Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
#Improved English learning efficiency; renewed vitality in life #One-month stay in New York; experiencing developed-country culture #Confidence, emotional impact, renewed energy
|
The energy I recharged while enjoying free time in the large city of New York made my life very energetic and confident. And I found a way to learn English more efficiently and accurately.
I would like to thank Korean Gapyear once again for their help.
Living like a true New Yorker: a one-month stay in New York, my dream-fulfillment project Lee Sook-hee, Gapyear family gapper (60, employed) / 4-week gap year
|
# I am a woman who will be 60 years old this year.
My name is Lee Sook-hee; I am 60 years old this year and currently employed.
There were three main reasons I participated in the gap year. First, I wanted to overcome my English to some extent, and second,time to plan my life after retirementI wanted that. The third was to develop a more global mindset. For me, all of these were major challenges.
* For Ms. Lee Sook-hee, who wanted a new challenge and improvement in her English skills, missions that broke her preconceptions, tailored 1:1 personal missions for new experiences and English improvement were provided daily, and a Gapyear notebook to reflect and make plans was also provided.
>> Participation fee 100 won! Go to the Gapyear mission
# Thanks to the accommodation arranged by Gapyear, I was able to stay without major issues!
I think pre-departure preparations can basically be summarized into five things :)
1. Financial preparation
2. Visa arrangements
3. Preparing items needed for daily life during the gap year period
4. Researching the New York environment
5. Preparation for executing the Gapyear program
In fact, since this was my first time trying a one-month stay abroad, I was worried, butthere were no major problems. The main reason I felt there were no problems was that the accommodation provided by Gapyear guaranteed safety and was cozy.
# I wanted to directly immerse myself in English on-site.
Through this one-month stay in New York,gaining the ability to travel alone, exploring the city of New York, and studying English locally to become more confident, these were the three.
Until now I had never prepared my own travel arrangements (visa issuance, purchasing air tickets, etc.), so I was afraid of preparing by myself and traveling alone.
The first cause of that fear seemed to be the issue of English.
I felt that if I couldn''t speak English well, it would be difficult to survive socially, so I wanted to confront English in the local environment. I also wanted to correct my mistaken view of not valuing the United States as an advanced country and stay in New York, a place said to feel liberating.
Experiencing the local place firsthand is truly an enormous learning experience.
In my case, up until now most of my travel preparations were done by someone else. Work-related trips were arranged by the company, and personal trips were handled by others as well. That was partly because I didn''t have the time and partly because I wasn''t very interested in preparing for trips.
Therefore, I didn''t know well the procedures and details needed for travel, and when I tried to do it myself it was bothersome and not easy. However, with the support of the Korea Gap Year program, I went to New York on my own.After spending a month in New York, I have gained confidence in many ways. Experiencing the local place firsthand is truly an enormous learning experience.
Why I chose New York
So far I have traveled mainly to remote areas and ancient cultural sites, and I wasn''t particularly interested in traveling to the United States.
However, I thought I should renew my perception of the United States as a developed country and go see for myself. I chose New York because I heard you can feel a sense of freedom in that city, and I was very curious to find out what that would be like.
The accommodation assigned by Gap Year was close to the language school, so I was able to walk around conveniently; rather than any specific detail, the fact that I went there itself was moving.I also used weekends to visit nearby Washington and Boston. This was a very efficient trip and seemed to be a good way to travel.
Living in New York
My daily routine there was that as soon as I woke up I sometimes exercised by swimming in the morning, then attended English classes at the language school, and after class I took city tours. After returning to the accommodation, I reviewed the English lessons privately and went to sleep. On holidays I mainly toured nearby cities like New Jersey, Boston, and Washington D.C.
The English study I had been doing in Korea focused on reading and interpretation, so I had difficulty speaking. I wanted to solve this problem and find a method.
Although it was a short time, I realized that studying English in New York — in other words, studying locally — is very important and efficient. Many students go for language study abroad, and I think it is truly an important opportunity.
To maintain the study habits I formed then, I am still diligently studying English even after returning to Korea.
The New York trip gave me more energy than I expected.
In the end, New York...The trip gave me more energy than I expected.
Even if you''re busy, it''s good to plan and carry out a trip on your own; I gained the confidence that it is entirely possible.
Having free time in a big city like New York recharged me and made my life very vibrant and confident. I also found a way to learn English more efficiently and accurately.
I would like to thank Korea Gap Year once again for their help.
My Gap Year Tips!
- Accommodation
: Local people in New York who know me worried a lot about the accommodation. The reason for their concern was that the place is mainly frequented by young people, so they wondered whether it might be uncomfortable.
However, I was very satisfied. The reasons are:The accommodation''s location wasn''t far from the language school; secondly, it had various amenities such as a swimming pool; and thirdly, it was relatively well maintainedbecause it was.
- Meals
: To address hygiene issues from using shared kitchenware, it would be good to bring simple cooking utensils (a small pot, one bowl, and a set of spoon and chopsticks).
My gap year
Experience ★★★★★
Learning ★★★★★
Environment ★★★★★
Safety ★★★★★
Leisure ★★★★★
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
