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#Gained new perspectives and dreams #The experience of living like a local in London #The joy of escaping stress and fully enjoying the moment
I liked that being in a new place like the UK allowed me to break away from the repetitive routine in Korea and forget my stress! Every moment of learning new things felt like excitement rather than nervousness, in the charming city of LondonI think the best part was being able to experience living there in a relaxed way!
Learn classic English affordably in London, UK! Jang Hee-young — Gapper (gap year participant), 22
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# I took a leave from university and went to London for a language course through a gap year!
Hello! I''m 22-year-old Jang Hee-young. I took a leave from university and went to London for a gap year. I participated in the London short-term language program for a total of seven weeks, and after finishing the gap year language program I''m currently traveling around Europe for a month. In short, I''m a carefree college student who loves to travel and just likes to have fun! :)
* For Jang Hee-young, who wanted to properly take time to think about a new way of traveling and the direction of her future life,activities offering new experiences, personalized 1:1 missions about new experiences and life plans were provided daily, and a gap year notebook was also provided to reflect on oneself and make plans.
# I hoped that by meeting new people in a new environment and having various experiences,I might develop new perspectives and different dreams!
Ahead of my third year of university, I had no concrete dreams or plans and lacked the confidence to keep going to school, so I decided to take a leave of absence on a whim. While looking for things I could do during that time I found the gap year program. I had originally thought about studying English, but starting felt daunting and I didn''t really want to do it...
Then I happened to find Korea Gap Year''s various overseas projects and wanted to live long-term in a European country, especially London. I decided to go to London for a short-term language course to get practical English exposure and maybe build some motivation to study English.It began with a vague hope that in a distant country like the UK, by meeting new people in a new environment and having various experiences, new perspectives and different dreams might come up.
# Before departure I made a bucket list and did a short English study, preparing with an excited heart!
Before going to the London short-term language program, I had traveled to Europe a year earlier, and because I can eat and sleep well anywhere, I wasn''t too worried.Besides, there was a gap year coordinator who would help whenever I asked, so I felt reassured and was able to prepare comfortably.
Actually, going with a friend relieved a lot of my worries. Fortunately I came with a friend I got along with well, and having someone with me in a strange place felt most reassuring.
Practical preparations began three months before when I bought the flight, and I handled things like travel insurance, visas, and supplies from one month prior as they came to mind, starting with those that had time limits. To be honest, I''m not the type to prepare well in advance, so I started hurriedly packing three months'' worth of clothes two days before!! haha
I recalled memories of London from a year ago, studied anew, wrote a bucket list for London, and I think I prepared comfortably with excitement rather than worry.I worked several part-time jobs to earn the money needed for travel and living expenses, and to get a bit more comfortable with English conversation I briefly joined an English conversation study, all while eagerly waiting for the departure date! :)
# I thought that abroad I could speak English more freely without worrying as much as in Korea, and that I could gain confidence in English!
I had several goals during this London short-term language gap year, but ultimately it was confidence. This goal actually changed during the gap year, though,At first my goal was to build confidence in experiencing things and in my English.
The kind of person I aspire to be is someone who has had various experiences and, as a result, gained wisdom. So even though I''m young, I often felt clumsy and lost confidence simply because I thought I lacked experience. So,I wanted to gain confidence through the experience itself — perhaps a large-scale one — called a gap year.
Also, while attending university, I was envious of friends whose English was almost like a native language and of those who were really fluent, and I always felt intimidated because I was a bit behind them in English, so I wanted to overcome that.In London I thought I could just speak English freely without worrying about what others might think, and I wanted to get used to speaking English aloud and build my confidence. Haha
# What was a typical day in London?
For the London short-term language study project, classes start at 9 on weekdays, so I woke up early, washed, had breakfast, left home around 8, took the bus or subway to the language school, and attended class. At the school we mainly learned English through the theme of various cultures, and the classes were conducted in a discussion format. The lessons involved talking with people from many countries—Brazil, Chile, Japan, Spain, and others—asking each other questions and learning new things!
Unfortunately I only had classes from 9 to 12, so after class I would have lunch with friends or sometimes eat alone. I treated myself to eating out for lunch even if it was expensive. Delicious food is my life''s joy..! ♡
After that I had free time. Whether I went to a cafe, a museum, a park, got lost in thought, or was too tired and rested at home, it was my personal free time. I also traveled around with friends.
In the evenings I did assignments from the language school, wrote in my diary, or recorded my gap-year mission tasks. After 7 p.m. I tried to be back at the residence, meet people in the kitchen, chat with them, and have dinner together.This was when I grew closest to people and found conversations fun, so sometimes I actually looked forward to dinner time.Unfortunately the kitchen was only available until 10 p.m., so if we wanted to keep talking with friends we would go to a pub or quietly talk outside. Then I''d end the day by going to sleep early enough so I wouldn''t be late for school the next day! :)
# I liked that I could escape the repetitive routine in Korea and forget my stress!
In a way, there''s no excuse—I left on this gap-year project as a kind of escape from reality... haha. Maybe it was typical sophomore angst, but I felt I needed a change of scenery. SoIt was enough just to be able to get away from the repetitive routine in Korea and forget the stress I was feeling at the time.In London I encountered completely new things, was able to think freely, and talk openly...
Although every moment was unfamiliar, it felt more like excitement than nervousness, and I think that was the best part.Being able to escape stress and tension and truly enjoy my days with all my heart. Haha. I felt a little sad about time passing—wondering when I might have such a new and relaxed time again—but I was truly happy.
Also, alongside the gap-year project I completed gap-year missions, and thanks to that I was able to enjoy the gap year. They acted like a guide for the experience.They sent daily missions tailored to my personality, so I was able to think deeply about myself, record things on my blog, try small acts that required courage... and the person in charge always encouraged me with kind words, so each day felt meaningful and pleasant. I lacked the perseverance to complete every mission perfectly, though haha...
# I developed my own perspective on how to enjoy the precious time I have going forward!
There were so many impressions I had while living in London that I can''t say them all, but toward the end of the gap year I felt something: I felt down because I had to leave the routine I had grown attached to in London and finish the project.
I couldn''t properly complete the missions, and for some reason I had no energy and spent a lot of time lost in thought.Since I ultimately had to leave, I accepted the situation and realized that the time I had here was limited, which made it meaningful and left me with good memories.It''s not like I realized anything profound haha. Looking back, I''ve heard the message countless times that time in life is finite and should be cherished and enjoyed, but I think I let it go in one ear and out the other.
This opportunity to live in London allowed me to fully enjoy my time and also feel regret, and I learned that firsthand.At least I''m satisfied that I''ve established my own perspective on how to value my time going forward and how to enjoy those moments.
# I realized I should be confident just as I am, not only when certain conditions are met!
Before the short-term language course in London, because my goal was to gain confidence, I had the mindset of properly preparing the elements I thought were required for confidence—English and experience. That did motivate me to try to live well using English, but as time went on the goals I had set changed, andI think my own idea of confidence changed a bit too.
Before, I thought confidence came when I had some kind of weapon that made me better than others — for me that was English and experience. But during my gap year I came to realize that''s not necessarily the case. In fact, no matter how good you are at something, there''s always someone better, so you''d never be able to have confidence, haha. Above all, during my gap year I thought about and got to know myself, and my self-esteem naturally increased; after that I aimed to find genuine confidence.Rather than thinking I needed to meet certain conditions to be confident, I began to think I should be confident simply because I am myself. I felt there was no reason to be intimidated and that it was confidence I was entitled to have.
And I met many people like that in London. Whether they were good at English or not, whether they had respectable jobs or not, many people had eyes that shone with confidence and firm voices, and they looked cool.I wanted to emulate them, and since that isn''t an easy task for me, I''m still working on it.
People I met in London!
First, I participated in a short-term language study project in London with a high school friend, and we lived together in a twin room in a residence for seven weeks. Our English levels were similar, it seems, and we were placed in the same class on the school''s level test, so we were together the whole time.
Of course, going with a friend had its pros and cons.The advantage was that, thanks to the lively energy that comes from being with a friend, it was easy to get close to people and try new things wherever we went and whoever we met.
The downside was a lack of experience being alone; my friend agreed, so once we both adjusted to being there we often spent time separately. It was nice to experience both things we could do together and things I could do by myself, haha.
Through the project I met people at the school and the residence and grew close to them.Everyone had come to London to learn English and were ready to embrace a new culture, so it was easy to get close to one another, and we seemed to enjoy ourselves while respecting each other.
Because English was the only language we could use to communicate, even if we couldn''t produce perfect sentences we understood one another and taught each other, which gave us a sense of camaraderie. The amazing thing was that even if we couldn''t express 100% of what we wanted to say, we still got across what we meant, shared hobbies, and talked about a wide range of topics — I loved that.
We generally didn''t talk as much or become as close as we might when making friends in Korea, but when people started leaving one by one it was really sad. Feeling wistful, we kept in touch via social media and even wrote letters.Even though we didn''t spend a lot of time together, saying goodbye with regret because we might never see each other again was a meaningful experience.
My personal London healing spots!
I like strolling through market streets like Portobello Market, Brick Lane Market, and Camden Market, and wandering the charming little alleys. At the markets there''s the bustle of hardworking people, a warm atmosphere, delicious food, and interesting trinkets to see — it feels like real life, so even though it''s a bit crowded...I liked checking out Camden Market near the residence, then heading to nearby Regent''s Park to walk quietly by myself and savor nature and sunshine!Crowded places are full of energy and great, but when you come to a peaceful spot you can sort out your thoughts and enjoy relaxation twice as much!! :)
My London language-study gap year tips!
- Language
From about two weeks in, speaking starts to feel easier than before and you begin to get used to using English; from that point, it''s important to keep using English regularly!
- Accommodation
It was very close to central London and convenient for transport, so it was a great place to live! There were restaurants to eat out at nearby, affordable grocery stores of various kinds, parks, and markets~! The residence was bustling with kind people, so the atmosphere was nice and I didn''t feel lonely, haha.
If you have questions or problems you don''t know how to solve, people or the residence staff will kindly answer if you ask anytime!
- Meals
: If you buy ingredients and cook for yourself, it''s cheaper, and you can meet and chat with several people in the kitchen, so it''s two birds with one stone! Supermarkets have many tasty semi-prepared foods, and fresh bunches of vegetables are inexpensive. Since there are Korean grocery stores like Oseyo and other Asian grocery stores in central London and around residences, it''s also nice to buy ready-cooked rice (Hetbahn) or Korean ingredients and make Korean food. It draws foreigners'' interest, you can sometimes introduce Korean dishes, and you can try foods from other countries too, so I recommend cooking yourself rather than eating out : )
- What to bring
: I didn''t know London could be chilly until early May, so because I didn''t bring many warm clothes I ended up rewearing the same clothes often or having to buy new ones..! From winter to spring, you should probably prepare light layering pieces like hoodies or thin coats. It''s good to bring shampoo or lotion in advance, but when I first came to London my luggage was too heavy and I wanted to throw things away!!! Instead, you can buy decent consumables at the Boots drugstore at reasonable prices. I recommend buying and using things from there!Also, I definitely think it''s a good idea to get travel insurance. Even if you''re careful, unexpected situations happen more often than you think!
My gap year
Experience ★★★★★
: London seems like a great city to meet people from many countries in a good environment and to experience a variety of cultures.
There are so many fun things, and lots of foods and activities to try!
Learning ★★★★
: I came to learn English, and of course communicating with everyone in English definitely improves my skills, but since people from so many different countries speak English with their own accents and styles, it takes time to get used to the various accents haha.
Environment ★★★★★
: In many ways it seems like a great environment for foreigners to live in! The fact that the language is English helps a lot, and public transportation and the geography/layout are easy to use and navigate.
Safety ★★★★★
: It seems relatively very safe compared to other European countries. Pickpocketing is less of a problem than in Paris or other areas, and even if you walk around in the evening or at night central London is well-lit and transport runs late, so you can get home safely.
Leisure ★★★★★
: You can enjoy the lively atmosphere at pubs or in central areas, enjoy hobbies like reading/writing in peaceful parks, or try leisure activities unique to London like seeing musicals, so it''s really great~
that Jang Hee-young attendedLanguage study-abroad program in London, UKCurious?!
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