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#Overcame fear of English; gained confidence #Improved English proficiency; friends from various nationalities #Happy to have achieved my goal
First of all, the friends I studied with in the same class are the most memorable! Since everyone had different classes it was hard to see them in the afternoons, but we studied together for three hours a day and during breaks we’d go buy snacks together, There are lots of chances to get close because we talk a lot in between!
Learn classic English cheaply in London, UK Wi Ji-young — gap year member, gapper (25, university student) / 8-week gap year |
# I chose the UK language study project for several reasons.
Hello~ After the one-month-in-Paris project, this is my second time joining a gap year project.
I’ve dreamed of studying abroad, and before I start working full-time I wanted to improve my English a bit and make foreign friends. Also, because I had to skip the UK for personal reasons on a previous trip, I wanted to visit the UK too haha.
I chose the UK language study project for various reasons!
* For Wi Ji-young, who wanted to build confidence and self-esteem, daily self-reflection missions and personalized one-on-one missions for new experiences and challenges were provided, and a Gap Year Note to reflect and make plans was also provided.
# My first goal was to break the trauma I had about English!
I was working up until a week before departure, so I started packing early! As soon as the project was confirmed I bought travel insurance, purchased a USIM chip in Korea in advance, and to make sure I didn’t forget anything I organized my items in Excel and packed while checking them off one by one!I also exchanged emails with the project coordinator and tried to make sure I didn’t miss anything!
Through this gap year, I had a period when I went through a hard time because of English on the college entrance exam, so while my English skills aren’t extremely lacking, still My first goal was to break the trauma I had about English!
# A Day in London
I woke up around 6:50 AM, washed up briefly, and went down to the dining hall for breakfast. I usually left the accommodation around 8:10~. It took about 20–25 minutes by subway, so I arrived at the school around 8:35–8:40.
I took 20 hours per week, so after the General course finished I took an extra one-hour Conversation class! Classes ended around 1:10, and after that I did sightseeing, shopping, and had free time~
# If you stay and study long-term, your English will definitely improve
I liked that the course structure was more detailed than I expected and that the teachers were great!I thought that if I stayed here and studied for a long time, my English would definitely improve.Also, I wanted to focus intensively so I signed up for 20 hours, and the one-hour-a-day Conversation class seemed to help the most! Because we talked for almost the entire hour, I became much closer with friends and was able to improve my speaking skills!
The school reception was also very helpful.They develop and promote various projects and programs for students'' cultural life, and just knowing I could go to the reception and ask when there was a problem was comforting!
# There are plenty of opportunities to get to know people!
First of all, the friends I studied with in the same class are the most memorable! Everyone has different classes so it''s hard to see them in the afternoon, but we studied together for three hours a day and during breaks we''d go buy snacks together,We chatted a lot in between, so there were plenty of chances to become friends!What I remember most is going to a pub with my Brazilian friends to drink, then going to a club for round two and dancing excitedly haha
I wasn''t really scared because I was with friends, and seeing them let loose and have fun was so different from the usual ''always studying hard'' image at the academy. And the Brazilians — they really know how to dance and have a good time, so it was even more fun~
And the accommodation manager!! He always had breakfast with me, recommended good restaurants around the accommodation and the school, helped when there were problems, sometimes listened to my concerns, and was always cheerful and very kind, which I loved >
# After my gap year
I wasn''t particularly bad or good, but I had a fear of situations where I had to speak English! But as the project came to an end, my teachers and friends and even other people I met praised me, saying my English had improved a lot compared to the beginning, which really encouraged me!
That my fear of speaking in English situations disappeared — I''m happy because I achieved my goal!
# For prospective participants
Everyone, throw your fears far away!
You learn by making mistakes, and if you avoid speaking because you''re afraid of mistakes, I think it''s especially hard to improve in speaking.If you correct each other''s mistakes with friends of similar level, and consciously speak and use English while doing that, before you know it you''ll find your English skills have improved dramatically!
# My gap year tips
- Language
Rather than a textbook learning method, it''s better to adopt an attitude of not being afraid to make mistakes! Unlike in our country, especially for speaking, correcting yourself while speaking and making mistakes isn''t a problem~
- Meals
Food costs are cheaper than in Korea! If you cook at home you can get through a whole week spending less than 20 pounds!
- What to bring
One thing that was nice to have, though heavy, was an electric blanket! It wasn''t as cold as I expected so I didn''t use it much, but it was useful on days when I had a cold or didn''t feel well. As I mentioned in my last project, for long projects it''s a good idea to bring personal hygiene items like nail clippers~
Don''t worry too much about what to bring; it''s fine to just pack basic medications haha You can also receive free treatment at government-designated hospitals!Daily necessities are quite expensive, but London is where people live and is the capital of a country, so it''s usually possible to find what you need.
# My personal UK travel spots
Day-trip destinations: Oxford & Cambridge
I loved that the whole city felt like one big campus. Train tickets aren''t expensive and it doesn''t take long, so you can leave in the morning, have lunch, and be back in London — perfect! I especially recommend visiting the delicious scone shop in Oxford and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge!
Stratford: There''s a large shopping mall! It''s quite a distance from central London, but there are plenty of places to eat and many shops clustered together, so it''s great for doing all your shopping at once on a Friday or weekend!
The Wallace Collection: People tend to research and visit other galleries or museums more, but not many go here. You can see a variety of works, and it''s free as well~
And watch lots of musicals, seriously!!! They''re really cheap for the quality and truly great. During my eight-week stay I watched eight musicals — about one per week — and I''m really sad about the ones I didn''t get to see ㅠㅜ
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
I tried many new things! I tried Greek food for the first time, went out to bars and clubs with friends and had a great time, and made friends outside of my language school friends.
Learning★★★★★
It''s the perfect environment to focus on studying and improve your English! In particular, there were no Korean classmates around me and I lived alone in my room, so I think I used English all the time except when talking to my family on the phone.
Environment★★★★☆
It''s a bit of a shame that the sun sets at 4pm, but there''s no fine dust and it''s clean!
Safety★★★★☆
I was a bit worried, but it''s not that dangerous! Still, it can be risky if you wander around late at night haha.
Leisure★★★★☆
Everything is great except for the high price~ The musical is relatively inexpensive considering its quality, and the trip is easy to take by train!
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
