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#Introverted tendencies improved; became more proactive and more cheerful #Overcame fear of English; the paradoxical effect of being less diligent #Comfort, Satisfaction
Most of the things I worried about so seriously before leaving turned out to be no big deal once I actually experienced them,and when such situations actually occur, you somehow get through them on your own. Don''t let English stress you anymore! Learn English while having fun in Cebu! Park Jiwon, gapper (22, university student) / 12-week gap year |
# My biggest goal was to be more proactive and have a brighter outlook than before.
Hello. I am a 22-year-old student on leave.I decided to try a gap year during my leave of absence.I received consultation and was recommended a language-study project in the Philippines. I happened to be interested in language study, so I decided to go on this opportunity.
I was very worried up until departure because I''m not good at English and I have a shy, introverted personality,but I thought it was a great opportunity because I wanted to live abroad for an extended period.
For preparation before leaving, I packed according to the checklist provided by Gap Year and read reviews written by other participants. Because I tend to worry a lot and thought overthinking would give me a headache, I only packed the essentials and avoided thinking about anything related to the Philippines until I departed.
Through this project I wanted to overcome my fear of English. And My biggest goal was to be more proactive and have a brighter outlook than before.
* For Jiwon Park, who wanted new experiences and stimulation,activities to enjoy with foreign friends, customized 1:1 personal missions about new experiences and challenges were provided daily, and a Gap Year notebook was also provided so she could reflect on herself and make plans.
# A day in the Philippines
Classes start at 9 AM and end around 5 PM. The one-on-one lessons passed by more quickly than I expected, and it was great because I could use English a lot.
Chatting with friends during breaks makes the eight hours of English classes go by faster than you think. In the evenings I went out to eat with friends or went to the supermarket. In my case I was tired, so I rested in my room after dinner. On weekends I mainly traveled with friends.
# Once I broke out of my passive behavior, living in the Philippines actually became more comfortable.
What was good about the Gap Year project was that at first I was intimidated and passive because I wasn''t good at English.
At first I was very disappointed in myself and tormented myself with thoughts like: Should I study more English? Why am I not more proactive?
In the end, after thinking too much I became exhausted and started thinking, ''I''ll just do it roughly.'' From then on, for the first time in my life, I became negligent — I didn''t do my homework and skipped some classes.But surprisingly, this was the point at which my English started to improve.
Teachers also praised that my English conversation skills had improved compared to before, and at some point I began to take part more actively in conversations with friends. I stopped thinking things like ''I have to do well,'' ''What if I don''t understand?'', ''My pronunciation isn''t good...'' andI just spoke English comfortably, as if having a conversation in Korean, and people around me actually thought I had improved.
AndWhen I too broke away from being passive a little, living in the Philippines became more comfortable for me.
Also, many Filipino people were bright, lively, and full of energy. Even the teachers'' cheerful, energetic demeanors—like people you meet while traveling—made me feel good.
# Thank you for all the help.
The people I remember most are my Taiwanese friends, such as my roommate Sunny. Sunny is Taiwanese; she enrolled on the same day as I did and graduated on the same day.
My life in the Philippines went smoothly thanks to the help of my roommate Sunny. She introduced me to other Taiwanese friends, invited me on trips, and helped me a lot.We spent almost all our time together, so she left a strong impression on me, and I''m grateful for all her help.
# After returning from my gap year
I had a lot of vague fears about going abroad alone because I had to buy plane tickets by myself, handle ticketing and immigration alone, deal with many things at the airport, and because of my English ability and timid personality.I was very afraid of going to a foreign country alone, but after participating in the project and realizing that my worries were nothing, I no longer fear going anywhere by myself.
There were more things I could handle on my own than I expected,and before, I was even afraid to call a stranger.Now I do it very comfortably and I''m satisfied.
# For prospective participants
Just participate with a relaxed attitude.
People like me who are passive, overthink, and worry a lot can get very stressed before leaving and feel more fear than excitement. To avoid agonizing over it, I packed my passport and necessary items into my suitcase in advance and didn''t look up any Philippines-related information until just before leaving.
After briefly learning only the really important information and things to watch out for, I didn''t study travel info or English at all; I spent my time doing part-time work and other things. Andmost of the things I had worried about so seriously before leaving turned out to be nothing when I actually experienced them,and when such situations occur, you somehow manage to overcome them on your own.I recommend actively seeking help for things you can''t do on your own. You can ask friends for help; there are people locally who can help you, and it''s also good to consult Gap Year about your concerns.
# My favorite places in the Philippines
The Philippines has many different travel destinations and lots of places to shop. I mainly joined travel plans made by other friends.I often participated in them. If you visit the Philippines without much planning like I did, actively make friendsand join various trips.
I recommend the island ''Olango'' near Cebu. It''s good for snorkeling and is close to the language school, so it''s suitable for a day trip.
I think even people who can''t swim can enjoy it fully.
Most of the things I worried about so seriously before leaving turned out to be no big deal once I actually experienced them,and when such situations actually occur, you somehow get through them on your own. Don''t let English stress you anymore! Learn English while having fun in Cebu! Park Jiwon, gapper (22, university student) / 12-week gap year |
# My biggest goal was to be more proactive and have a brighter outlook than before.
Hello. I am a 22-year-old student on leave.I decided to try a gap year during my leave of absence.I received consultation and was recommended a language-study project in the Philippines. I happened to be interested in language study, so I decided to go on this opportunity.
I was very worried up until departure because I''m not good at English and I have a shy, introverted personality,but I thought it was a great opportunity because I wanted to live abroad for an extended period.
For preparation before leaving, I packed according to the checklist provided by Gap Year and read reviews written by other participants. Because I tend to worry a lot and thought overthinking would give me a headache, I only packed the essentials and avoided thinking about anything related to the Philippines until I departed.
Through this project I wanted to overcome my fear of English. And My biggest goal was to be more proactive and have a brighter outlook than before.
* For Jiwon Park, who wanted new experiences and stimulation,activities to enjoy with foreign friends, customized 1:1 personal missions about new experiences and challenges were provided daily, and a Gap Year notebook was also provided so she could reflect on herself and make plans.
# A day in the Philippines
Classes start at 9 AM and end around 5 PM. The one-on-one lessons passed by more quickly than I expected, and it was great because I could use English a lot.
Chatting with friends during breaks makes the eight hours of English classes go by faster than you think. In the evenings I went out to eat with friends or went to the supermarket. In my case I was tired, so I rested in my room after dinner. On weekends I mainly traveled with friends.
# Once I broke out of my passive behavior, living in the Philippines actually became more comfortable.
What was good about the Gap Year project was that at first I was intimidated and passive because I wasn''t good at English.
At first I was very disappointed in myself and tormented myself with thoughts like: Should I study more English? Why am I not more proactive?
In the end, after thinking too much I became exhausted and started thinking, ''I''ll just do it roughly.'' From then on, for the first time in my life, I became negligent — I didn''t do my homework and skipped some classes.But surprisingly, this was the point at which my English started to improve.
Teachers also praised that my English conversation skills had improved compared to before, and at some point I began to take part more actively in conversations with friends. I stopped thinking things like ''I have to do well,'' ''What if I don''t understand?'', ''My pronunciation isn''t good...'' andI just spoke English comfortably, as if having a conversation in Korean, and people around me actually thought I had improved.
AndWhen I too broke away from being passive a little, living in the Philippines became more comfortable for me.
Also, many Filipino people were bright, lively, and full of energy. Even the teachers'' cheerful, energetic demeanors—like people you meet while traveling—made me feel good.
# Thank you for all the help.
The people I remember most are my Taiwanese friends, such as my roommate Sunny. Sunny is Taiwanese; she enrolled on the same day as I did and graduated on the same day.
My life in the Philippines went smoothly thanks to the help of my roommate Sunny. She introduced me to other Taiwanese friends, invited me on trips, and helped me a lot.We spent almost all our time together, so she left a strong impression on me, and I''m grateful for all her help.
# After returning from my gap year
I had a lot of vague fears about going abroad alone because I had to buy plane tickets by myself, handle ticketing and immigration alone, deal with many things at the airport, and because of my English ability and timid personality.I was very afraid of going to a foreign country alone, but after participating in the project and realizing that my worries were nothing, I no longer fear going anywhere by myself.
There were more things I could handle on my own than I expected,and before, I was even afraid to call a stranger.Now I do it very comfortably and I''m satisfied.
# For prospective participants
Just participate with a relaxed attitude.
People like me who are passive, overthink, and worry a lot can get very stressed before leaving and feel more fear than excitement. To avoid agonizing over it, I packed my passport and necessary items into my suitcase in advance and didn''t look up any Philippines-related information until just before leaving.
After briefly learning only the really important information and things to watch out for, I didn''t study travel info or English at all; I spent my time doing part-time work and other things. Andmost of the things I had worried about so seriously before leaving turned out to be nothing when I actually experienced them,and when such situations occur, you somehow manage to overcome them on your own.I recommend actively seeking help for things you can''t do on your own. You can ask friends for help; there are people locally who can help you, and it''s also good to consult Gap Year about your concerns.
# My favorite places in the Philippines
The Philippines has many different travel destinations and lots of places to shop. I mainly joined travel plans made by other friends.I often participated in them. If you visit the Philippines without much planning like I did, actively make friendsand join various trips.
I recommend the island ''Olango'' near Cebu. It''s good for snorkeling and is close to the language school, so it''s suitable for a day trip.
I think even people who can''t swim can enjoy it fully.
What makes this project special
