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#Gained 'I can do it' confidence; set a goal to become a banker #Team synergy; the beauty of nature #Took time for self-reflection
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[Overseas Volunteering/Gap Year Review] The vast continent with international friends — Australia Environmental Conservation Volunteer Project Bang So-hee, gap-year participant (gapper) (24, university student) / 12-week gap year
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# A gap year decided because I wanted to live earnestly but didn''t know how or for what
Hello, I''m Bang So-hee, who participated in the Australia Environmental Conservation Project for the past three months. My leave of absence has already ended and I''m now a fourth-year student. Taking a one-year leave seems to have helped me set the direction I should go in, thanks to the three months I spent in Australia.
Rather than simply preparing my resume, interrupting my studies to volunteer in Australia for three months allowed me to set goals for my life.I always try to live diligently so I don''t become lazy, but I didn''t know how to live or what to live for. After taking a leave of absence, I happened to learn about Korea Gap Year through an acquaintance of a friend''s mother, and I decided to participate in the Australia environmental conservation project.
We mainly planted trees, working in teams and volunteering from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I applied together with a friend, and since there weren''t many foreign volunteers during the period we applied, there were times when it was just the two of us and two team leaders — a small team — at the volunteer camp.
# Acting confidently without worrying about others'' opinions, respecting myself
With a goal of planting 230 trees a day, I thought it would be very challenging for our small team, but we planted 300 trees — more than expected — and I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment. Through this,I realized that team synergy is far greater than what an individual can accomplish, and it gave us the power to turn ''We can''t'' into ''We will.''
In the end, the four of us planted 300 trees, and over six hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., each person planted 75 trees. Through this, I learned the importance of teamwork and division of labor. Planting trees on the farm was hard, but thinking that these small saplings might grow into majestic trees like those across the field gave me energy.
The wide green meadows, countless sheep, the shepherd driving a motorcycle to herd them, and the countless stars embedded in the sky that looked like they might fall at any moment — these still bring back memories of the farm. In particular, while camping and staying in a remote area during volunteering, an old man who tended the sheep herded them on a motorcycle; the sight of herding sheep with a motorcycle was so striking that it''s one of my most memorable memories.
The experience in Australia will be a precious memory where each day felt new and allowed me to appreciate beautiful nature.
I had a gap year in Australia for a total of 12 weeks: 4 weeks in Canberra, 2 weeks in Sydney, and 6 weeks in Melbourne. Being away from home for three months inevitably brought loneliness, butBy acting confidently without worrying about others'' views, I learned how to overcome loneliness. I tried to respect myself rather than accept the image others arbitrarily judged or painted of me.
Through that practice, after returning to school, even without classmates to go to school with, I did not fall into depression.
# The financial sector I once only vaguely looked at — now I have a goal and want to run toward my dream!
During the three months in Australia, it was difficult to keep a daily household ledger, so I needed to get a debit card from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. When we visited the bank and were struggling with difficult financial terms, a local bank staff member came to us and, with a kind smile and warm help, assisted those of us who weren''t good at speaking English in opening accounts, making things go smoothly.
I had vaguely been looking toward the financial sector, but now I have a goal of becoming a bank employee and I want to work hard toward that dream. I want to become a banker who finds people who need me and reaches out to them first. As I experienced at a foreign bank, I want to be someone who helps everyone who visits the bank.
While volunteering in Australia I thought, ''Other job seekers are back in Korea studying for certification exams and doing internships, living busy lives...'' and I felt anxious about the future, wondering if it was okay to do nothing here but volunteer.
Meeting new people here and having time to rethink relationships and my life overall made me think that such time may have actually guided my anxieties toward the right direction.
(How to get there)
Travel by bus. These buses don''t stop at every stop automatically; you have to signal that you want to get on, which made riding the bus tricky at first. But I adapted quickly.
(Language)
Before going abroad, it''s much more efficient to study TOEIC Speaking rather than TOEIC (listening/reading)!!
(Accommodation)
If coed hostels are uncomfortable, ask whether there''s a women-only room available!!
(Meals)
Since I mostly buy groceries and cook my own meals, it''s a good idea to memorize a few recipes before you go!!
(What to bring)
Get travel insurance!!
My gap year is
Experience ★★★★★
New environment, new people
Learning ★★★★★
Environment ★★★☆☆
Safety ★★★★☆
Leisure ★★★★★
Able to spend personal leisure time on weekends
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
