While working on the project I met many people and had to express myself to them; they understood and empathized with my story and actions. All of those processes were so enjoyable. Those times gave me faith and confidence in my choices, and I think they showed me that living a life I choose myself is happier than following others'' choices.
[Philippines Cebu/Language Study Review] Enjoy without stress—have fun and study English, that''s it! Kim Dahye, gap year participant (25, gap year after quitting job) / 8-week gap year |
# After graduating college and getting a job—this really wasn''t the life I wanted
Hello~ I''m 25-year-old Kim Dahye. After graduating from university, I worked for about a year and a half in a field related to my major, but feeling that I needed a new experience, I quit my job and joined the gap year project.
Until I got a job I followed society''s usual path. I studied to get into a good university, and to avoid falling behind others I started job hunting right after graduation and got a job in the year I graduated. Thus...While working at the company I felt that this really wasn''t the life I wanted, and although I wasn''t sure exactly what, I thought I needed to move into some new environment.Then I happened to learn about the gap year and joined the project through Korean Gap Year.
As I mentioned earlier, after working at the company for about a year I realized this really wasn''t the life I wanted, and although I thought I should start something new, I couldn''t figure out what to begin.
Even after learning about Korean Gap Year I kept worrying about which project to join, and then I found out there was a one-on-one counseling program, so I decided to get counseling.At first I thought it would just be counseling to pick a suitable project, but the consultant carefully reviewed my overall thoughts and situation and recommendedone for me.
Maybe because I''d never stayed abroad for a long time, or because I already knew detailed information about the project, I wasn''t overly worried. I was just a bit dazed because everything was new.
In a new world I had never seen before, I had no idea what would happen to me. For the moment, shaking off the many complicated thoughts and baggage and leaving Korea to escape the dull situations even for a while made me feel very relieved.
I prepared by checking the common necessary items and the list of things to bring provided by Gap Year.The Gap Year page and the orientation materials you sent were a big help in preparing before participation and seemed to be sufficient. Thanks to that list, which had everything necessary listed, I was able to prepare without lacking anything.
I couldn''t guess how much budget I''d use locally, so I exchanged a modest amount of dollars just for living expenses for the time being, planning to withdraw from ATMs when needed. Preparing like that allowed me to live there without difficulty.
I was a little worried if I''d prepared correctly, but thinking ''it''ll work out somehow when I go,'' I did as much preparation as I could and left.
# I wanted to become someone who knows what I like and want
My biggest goal in wanting to change through the gap year was to become a person who knows what I like and want.I had lost confidence in my own choices and had nothing I wanted to do or liked. I had lived with a very indecisive personality. Making a choice on my own was too difficult, so I just followed the common choices others made.
But I felt that living the rest of my life in that way would be too hard, and I felt very frustrated with myself. I thought new experiences would give me the answer, and...During the project period I actually learned what I needed through many experiences. For the first time in a long while I felt I wanted to learn something on my own.
# Life in the Philippines where every one of the 24 hours of the day was enjoyable
I took nine class periods a day. I would wake up, eat breakfast, then take 45-minute classes from 8:00 to 12:00; after a one-hour lunch break I took four more classes and then classes were over. All classes ended at 5:00 PM, and from then you could leave the school.
I really enjoyed attending classes; especially the one-on-one lessons allowed me to talk a lot with the local teachers, and everyone was so kind and fun, so it was enjoyable.And after class my daily routine was laughing and chatting with friends, going to eat delicious food, just having fun and then falling asleep.
Every single day was enjoyable all 24 hours.
I met many friends and many of them accompanied me. I met Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese friends who always traveled with me and were a great support during the project, teachers who always brought me happiness, café staff I visited so often they became friends, and many others.
I considered myself quite introverted, and I never expected to become close with so many people in such a short time. Thanks to them—who accepted my silly acts and foolish words and always paid attention to and watched over me—I became more confident,Thanks to them, I was so happy that I kept saying, ''This moment is the happiest moment of my life.''
# Belief and confidence in my choices; feeling the happiness of a life I chose myself
I felt and learned a lot through the project. The biggest thing I learned was that ''I think I can now choose what I want by my own power and live satisfactorily.'' I, who used to be indecisive, chose to take a gap year myself and invested money I earned to have time for myself for the first time.
During the project I met many people and had to express myself to them; they understood and empathized with my stories and actions. All of those processes were so enjoyable.Those times gave me belief and confidence in my choices, and I think they taught me that living a life I chose myself is happier than chasing others'' choices.
Comparing myself before and after participating in the gap year project, as I mentioned earlier,Through the project I realized the need to live in the world by my own strength and will.Until then I used to think at school and at work, ''Why do I have to endure and put up with these things?'' Now I think, ''I should find the work I want and live the life I want.''
The experience of enjoying and successfully accomplishing things I chose by my will seems to have taught me, ''I can live a happy life through the things I choose in the future too.''Of course I''m still not used to challenging something and going out into the world on my own and I''m a bit worried, but I believe the experiences and memories from the gap year will give my future self courage.
* For Kim Da-hye, who wanted to challenge new experiences and find her career path,missions that break existing thinking and tailored one-on-one personal missions about new experiences and career concerns were provided daily, and a gap year notebook to reflect on herself and make plans was also providedIt was provided.
# Advice for those considering a gap year
I think the Philippines is truly a country where you can feel happiness. Because it''s a country that hasn''t developed much yet, you might think it could be difficult to live there, but there''s no inconvenience in living there at all, and I guarantee you''ll learn and gain more from them.
Of course, English too! I only knew really basic elementary-level English, but I tried to talk a lot with foreigners for two months, and now I can handle everyday conversations.If your current self and daily life feel uncomfortable or unsatisfactory, you should take a gap year without hesitation.
# My own gap year tips
(How to get there)
When I came out of the airport, someone was holding a sign with the language school''s name, so I could find them right away.
And I took a taxi from the airport to the school and arrived comfortably.
(Language)
Of course Tagalog is their mother tongue, but almost all Filipino people can communicate in English. The teachers at the project school, of course, use only English at school.
I took a course focused on conversation, and if you study basic English grammar and vocabulary beforehand, your skills will improve faster during the project period. Rather than learning the basics locally,it seems more practical to learn how to apply the basic grammar and vocabulary you already know to real conversations.
(Accommodation)
I had a triple room, and it was much more comfortable and nice than I expected. Each dorm room has an air conditioner (at first I doubted whether it would work properly because of the way it looked, but it works very well). You can change the bedding every two weeks, and cleaning is done weekly. If anything in the room is broken, they''ll fix it right away.
However, laundry is done by hand if you leave it at the school''s facility since there''s no washing machine; for some reason the clothes come back stiff, but it doesn''t affect daily life at all. Each room has a balcony with a clothesline, so you can hand wash and hang them yourself.
(Meals)
The school meals mainly served Korean food, so I had no trouble eating. The cafeteria shop even sold Korean snacks and ramen, so I didn''t miss Korean food. Also, there were many delicious restaurants near the school, so I could enjoy both Korean and Filipino food whenever I wanted.
(What to bring)
I stuffed bulky hangers into my suitcase, but there were plenty in the dorm rooms, so you probably don''t need to bring them.
I brought the hair dryer I used in Korea and used it, but the voltage didn''t match and it exploded... Because of that, my room lost power and I felt really bad toward my roommates. Later, when I asked the Korean manager, they said it''s something Korean students often experience.You can buy them cheaply locally, so buy them there, or accept items left behind by graduating students and use them!
(Recommended destinations)
I recommend two places that are easy to get to from campus.
1. Bohol trip (1 night, 2 days)
- First day: Alona Beach (island hopping, snorkeling)
- Second day: Chocolate Hills (viewpoint, quad biking) > zipline
2. Cebu trip
- First day: Kawasan Falls (diving: I was too scared so I couldn''t do it, but give it a try!) > Moalboal (snorkeling: the sardine run and the turtles are something I''ll never forget.)
- Second day: Oslob (take photos with whale sharks)
My gap year:
Experience★★★★☆
Learning★★★★☆
Environment★★★★☆
Safety★★★☆☆
Leisure★★★★★
