in Beijing and delivered to your door. Contact the baker via WeChat id: hwawu001

Kindle From Amazon.com

This is the ultimate gift for a graduate, easy to move to college and you can download a few books that you would like them to read. Get it here.

A Gap Year

Why not take some time to reflect and recharge before the graduate starts out on “real” life? Gap years can be valuable to their future. If you can’t afford gifting a gap year, just get them the book. Buy it here.

Jewelry “Oh the Places you’ll go”

We can all use some inspirational quotes in our life, and all the better if they come from Dr. Seuss. This bracelet is cheap but the message is priceless. Find it here.

Tickets to a show

Tickets to musicals can get expensive, and you can always treat yourself while taking a graduate out. Most likely they’ve never heard of this movie, so you can teach them some culture while you are at it. Get tickets here.

A pillow for the new dorm room

Many first-time college students need some help dressing up their new living arrangements. This donut pillow is sure to be the talk of their dorm. Find this useless but fun gift here.

Flowers from Beijing

Head over to one of the two remaining flower markets and get a great bouquet of flowers. If the graduate does not like it, then no problem; in one week the bouquet will die anyway. This is where the markets are found.

Pictures: pixabay, www.amazon.cn www.baopals.com, vendors

More stories from this author here paulinevanhasselt@truerun.com

Figuring out what you want to do after high school can be tough.  From choosing whether or not to continue your studies right away and which college to attend, to choosing what subject you want to study and what specific courses to take can be as overwhelming for the parents as it is for the kids. An increasingly popular option these days is known as a “gap year”.  But just what is a gap year exactly, and is it right for your child?

What is it?
A gap year is just that, a gap year.  It’s taking a year off between finishing high school and starting college to save money, travel, gain some work experience, whatever you want to do.

Why take a gap year?
There are many good arguments for taking a gap year; some would argue that it provides adolescents with self-sufficiency, life experience, and a greater understanding of who they are and what they want to do in the future, which in itself can be helpful in making decisions regarding college applications.  In fact, many college applications encourage taking a gap year for these reasons, reasoning that students can bring a more mature outlook and heightened sense of perspective into the classroom. Another reason people choose to take a gap year is to save money for college or future travel. Personally, I swear by my gap year spent working in England; my worldview widened immensely, not to mention my sense of emotional maturity. While I didn’t save much money by the end, I did gain close friends, valuable work experience, and lifelong memories. Conversely, I had friends that were never interested, claiming that if they delayed college for a year they were afraid they would never make it, and others that downright regretted their decision to take a gap year. These friends of mine felt that while they had fun, they didn’t succeed in saving money, and overall just delayed their graduation from college and entering the workforce by a year.  In truth, the benefits of taking a gap year come down to the individual person, and what they choose to do with the year.

Gap year options:
Being a year in length provides adolescents with heaps of options; they can break up the time into smaller sections and try out a few different things, or save up some money in the first part of the year before traveling afterwards. Here are some options:

•    Working overseas: There are a wide range of websites to assist you with finding overseas work on your gap year – try gapyear.com or gapwork.com. Otherwise, if you hold a passport from an applicable country (check here), you can follow in the steps of yours truly and apply for a Youth Mobility visa to work in the UK.

•    Short-term study: If the idea of taking time off after 12 years of study before commencing another 3-4 years of further study to study doesn’t make them want to peel their own skin off, consider this a valid option.  You can find short-term language programs at a variety of universities overseas, or think Tsinghua for one close to home. Alternatively, utilize the World Wide Web and access thousands of online courses right at your fingertips. Check out coursera.com and udemy.com for courses in everything from Psychology, to Data Analysis, to Introductory Corporate Finance.

•    Volunteering: Using this time to volunteer can really make some positive change, as well as make a personal impact on the person and provide them with helpful contacts and life experience. Not to mention, it also looks great on a college application.  There are thousands of great organizations out there to get involved with, it’s just up to choosing one that is personally significant, whether it’s teaching in rural areas, helping with wildlife conservation, or getting hands on with building structures or community projects.

•    Travel: We can’t help too much with this one! If the options prove too multitudinous, check out contiki.com or busabout.com for more guided tour options.

Is it the right option for my child?
No two people are the same; whether or not a gap year is suitable depends on what the student wants to get out of it, their forward planning, and most of all their mindset. If your child is raring to get to college or enter the next phase of their life post-high school, then great. But if they are a bit tentative or just want to try something new for a year first, then a gap year might be for them.

Photos: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The land down under is vying to become a top destination for gap year students.

This Australian Embassy in China says it is preparing to grant 5,000 work and holiday visas annually to Chinese nationals between the ages of 18 and 31, allowing these young tourists to visit for a year and legally work for up to six months.

A recent Beijing Today article noted that the new Australia visa model is akin that of its sister nation, New Zealand, adding that the latter doles out 1,000 work and holiday visas annually. The article went on to quote a female recipient of such a Kiwi visa from China’s Heilongjiang province:

“I work for food and accommodations… My English skills improved a lot this year even though I didn’t take any language classes. More importantly, I applied for a local university and successfully turned my work and holiday visa into a student visa.”

Much of Australia’s business elite say it’s high time that their nation implemented such measures. A Daily Telegraph article said: "Billionaire casino owner James Packer has been particularly vocal about the need for visa reform as well as Austrade, Tourism Australia and NSW Trade & Investment."

The Telegraph story added that a measly 1.1 percent of China’s 100 million annual tourists are bound for Australia and its neighboring "Oceanic" neighbors. Businessmen like Packer surely hope that the relaxed visas will ready Australia for China’s tourist boom, which is expected to boast 200 million travelers by 2020.

 Image: news.com.au