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#I'm looking forward to the future #Time to focus on myself #Life is a gift
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Even if you''re terrible at planning or know nothing, it''s possible. The starting point for living true to myself. Because it was safe, I could relax and focus entirely on my gap year, which was great.
<Best value! Learn English safely in Malta in the Mediterranean! Master English!> Review from gapper Jang O-jeong
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# Motivation for the gap year
Hello. I''m a thirty-something worker who took a gap year after quitting my job. I participated in a language study project in Malta.
I like Europe most, so after considering several countries,I was drawn to the fact that it''s a clean, safe, and friendly country.I chose Malta for that reason. The scenery I had only seen in photos was actually much more peaceful and beautiful, so I felt I had made a great choice.
# You can go even if you know nothing
I''m extremely bad at planning, so I had never planned or prepared an overseas trip myself. I''m the type who just goes along with whatever my planner friend arranges, saying anything is fine.
When I thought about preparing an overseas trip by myself, it felt overwhelming. Fortunately, at orientation the gap year coordinator explained things for a very long time, andthey taught me how to prepare from A to Z, so I could go very easily. It''s true 1:1 care.Moreover, at orientation they planted courage, hope, and excitement in me.They took care of everything carefully from preparation until my return to Korea, so I could go easily, worry-free, and safely.
# Time to focus on myself
I wanted to try living a new life.Not as a family member or in a social role, but solely ''me''time focused only on myselfI wanted that. I wanted to know myself better and find out what I like. I hoped it would bea starting point for a life that''s more truly mine.
# Local daily routine
I only signed up for morning classes, so I attended classes from 9:00 to 12:30. There was a 30-minute break in the middle,
and during that time I would go for a walk alone or chat in the lounge with foreign friends and became very close with them.
Since the school was in Valletta, Malta''s capital, after class I would sightsee Valletta, eat, and travel around Malta with friends or alone. I wandered through supermarkets, tried cooking, zoned out while looking at the sea, and took walks every day. Malta is such a small island country that the only public transport is buses, butthe bus card is free except for when it''s first issued, so I traveled around a lot. The bus app worked well, so the convenience was comparable to Seoul.
# How my life felt within safety and freedom
1. I really liked that a woman could move around freely on her own. The local coordinator and the Korea Gap Year team communicated quickly, so I always felt reassured.
2. Spending time with friends from around the world made me reflect on how I tried to be perfect about everything. ''Why worry about that? Just do it~''
For example, my English progressed slowly at first because I would think and then speak, but the teacher and the local coordinator told me I needed to be courageous and more proactive.The compulsion to be perfect even after going to that free foreign countryI had that. After hearing that and watching the other friends, they all just spoke. I would think, ''What are they saying?'' but they were always laughing, proactive, and saying everything they wanted to say.They just did everything confidently, enjoyed the moment, and enjoyed participating in class itself. Watching those friends I realized a lot, and as I started blurting things out and laughing, my English improved very quickly and I was able to learn a new attitude toward life.
3. ''It''s my life. It''s mine.''I learned how to enjoy life.What I realized through communicating with many different people is that foreign friends really—think of life as a gift,I was especially surprised by friends from Libya, Colombia, and Italy who were really cheerful. Seeing their willingness to share, their mindset that there are no problems, and the way they always enjoy themselves made me think they truly understand what is important in life, and I felt a lot from seeing them.
# The connections I made through the gap year changed me.
I still contact friends from Italy, Libya, Spain, Colombia, Japan, and Turkey every day via WhatsApp and Instagram.
There are many language schools in Malta, but only the gap year school has a noticeably low proportion of Koreans. So during three months I saw three Koreans at the school, and there wasn''t a single one in my class. Looking back now—The proportion of Koreans — this is really important.
Because I got close only with foreigners and spent three months with them, I think I was able to feel and realize more. Make sure to check the proportion of Koreans!! (Very important)
And the local coordinator was really great. When I told them about anything uncomfortable or needed, they would immediately tell the school and take action. In Europe, processing is slower than in our country, but thanks to the local coordinator I always received measures faster than in Korea. And they are really smart and big-hearted, so when I talked with them—I gained many life lessons. Even received consulting locally... those were truly enlightening and precious moments.
And really—Many Europeans, from teenagers to people in their 70s, use their vacations to spend even 1–2 weeks on a gap year. Seeing them constantly wanting to learn and gain experiences was very inspiring.
# To. Future gap year project participants
Try living differently from how things are in Korea. Your speech, actions, thoughts—everything!And don''t hang out only with Koreans; go with foreigners. If you stop worrying about others'' opinions and live thinking only of yourself, you''ll see yourself become stronger. The English Cafe community has karaoke in Sliema every Wednesday. Each time, enjoy the delight of hearing k-pop sung by foreigners echoing abroad haha
# I realized the importance of perspective on life.
I rate the change in my life 10 out of 10.Returning to Korea didn''t instantly change my environment, but because my perspective and attitude toward life changed, I''m living a different life than before. I look forward to the future that will come with this changed self—I''m excited for the future.
# Differences before/after the gap year
Before participating my thoughts were, ''How should I live? How can I live well?'' but after participating—the vague sense of burden decreasedIt changed to, ''Let''s just try something. Let''s do what I like.'' And I began to strive to find my own way of enjoying life.I began thinking about how to enjoy the gift called ''life.''
# My own travel route
MaltaYou must, must visit Comino Island.In Malta you can reach anywhere within an hour by bus, so I recommend visiting every corner without leaving any place out. Also, Malta has so many festivals and events—fireworks festivals, marathons, carnival, strawberry festivals, religious festivals, and more—so be sure to take part in them all.
Additionally, Malta''s biggest advantage:It''s easy to travel to nearby countries.!!!Airfare is very cheap.And since there are no immigration checks between European countries, you can zip around easily. While you''re at it, travel around Europe a lot.
In the off-season you can go anywhere for 50,000–100,000 KRW.
I visited the UK/Portugal/Spain/France/Italy/Austria/Hungary/Greece/Egypt and it was wonderful.
Since I had a home (dorm) in Malta, I could just sling on my backpack and go easily, which was convenient.
# My gap year story
I made friends ranging from teenagers to people in their 60s. Especiallythe mindset and perspective I gained from senior friendsmade me realize what is most important in life. We cooked for each other, learned about each other''s cultures, my horizons widened and my heart opened.
One day, I was having a meal with local grandmothers, andthey said Malta is very small and geographically isolated as an island, so it''s a country that''s very easy to manage.They told me there''s nowhere to run if you commit a crime, so there isn''t much crime, haha. They said it''s safe, so don''t be too scared and enjoy your gap year. (Of course you should still be careful anywhere!)
What I felt during my three months there was that it was safer than Korea. So I would even go for walks alone every evening. There were no pickpockets at all.Malta was the best choice: [European beauty + Korean-level safety].I understand why so many women like it.
# Thank you to the coordinator who allowed me to focus only on my gap year.
Everything from consulting to care was great. If you have questions about life, I recommend consulting with Korea Gap Year.It was my first time traveling abroad so I had many questions, but during the orientation the consultant kindly explained everything one by one with the orientation materials, without showing any sign of fatigue. From before departure until the end, they took care of me attentively and checked in on me first, soI felt really at ease. Thanks to them, my gap year was spent in ''peace of mind'' from start to finish. Thank you sincerely.
# My gap year is!
Experience★★★★★
: I had many diverse and meaningful experiences.
Learning ★★★★★
: With the consulting, each day was a learning experience.
Environment ★★★★★
: It was better than Korea. Very clean, no bugs, good public safety, beautiful, and the weather was nice.
Safety ★★★★★
: It was so safe I wondered if there could be a country this safe.
Leisure ★★★★★
: It was great for enjoying each day — convenient to get around, and everywhere was beautiful and peaceful.
A new challenge, the beginning of growth!
Korea Gap Year accompanies Jang O-jeong on their journey.
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
