Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
Focus only on your own growth.
GapYear is a time for growth and happiness.
Back to ListBack to List
53rd Gap Year Tribe: GapperPark Chan-bin
Gap year period: 2013-2015
France, the Philippines, Taiwan, and 10 Eastern European countriesGap year in
Currently, South Korea,
Each year, 60,000 middle and high school students drop out, 346,000 people in their twenties are idle without dreams, and the one-year turnover rate after employment has reached the 40% range,75% of university students are dissatisfied with college life, and over 80% of workers do not feel happy.Many people tell them to dream, but to solve this problem that lacks practical methods and support,we want to bring the 'gap year' to South Korea.
Gap year (Gapyear)is a period to pause or balance studies and work and, through various activities such as volunteering, travel, internships, education, and starting a business,It is a culture encouraged in the US, Europe, and Japan as a time to set the direction for one's future.
*Check out various experience opportunities on the Gap Year website!(Click)
# Let's start finding the life I truly want now, rather than focusing on immediate credentials!
After finishing military service and returning to school, I had no so-called credentials—grades, English scores, certifications—so I had no idea where to start. Then I happened to join a small on-campus group called the "Vision Meeting" (let's search for life's purpose together), and from then on I began to think about the overall direction of my life rather than immediate credentials. Instead of haphazardly filling what society expects, I started sharing with group members what kind of life I truly wanted.
Being a student, I decided to 'make proper use of the school' and mainly saved living expenses by doing work-study on campus. Above all, I sought various ways such as applying for program subsidies the school provided and for camps fully sponsored by organizations,I also steadily saved money by receiving merit scholarships and external scholarships (Jeonju City scholarship).
▲ My first 40-day backpacking trip to Europe in 2013, with workcamp friends in the French village of Eulmont
Then I saw the words 'workcamp application' in a school notice and applied immediately without hesitation. I had wanted to gain overseas experience since my time in the military, and when the opportunity actually came up there was no reason to hold back. I spent three weeks living and volunteering with friends from many countries in a rural French village, and the feelings I experienced were indescribably overwhelming and ecstatic. As the only Asian participant at the camp, I organized a concert on the last day and sang Korean songs. Although the participants at the workcamp differed in race, language, and culture, I realized that sincerity connects you everywhere.
# Job seeker, but "It's okay — I'm still young enough"
▲ Seasonal semester members: Choi Ji-ho, Oh Seung-hyuk, Kim Hoon-ho, Park Chan-bin
After finishing the first semester of my senior year, the last summer vacation arrived. At that time my biggest worry was getting a job. My friends signed up for academies to improve their English scores or obtain certifications, or took summer-session courses at school to make up for missing credits, but I didn't want to do that. I kept having a strong desire to do something that I could only do while I was still a college student.
After thinking it over, my closest senior schoolmates (all of them were also seniors) and I made a reckless plan in a cafe. The four of us, who often rode bikes because our homes were nearby, had much in common—above all, we loved bicycles and travel. We always talked about bicycle trips and concluded that we should go at least once before graduating, so we began preparing in earnest.Although I was the youngest among them, I feared that being older might hurt my chances of getting a job, but the older guys always comforted me, saying, “You’re young enough, it’s fine.”
# Raising funds independently by leveraging our respective majors
▲ With the store manager at the place that sponsored our clothing
After that, with the aim of doing our own special, hands-on study, we started the "seasonal semester" project—a bicycle trip to Eastern Europe. For a trip to Eastern Europe, we needed funds to purchase equipment and supplies, including bicycles,As college students determined to raise funds on our own, we began creating sponsorship requests to organizations and companies by applying our respective majors. At first it seemed unlikely, but after knocking on doors again and again, we secured sponsorships from five companies.Moreover, we received the opportunity to serialize our story in two magazines covering college students and bicycles. And before we departed, the university president, who had taken an interest in our trip, awarded us a scholarship to purchase tents.
▲With President Yoo Byung-jin of Myongji University, who supported our Eastern European trip
# The Handlebars and Pedals of My Life, By My Own Strength
For all of us, the bicycle trip was more of an 'adventure' than a 'journey'.On our 49-night, 50-day journey we covered 3,500 km and slept in tents outdoors for about a month. Carrying all our heavy gear on our bikes, the four of us would start each day shouting "Fighting!" and, when passing country roads that smelled of real life rather than famous tourist sites, we often said, "It's tough, but we're glad we came."From Poland to Greece, Eastern European countries shared many similarities, but each border crossing felt very new and revealed astonishing sights. Perhaps we were the novelty to them. In the Eastern European countryside, many people did not know Korea and would first say to us, "Japan? Korea? I don't know." The roads where we passed each other in mutual wonder remain unforgettable memories.
# Slovenia, On a Picturesque Meadow
▲ An invitation from Mr. Zdravko, whom we met on a rural road in Slovenia
We were climbing an endless uphill road. It was so exhausting that all four of us got off our bicycles and pushed them up. As we caught our breath halfway up the mountain and were about to pedal on to our destination, a car saw us and stopped.“Are you from North Korea?” From the very first question, the man's greeting was unusual. It was the beginning of a miracle.
With a witty question he said he wanted to invite us to his home and that there was a place to camp there. We were very tired and had quite a distance to the next destination, so we decided to follow him. As we neared his house, lyrics echoed in my ears: 'On that green meadow, building a picture-like house' — the beautiful fields and meadows I had dreamed of, and a fairy-tale house, began to appear.Mr. Zdravko and his family prepared all the food organically. We will never forget that night. Because we became family.
▲The song we sang in return: 'I am to you, you are to me'.
Not everything was exciting and fun — a dizzying unexpected accident!
The mountain ranges of Croatia were incredibly steep and dizzying. After climbing uphill all day, when we finally saw a downhill stretch we began to speed uncontrollably. The older guys ahead were enthusiastically picking up speed so I followed closely, and then we suddenly encountered a sharp curve. Because our bicycles were heavily loaded, the handlebars wouldn’t turn easily and the brakes didn’t respond.
Fortunately, I managed with difficulty to turn the handlebars and avoid the stone wall, but right beside it were thorny vines. I got tangled in the thorns, covered in cuts, and the bicycle tire was pierced and went flat.Fortunately I wasn't seriously injured, but it was a harrowing moment that could have led to a major accident.I learned that it is really important to maintain my own pace and that you must be absolutely safe on downhill stretches. Thanks to this lesson, I was able to finish my gap year safely without any further accidents.
# Lessons Learned from a Gap Year: “There Is No Failing Trip”
▲ In Ljubljana, Slovenia, the sight of youth from behind is beautiful
Before taking a gap year, there were many times I wondered, “This is such an important time— is it really okay to leave now?” Above all, making a decision and putting it into action was very difficult. For someone like me who had always only imagined things in my head, this gap year became an enormous learning experience. While time alone was important, I believe it was more meaningful because I shared memories with someone else.If anything changed most, it is probably my attitude toward life. I hadn’t allowed myself much leisure or taken time to look around, and this experience gifted me the keyword “attentiveness.”
# After the Gap Year, Sharing the Value of Experience with Peers
▲ Seongsu-dong: Held a Photo Exhibition and Talk Concert!
After finishing my gap year and returning, the first thing I did was hold a photo exhibition and talk concert to give back to those who helped with the seasonal semester project. This event was a place to express gratitude and also an opportunity to meet fellow university students and share the lessons and values learned through the gap year. I organized it hoping that this journey would take root as a “culture” and that more young people would take on challenges without hesitation.
I am personally planning to self-publish a photo book of the photos and stories I took. It is scheduled to be published on April 10 under the title “RIDE NOW.” Hoonho, the seasonal semester leader, dreamed of a “bicycle trip around the world” through this journey and will depart for Alaska this coming May.
If you want a gap year but are hesitating because you’re afraid to go alone, find someone to go with. Have an unforgettable gap year with that person and, after returning, share it with someone else. Then your gap year will possess a vitality that cannot be compared to anyone else’s time.
'The Gapper of 100 Gap Year Families' is not a mentor from TV or books.They are stories of people who were a little earlier and showed a little more courage than I did.We hope the stories of 100 people who faced similar situations and had similar concerns will offer a small help when you face important decisions in your life.
Recommendations and submissions for the 100 Gap Yearers are always welcome.
Please leave a comment or message, or email Marketing Manager Choi Da-young at choi@koreagapyear.com!