I''m facing the English I''ve always tried to avoid and even finding it fun — I can communicate in English now. I want to use this to try something bigger. I want to go out to a bigger place.I would have regretted not experiencing this. Even purely in terms of fun and enjoyment, it was an incredibly happy time.
[Philippines Cebu/Language Study Review] Study English while enjoying it without stress — that''s all! Yoo Eun-ju, gap year participant (26, gap year after resigning) / 12-week gap year |
# Is this path really the one I''ve been searching for? A gap year taken to find confidence
Hello. I''m Yoo Eun-ju, 24 years old by international age. It''s nice to be two years younger by international age.
I completed a language-study project in the Philippines and am currently doing a kindergarten volunteer project in Vietnam.
Before coming on this gap year, I had graduated university, worked for a year, quit, and was about to start studying to do the psychological counseling work I wanted to do.Although I had plans for future study and finances, what suddenly led me to choose a gap year was a lack of confidence in the path I had planned.
Is this path really the one I''ve been seeking? What if I invest a long time in this study and then find it doesn''t suit me, leaving me to quit without any results? Will I be strong and capable enough to handle others'' hardships and help them?
In truth, the period of worry was very long. After wavering between certainty and doubt, I decided to act, made concrete plans, and was even about to enroll in an online university, but I still lacked confidence.
So what I chose was to travel abroad alone. I thought that traveling alone to experience a new environment might give me confidence in life and in taking on new challenges.
And since I had watched videos about gap years before, I thought that going through a gap year might make the time more meaningful.I received consulting from the director. After that consultation I had a strong conviction that what I needed right now was this time.
He told me about the deficiencies I was feeling and what I needed to feel and experience, and what he recommended at that time was the Philippine language study project and the Vietnam kindergarten volunteer project I''m currently doing.He said the Philippines language program would be an opportunity to feel visible growth through English and to break the long-held belief that I couldn''t do it.
He particularly said that the gap year missions and the gap year notebook provided throughout the project would be the greatest help in changing myself.
# I, who had no interest in English, ended up laughing and enjoying myself carelessly with foreign friends in English.
I was originally someone who had no interest in English and had never put a lot of effort into it. But in Korean society, English is a tool for academics and employment, so showing that my English is poor felt, although extreme, like showing others that I wasn''t someone who had tried hard.
So when I first came here I was very intimidated. I felt like I couldn''t understand or do as well as others, that others might find it frustrating, and that approaching people or making friends would be difficult.
And the weekend of the first week completely turned my negative energy around.I followed a friend and traveled with many people, and that time helped me find my people. I also began to feel that conversing in English wasn''t a big problem.
In the end I realized that my inability to speak was not due to my English skills but to my mindset and confidence.
And did my English actually improve to the point of fluency? Did I suddenly gain confidence? If you ask that,I don''t think I grew enough to gain the kind of confidence that I could do anything well just because of English.
Instead, I think I saw potential.I''m facing the English I used to avoid and even finding it fun — I can communicate in English. I want to use this to try something bigger. I want to go out to a bigger place.
And even if this time didn''t give me any particular abilities, just the experience here is something I would have regretted not having. Even just in terms of fun and enjoyment, it was an incredibly happy time.
I, whose head was always heavy with worries and thoughts,was able to play, laugh, and enjoy myself carelessly here just like in school days, and I made precious friends I want to travel with every year. Each day was so happy that this recent time felt like a dream.
# I used to care a lot about what others thought, but I stopped worrying about other people''s gaze.
And this may be an aside, but I also met a romantic partner here. However, I already had a boyfriend at the time, and I told him I wanted to break up. At first I thought I wouldn''t be able to make that decision. I felt very sorry and there were many things I was grateful for.
Then I realized the reason I couldn''t break up wasn''t because I recognized my own feeling that I loved that person, but because I was thinking about that person''s feelings and what they had given me. I''m writing this here because it was possible during my gap year and the decision was made thinking only from my own standpoint. This was the first time I boldly chose to be unkind to the other person.
I''m someone who is very conscious of others'' opinions. In the Philippines, I think I felt more often the happiness of doing things without caring about others'' gaze than being conscious of it.
I danced during dance time when, if I were in Korea, I''d have said I was embarrassed and wouldn''t have done it — and I danced joyfully without worrying about others. Before that, I don''t think I had ever felt so fully immersed in something among many people. Maybe because it was a foreign country, or because of my gap year''s purpose, I just did it.
So I think I did anything that seemed like it would bring me joy.
# What I can be sure of is that I''ve gained the confidence to choose what my heart is drawn to.
Looking back on my life in the Philippines, there were so many great experiences. For example, in the early days when I traveled with foreign friends and saw picture-perfect scenery, it felt like a dream.Being surrounded by an English-speaking environment, the very exotic scenery, and the fact of traveling with foreign friends — it all felt suddenly surreal.
And I met two Korean friends of the same age and temperament who were also on a gap year in the Philippines; when I was with them I became very honest and childlike, and could really play around without thinking. That was true everywhere. Actually, almost everything was enjoyable.
So after spending this time, if you ask whether I gained confidence that I could study and work well in psychological counseling, actually even now I''m not sure whether I''ll go back and study counseling.
But one thing I can be sure of is that it''s not choosing something because I feel I have to or because I decided I should,but that I have the confidence to choose what my heart is drawn to. And I will take responsibility for those choices.
# My personal gap year tips
(How to get there)
Because you get the profile of the person picking you up in advance, check it and as soon as you go out look for their sign.
(Language)
I thought I was really bad at English. I''d never had conversations in English and I hadn''t really studied it properly. So words would get stuck in my mouth and I couldn''t speak, and I lacked confidence. But in the first week, after going to eat together and coming back from a trip, I felt my mouth suddenly open — I could speak much more easily.
I think confidence is a big issue. Once I had people I felt were my people, I didn''t feel much problem communicating from then on. So I recommend joining everything you can do with friends. Travel highly recommended!!!
(What to bring)
It''s good to bring a power strip.
My gap year was
Experience★★★★★
It''s an experience you should have at least once in your life.
Learning★★★★★
You can''t fail to improve if you take one-on-one English classes like this.
Environment★★★★☆
I don''t think there were any major problems.
Safety★★★☆☆
There was a dangerous incident caused by a motorcycle accident once, and I''ve heard that safety in taxis can be somewhat problematic. You should be careful.
Leisure★★★★★
There seemed to be plenty of time to enjoy the trip and have fun. I had a great time and rested well.
