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#Discovered a more positive, brighter self #Enhanced self-reflection and self-reliance #Enjoyment and gratitude, belief in myself
[Europe Malta/Language Study] Best value! Learn English safely in Mediterranean Malta, Europe Jo Hye-min, gap year participant (26, university student) / 12-week gap year
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# Burnout from university life — a gap year chosen to have time alone away from family
Hello! I''m Jo Hye-min, who took a gap year with only my final semester of university left.I was burned out in Korea and thought I wanted to rest by changing my environment.
At the time I chose the gap year, I felt strongly oppressed in any environment, and it was a period when I had many worries about the future I wanted to choose.I didn''t even want to tell my family my story, so I even went to a café for gap year consulting (I don''t recommend this, but I decided it was better for a stranger to hear me). The biggest reason was that I wanted to be away from my family and have time for myself.
This was my first time staying abroad for an extended period, so I worried a lot. I think I imagined every possible scenario. I cried a lot on the plane— I was scared and very nervous. But imagination is just imagination! Fortunately, nothing happened that justified my worries.
The main thing I focused on preparing before departure was mental preparation.Watching the videos and materials you sent, I prepared myself mentally, thinking, “I''m going on a gap year, so study is important but I shouldn''t push myself to the point of suffering. I''ll just dive in and see.”And when packing, I read posts left by people who went on language programs to distinguish what to bring and what I didn''t need to pack.
First,After arriving by 9:00, the first class generally runs 90 minutes until about 10:30. Then there''s a break until 11:00, followed by a second 90-minute class.(If there is a holiday in the week, classes run from 9:00–10:45 and 11:15–13:00.)
If you have a 1-to-1 class or a conversation class, it takes place 30 minutes after the previous class ends. Afternoon classes vary slightly depending on the group you belong to, so it''s more accurate to get guidance locally. Since I didn''t have afternoon classes, I usually went grocery shopping after lunch, rested at home, or wandered around sightseeing in Malta.
Among the people I met during the project, the ones I remember most are the people I lived with in the accommodation. I lived in Valletta, which is close to the language school, so I didn''t have much interaction with students who weren''t in my class. (Most students are assigned accommodation in the Sliema area, which is farther from the school but offers dormitory-style housing with clean, well-equipped facilities.)
So naturally,on weekends or after school ended, I often went out or spent time with the people from my accommodation, so we grew very close and they remain the people I remember most. I also took the most photos with them!
The biggest thing I felt while doing the language study project in Malta wasthat people are all the same. They only differ in appearance, culture, and language; fundamentally they''re very similar.I realized that in Europe it''s not that there are completely different people, but that cultures differ, so the way people handle situations can be slightly different. That was actually a good thing. It helped break my fantasies and the image I had in my head about foreign countries — it was a valuable experience.
And something that moved me here was thateveryone here always thanked me for considerate actions.In Korea, when I repeatedly showed consideration, most people took it for granted, but here they always said thank you and didn''t treat it as something obvious, which I was very grateful for. (At least the people I met were like that, haha)
# Enjoyable experiences in Malta where I got to know myself better than before
While participating in the gap year projectThe goal was to get to know myself better and to create my own environment.It was.
* To learn about myself and be able to move forward in life on my own, Jo Hye-min was given a customized 1:1 personal mission every day related to independence and self-reflection, and a gap year notebook was provided so she could reflect and make plans.
Before participating, I was always lethargic, didn''t want to do anything, and even if I was dissatisfied with everything out of obligation or responsibility, I would just let it go thinking ''it''s fine'' and take out my anger or irritation elsewhere. After participating, I became more...I gained more energy, and by expressing the emotions that came up and talking with others to resolve things, I stopped overthinking. I stopped speaking indirectly!I think this is the biggest change.
If I had advice for participants who will join the Malta language-study gap year project in the future,It''s a resort! If you go to Malta, have lots of fun and use English a lot!When I arrived back in Korea it felt like a dream and I couldn''t believe it. I have a small regret that I should have had more fun and used English more.
Also, processing times in Malta are slower than in our country, so it''s good to be prepared. You can assume that any process will take at least two weeks.
Additionally, while in Malta you may feel uncomfortable due to discrimination against East Asians. For me it was less severe and less frequent than for some other Asian friends, but it wasn''t completely absent. As a way to handle it, the best approach is to ignore someone who greets you in Chinese on the street as they pass by. If you experience discrimination in a restaurant or shop, I expressed that I felt offended directly. It may make both sides feel bad, but I thought it''s important to let them know, even a little, that their behavior makes me feel bad. Some people apologized (sincere or not), and others insisted they had done nothing wrong.
[Europe Malta/Language Study] Best value! Learn English safely in Mediterranean Malta, Europe Jo Hye-min, gap year participant (26, university student) / 12-week gap year
|
# Burnout from university life — a gap year chosen to have time alone away from family
Hello! I''m Jo Hye-min, who took a gap year with only my final semester of university left.I was burned out in Korea and thought I wanted to rest by changing my environment.
At the time I chose the gap year, I felt strongly oppressed in any environment, and it was a period when I had many worries about the future I wanted to choose.I didn''t even want to tell my family my story, so I even went to a café for gap year consulting (I don''t recommend this, but I decided it was better for a stranger to hear me). The biggest reason was that I wanted to be away from my family and have time for myself.
This was my first time staying abroad for an extended period, so I worried a lot. I think I imagined every possible scenario. I cried a lot on the plane— I was scared and very nervous. But imagination is just imagination! Fortunately, nothing happened that justified my worries.
The main thing I focused on preparing before departure was mental preparation.Watching the videos and materials you sent, I prepared myself mentally, thinking, “I''m going on a gap year, so study is important but I shouldn''t push myself to the point of suffering. I''ll just dive in and see.”And when packing, I read posts left by people who went on language programs to distinguish what to bring and what I didn''t need to pack.
First,After arriving by 9:00, the first class generally runs 90 minutes until about 10:30. Then there''s a break until 11:00, followed by a second 90-minute class.(If there is a holiday in the week, classes run from 9:00–10:45 and 11:15–13:00.)
If you have a 1-to-1 class or a conversation class, it takes place 30 minutes after the previous class ends. Afternoon classes vary slightly depending on the group you belong to, so it''s more accurate to get guidance locally. Since I didn''t have afternoon classes, I usually went grocery shopping after lunch, rested at home, or wandered around sightseeing in Malta.
Among the people I met during the project, the ones I remember most are the people I lived with in the accommodation. I lived in Valletta, which is close to the language school, so I didn''t have much interaction with students who weren''t in my class. (Most students are assigned accommodation in the Sliema area, which is farther from the school but offers dormitory-style housing with clean, well-equipped facilities.)
So naturally,on weekends or after school ended, I often went out or spent time with the people from my accommodation, so we grew very close and they remain the people I remember most. I also took the most photos with them!
The biggest thing I felt while doing the language study project in Malta wasthat people are all the same. They only differ in appearance, culture, and language; fundamentally they''re very similar.I realized that in Europe it''s not that there are completely different people, but that cultures differ, so the way people handle situations can be slightly different. That was actually a good thing. It helped break my fantasies and the image I had in my head about foreign countries — it was a valuable experience.
And something that moved me here was thateveryone here always thanked me for considerate actions.In Korea, when I repeatedly showed consideration, most people took it for granted, but here they always said thank you and didn''t treat it as something obvious, which I was very grateful for. (At least the people I met were like that, haha)
# Enjoyable experiences in Malta where I got to know myself better than before
While participating in the gap year projectThe goal was to get to know myself better and to create my own environment.It was.
* To learn about myself and be able to move forward in life on my own, Jo Hye-min was given a customized 1:1 personal mission every day related to independence and self-reflection, and a gap year notebook was provided so she could reflect and make plans.
Before participating, I was always lethargic, didn''t want to do anything, and even if I was dissatisfied with everything out of obligation or responsibility, I would just let it go thinking ''it''s fine'' and take out my anger or irritation elsewhere. After participating, I became more...I gained more energy, and by expressing the emotions that came up and talking with others to resolve things, I stopped overthinking. I stopped speaking indirectly!I think this is the biggest change.
If I had advice for participants who will join the Malta language-study gap year project in the future,It''s a resort! If you go to Malta, have lots of fun and use English a lot!When I arrived back in Korea it felt like a dream and I couldn''t believe it. I have a small regret that I should have had more fun and used English more.
Also, processing times in Malta are slower than in our country, so it''s good to be prepared. You can assume that any process will take at least two weeks.
Additionally, while in Malta you may feel uncomfortable due to discrimination against East Asians. For me it was less severe and less frequent than for some other Asian friends, but it wasn''t completely absent. As a way to handle it, the best approach is to ignore someone who greets you in Chinese on the street as they pass by. If you experience discrimination in a restaurant or shop, I expressed that I felt offended directly. It may make both sides feel bad, but I thought it''s important to let them know, even a little, that their behavior makes me feel bad. Some people apologized (sincere or not), and others insisted they had done nothing wrong.
What makes this project special
