Currently, in South Korea,
Each year 60,000 middle and high school students drop out of school, 346,000 people in their twenties are idle because they have no dreams, and the turnover rate within one year of employment has entered the 40% range,75% of university students are not satisfied with university life, and more than 80% of office workers say they do not feel happy.
Many people tell others to dream, but without practical methods or support. To address this problem, we want to introduce the ''gap year'' to South Korea.
''Gap year''refers to a time to either combine studies and work or pause temporarily and, through various activities such as volunteering, traveling, internships, education, or starting a business,serve as a period to set a direction for the future; it is a culture recommended in the United States, Europe, Japan, and other places.
#I wanted to know why I attend university
Hello. I''m Jeong Jae-hee, and I enjoy challenging myself with new things. I''m outgoing and positive, and I like meeting various people. In high school I had three reasons for wanting to go to university (moving to the city, dating, and drinking), and after achieving them as a freshman I began to question why I was attending school.
SoI wanted to find a reason to attend university.However, in the first semester of my sophomore year I had no plans for what to do, and I merely attended school due to my parents'' objections. I gradually lost interest in my studies.I wanted to find answers to questions like why I should attend university and whether my major fit my aptitude.I was also curious about the lives of people living in other countries and wanted to communicate with them.
And because of the role model I met during summer vacation, I firmly decided to take a leave of absence.
They recommended a gap year and helped me plan what I could do if I took a leave.
I received counseling about the gap year and chose the program it recommended. The fact that I could choose what I would do was really attractive.
#I couldn''t even imagine it, so I had no worries
It was my first time staying abroad for an extended period, and my first time going overseas alone, so I was very excited.I wondered what kind of dreamlike events might unfold. I couldn''t even imagine what the place would be like, so I had no worries.
Before departure I had no particular thoughts. Looking back, I think that if I had researched information and prepared more thoroughly, I could have lived more comfortably. I didn''t bring a jacket when I went to Thailand. If I had paid a little attention to Chiang Mai''s climate, I would have brought a jacket, stayed warm, and saved the money I ended up spending on one.
#Days in Thailand
The Thailand program had a lot of free time.On weekdays I worked from 9 to 5, and after that all the time was mine. After work we volunteers would all have dinner together. Sometimes we''d go out for beers or go to karaoke to sing.Occasionally I went to learn Muay Thai. Learning Muay Thai was really interesting.
We would return to the volunteers'' house, sit together in the living room and talk about work, or gather on the terrace with our laptops and do our own tasks. On weekends we mainly stayed around Chiang Mai and traveled. It wasn''t that we visited special places; I simply liked staying where I had become friendly with the kind guesthouse owner. We went to a nearby bar for a beer and watched live band performances. When the atmosphere was good, we''d dance with foreign friends — those were enjoyable days.
#People I met
I met a wide variety of people. The most memorable among them was a grandmother named ''Josephine.'' Josephine was over 60 years old but had tremendous passion and pride for the work she did. She had traveled to many countries throughout her life and spoke six languages. Seeing her...I learned that it''s not that you grow old because of age, but that you grow old when your passion disappears.And I strongly felt, ''If you have ability, you can do well in any country; I should develop professional skills too.''
There was also a friend named ''Gina'' from New Jersey.She always spoke slowly for me and used simple, easy words.And once when I was going to talk to the boss, she quietly followed me even though I hadn''t asked for any help. Gina already knew I wouldn''t understand the boss''s fast speech. And when I talked with the boss, she interpreted between us for the parts I couldn''t understand and for the parts the boss couldn''t understand what I was saying. I was very moved by Gina''s help.
And ''Tuff'' — he is a really wonderful person. He worked in the field of public health.He was like a male version of Mother Teresa, a Father Terry.He kindly did things with a smile that others couldn''t do with a smile. And the way he handled his responsibilities so reliably was really impressive. One day I accompanied him to survey villagers in need. I thought it was amazing how all the villagers liked him and how kindly he treated them.
#Even if it''s hard at first, keep trying to adapt.
I studied English in Cebu and then moved straight to Thailand, so I thought my conversational English had improved a lot. But that was a big misconception. There we were all students studying English, so the speaking pace was slow and the words were simple. But when I went to volunteer in Thailand, most of the volunteers'' native language was English. So it was really difficult to talk with those friends.
And I caught a bad cold after arriving in Thailand. Perhaps due to the change in environment, whenever I took medicine I broke out in hives all over my body. In that situation I didn''t know what to do, I couldn''t understand my friends when they spoke English, and I lost confidence in speaking English. So...For almost three weeks I was afraid to leave my room.
But as time passed I became close with the volunteer friends, my ear opened to English, and I regained confidence in speaking English.And as I adapted to that environment I gradually began to enjoy it. So even if it''s difficult and lonely at first, never give up and keep trying to adapt.
#I, who had no life goals, found direction in life.
I had no life goals. I didn''t have any idea about what direction I wanted to live in or how I wanted to live.But by meeting various people and having diverse experiences, I developed a sense of the kind of life I wanted to live.As a result, a life goal naturally formed and now I''m working toward it. Previously I followed others without knowing the reason, but now I clearly know the reason and am trying to find my own path.
#My recommended Thailand travel route
When I went to Chiang Mai I went with absolutely no information. But I followed some guesthouse friends on a trip and saw a truly beautiful reservoir.''Chiang Mai Grand Canyon''.That''s what it''s called. The scenery there is really beautiful. Not only that, you can jump into the water from about 10 meters. You can swim and play as well. I can''t swim, but I felt I would really regret it if I didn''t jump here.So I jumped, and a friend threw me a life jacket.
But this place is a bit far from Chiang Mai''s Old City, so I recommend gathering friends and renting a songthaew.In my case, we were ten people and each paid 100 baht to rent a songthaew for about 7 hours for the day (the songthaew driver waits while we play), using it to go and return.
My gap year is..
Experience★★★★★
There were so many experiences I wouldn''t have had if I hadn''t come here in my life. It was an experience you couldn''t even imagine in Korea.
Learning★★★★★
I learned so much. Meeting people from many countries made me realize that, in the end, places where people live are all quite similar.
Environment★★★☆☆
In Thailand, because it was in a hilly area, the stars were easy to see and it was beautiful. It was a quiet, pleasant place. However, they burned the hills and trees, so the air quality was poor.
Safety★★★★★
Thailand was very safe, as long as you were careful about motorcycle accidents.
Leisure★★★★☆
In Thailand, aside from the typical weekday 9-to-5 work hours, the rest of the time felt like leisure and was free.
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