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#Improved English skills #Great, genuine friends #A deep fondness for cherished connections
I thought it would be nice to always share happy memories with the people I met in the Philippines,but I also felt that would drain my energy, so I should do my best when we can be together,''I hope they won''t forget me and will come visit sometimes.'' That''s what I thought. Of course, I should make an effort too. —Study English enjoyably without stress, and that''s it! / Jeong Eunji gap-year family gapper / 12-week gap year |
Go see Jeong Eunji''s Philippines language-study review Part 1 < Click
# I made a big decision during the toughest time of my life and left.
(Language)
As many will advise during consulting or orientation,if you think your grammar is weak or you forgot things because you haven''t studied English in a while,make sure to pick one English grammar course and study it before you go. (Some people did Siwon School? grammar and phone English. Once you''re abroad, there are so many incredibly passionate people regardless of age.)
Language schools do have grammar sections, but listening to those explanations in English can make you more confused.I thought my grammar was relatively solid and actually started at an above-intermediate level, but since I didn''t take a separate grammar class, my skills didn''t really improve much — they just stayed about the same haha.
Well, for those doing this project and preparing for the next one, SPEAKING!! is the most important — I think you''ll focus on raising this level. From the start during my three months I constantly had trouble with speaking; during class I had no clue what to say, and I struggled a lot with how to translate things into English(!).
I felt that I lacked patterned sentences more than vocabulary. Bringing an English conversation book before you come would be very helpful. I didn''t think of that... I added a lot of useful sentences and English patterns from blogs and YouTube, and I''m trying to keep listening and practicing them even in Vietnam.
(For language study, an electronic dictionary rather than a smartphone!! It''s a pity if you don''t have one. It''s awkward to always ask ''Can I look up a word?'')
Binge-watching a TV series or movie and sticking with one before going to the Philippines also helps. AndIf you fill an external hard drive with content before you go, you can sprinkle a bit of culture into the boring daily life haha.
(Accommodation)
Philippines — it''s really, really poor. Others have written this in reviews, but it''s beyond imagination haha. They recommend triple rooms (probably meaning you''ll get close by living with more friends), but with three beds in the same floor area it''s much smaller than in the pictures, and the beds are hard so I couldn''t sleep well; even after sleeping deeply I didn''t feel rested.
+ But this might not have been much different even if I slept in a hotel bed... It was obviously soft and spacious, so why didn''t the fatigue go away...
+ Oh, I actually witnessed someone being expelled for males and females entering each other''s rooms in the Philippines. Just in case you''re thinking of trying it hehe
(Meals)
The food in the Philippines is too greasy, salty, and sweet. Back in Korea I used to skip breakfast every day, but the language school provided three meals so well, and since places to exercise were only around the pool or outside, it''s a country that''s really easy to gain weight in haha.
I didn''t particularly bring Korean food (I brought cup rice and scorched rice, but there were no kitchen facilities so I couldn''t cook...), and I don''t like instant noodles much so I didn''t eat many. I guess I really liked the local food lol.
There''s not much to say about the meals.
(What to bring)
If you refer to the gap-year checklist you can pack almost everything without forgetting anything. Everyone knows that buying shampoo, body wash, etc. locally is cheap and reduces luggage weight, right? You can trust that and leave them behind. I didn''t expect to pack like this either. If you buy the bigger sizes for a three-month stay, you''ll likely have enough.
And mosquitoes really love my blood. I used a lot of mosquito repellent (Vermuly) in the Philippines, but I didn''t think to buy a new one and only brought what I had, so it ran out in Vietnam. Everyone else brought mosquito repellent or sprays, too.
I didn''t bring this myself, but Korean friends I attended the language school with in the Philippines gave one to me when they graduated, so I''ve been using it in Vietnam. In the Philippines ants crawled all over the room and I was shocked from the first day; someone even brought ant-repellent from Korea. Talking like this, there''s no end to what you should pack, haha.
The coordinator really emphasized personal medicines, so I actually brought two big bags of meds. I never had traveler''s diarrhea, but there were times when people took turns getting colds and stomach issues. It''s really best to bring at least some medicine from Korea.
The Philippines has extremely strong air conditioning, so bring a hoodie or long sleeves. When I was there from January to March, it was cold during class because of the A/C, and after class it was almost dusk so it wasn''t very hot. In March it started to feel more like summer and got quite hot.
# I hope they won''t forget me and will come visit me sometimes.
During the gap year missions, there were many tasks to look back at the people around me.
''A person in life who supports me.''
''Finding qualities to emulate in the people around me.''
Shared memories together, etc.
I wasn''t someone who led conversations or meetings, andI felt I had to become friends with as many people as possible, and there was the pressure or goal of spending time together and having lots of conversations,and I started to feel some stress from that point. So Ididn''t think I would come away with (many) people...
Even so, I managed to keep in touch with a few close, valuable friends.They say good people attract good people, butI often thought that to meet more of those people and share with each other, I wanted to become a good person myself.
I thought it would be nice to always share joyful memories with the people I met in the Philippines,but that would drain my energy, so I do my best when we can be together,''I hope they won''t forget me and will come visit me sometimes.'' That''s what I thought. Of course, I should make an effort too, though.
My gap year was
experience★★★★☆
I got to try island activities I hadn''t done before, like island-hopping and diving. I lived with and communicated with friends from Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, China, Vietnam, and others.
learning★★★★☆
After it''s over, I realize all the classes were useful — local language schools really are great.
Environment★★☆☆☆
The dorm was small and uncomfortable.It''s true that it''s safe, but there are many things missing from the start: there''s a curfew, and no kitchen facilities or washing machines, etc.
Safety★★★★☆
It''s true that people live the same everywhere. If you avoid doing what you''re told not to do, nothing dangerous will happen — I had no problems even going to the supermarket alone at night after class. Filipinos often go out in family groups, but I went to cafes and got around fine by myself.
Leisure★★★☆☆
Eight hours of classes take up a huge portion of the day; if you diligently do homework and review to study English, you''ll have nothing left to do after class. Considering hopping and island activities, I''d give it four stars. If you use weekends to visit Cebu''s travel spots, three months go by quickly.)
I thought it would be nice to always share happy memories with the people I met in the Philippines,but I also felt that would drain my energy, so I should do my best when we can be together,''I hope they won''t forget me and will come visit sometimes.'' That''s what I thought. Of course, I should make an effort too. —Study English enjoyably without stress, and that''s it! / Jeong Eunji gap-year family gapper / 12-week gap year |
Go see Jeong Eunji''s Philippines language-study review Part 1 < Click
# I made a big decision during the toughest time of my life and left.
(Language)
As many will advise during consulting or orientation,if you think your grammar is weak or you forgot things because you haven''t studied English in a while,make sure to pick one English grammar course and study it before you go. (Some people did Siwon School? grammar and phone English. Once you''re abroad, there are so many incredibly passionate people regardless of age.)
Language schools do have grammar sections, but listening to those explanations in English can make you more confused.I thought my grammar was relatively solid and actually started at an above-intermediate level, but since I didn''t take a separate grammar class, my skills didn''t really improve much — they just stayed about the same haha.
Well, for those doing this project and preparing for the next one, SPEAKING!! is the most important — I think you''ll focus on raising this level. From the start during my three months I constantly had trouble with speaking; during class I had no clue what to say, and I struggled a lot with how to translate things into English(!).
I felt that I lacked patterned sentences more than vocabulary. Bringing an English conversation book before you come would be very helpful. I didn''t think of that... I added a lot of useful sentences and English patterns from blogs and YouTube, and I''m trying to keep listening and practicing them even in Vietnam.
(For language study, an electronic dictionary rather than a smartphone!! It''s a pity if you don''t have one. It''s awkward to always ask ''Can I look up a word?'')
Binge-watching a TV series or movie and sticking with one before going to the Philippines also helps. AndIf you fill an external hard drive with content before you go, you can sprinkle a bit of culture into the boring daily life haha.
(Accommodation)
Philippines — it''s really, really poor. Others have written this in reviews, but it''s beyond imagination haha. They recommend triple rooms (probably meaning you''ll get close by living with more friends), but with three beds in the same floor area it''s much smaller than in the pictures, and the beds are hard so I couldn''t sleep well; even after sleeping deeply I didn''t feel rested.
+ But this might not have been much different even if I slept in a hotel bed... It was obviously soft and spacious, so why didn''t the fatigue go away...
+ Oh, I actually witnessed someone being expelled for males and females entering each other''s rooms in the Philippines. Just in case you''re thinking of trying it hehe
(Meals)
The food in the Philippines is too greasy, salty, and sweet. Back in Korea I used to skip breakfast every day, but the language school provided three meals so well, and since places to exercise were only around the pool or outside, it''s a country that''s really easy to gain weight in haha.
I didn''t particularly bring Korean food (I brought cup rice and scorched rice, but there were no kitchen facilities so I couldn''t cook...), and I don''t like instant noodles much so I didn''t eat many. I guess I really liked the local food lol.
There''s not much to say about the meals.
(What to bring)
If you refer to the gap-year checklist you can pack almost everything without forgetting anything. Everyone knows that buying shampoo, body wash, etc. locally is cheap and reduces luggage weight, right? You can trust that and leave them behind. I didn''t expect to pack like this either. If you buy the bigger sizes for a three-month stay, you''ll likely have enough.
And mosquitoes really love my blood. I used a lot of mosquito repellent (Vermuly) in the Philippines, but I didn''t think to buy a new one and only brought what I had, so it ran out in Vietnam. Everyone else brought mosquito repellent or sprays, too.
I didn''t bring this myself, but Korean friends I attended the language school with in the Philippines gave one to me when they graduated, so I''ve been using it in Vietnam. In the Philippines ants crawled all over the room and I was shocked from the first day; someone even brought ant-repellent from Korea. Talking like this, there''s no end to what you should pack, haha.
The coordinator really emphasized personal medicines, so I actually brought two big bags of meds. I never had traveler''s diarrhea, but there were times when people took turns getting colds and stomach issues. It''s really best to bring at least some medicine from Korea.
The Philippines has extremely strong air conditioning, so bring a hoodie or long sleeves. When I was there from January to March, it was cold during class because of the A/C, and after class it was almost dusk so it wasn''t very hot. In March it started to feel more like summer and got quite hot.
# I hope they won''t forget me and will come visit me sometimes.
During the gap year missions, there were many tasks to look back at the people around me.
''A person in life who supports me.''
''Finding qualities to emulate in the people around me.''
Shared memories together, etc.
I wasn''t someone who led conversations or meetings, andI felt I had to become friends with as many people as possible, and there was the pressure or goal of spending time together and having lots of conversations,and I started to feel some stress from that point. So Ididn''t think I would come away with (many) people...
Even so, I managed to keep in touch with a few close, valuable friends.They say good people attract good people, butI often thought that to meet more of those people and share with each other, I wanted to become a good person myself.
I thought it would be nice to always share joyful memories with the people I met in the Philippines,but that would drain my energy, so I do my best when we can be together,''I hope they won''t forget me and will come visit me sometimes.'' That''s what I thought. Of course, I should make an effort too, though.
My gap year was
experience★★★★☆
I got to try island activities I hadn''t done before, like island-hopping and diving. I lived with and communicated with friends from Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, China, Vietnam, and others.
learning★★★★☆
After it''s over, I realize all the classes were useful — local language schools really are great.
Environment★★☆☆☆
The dorm was small and uncomfortable.It''s true that it''s safe, but there are many things missing from the start: there''s a curfew, and no kitchen facilities or washing machines, etc.
Safety★★★★☆
It''s true that people live the same everywhere. If you avoid doing what you''re told not to do, nothing dangerous will happen — I had no problems even going to the supermarket alone at night after class. Filipinos often go out in family groups, but I went to cafes and got around fine by myself.
Leisure★★★☆☆
Eight hours of classes take up a huge portion of the day; if you diligently do homework and review to study English, you''ll have nothing left to do after class. Considering hopping and island activities, I''d give it four stars. If you use weekends to visit Cebu''s travel spots, three months go by quickly.)
What makes this project special
