I graduate in June and am still undecided in what I want to do. I wondering what other peoples’ plans are after graduating and what you think would be my best option. I know no one here knows me really well and as such no one probably knows what would be ‘best’ for me (thats all our guidance counsellors say at school), but from your own experiences and thoughts if you could give some input it would be much appreciated.
I don’t plan on going to school next year but the year after I think I will be taking engineering. For next year I really want to travel and am looking at a few different options:
The GAP program -
An international exchange program that lasts 5 - 7 months leaving Sept. 06. It costs $2650 (with everything covered) and you then work in a volunteer environment. I’ve already been accepted in this one. I would be working in a school in Ghana. I haven’t put any real money in yet and so I still have the option to pull out. This would probably be an amazing experience, but it costs a bit and I am left with less money then I started. Thats the main reason this one is not favoured. My parents don’t like the idea of losing money either.
Canada World Youth -
Another exchange program, 6 -8 months, leaving anywhere from July to September (maybe October). Half is spent in another region of Canada first then another half is spent abroad. I’ve been accepted in this one also but I have not yet been placed (told where I am going), I will know in April. Its also a volunteer thing and a bit better structured than GAP. It’s also cheaper at $1950. I like this one better than GAP.
SWAP -
The working vacation. You can leave when you want and stay up to 1 or 2 years. The deal with this is you get a work visa and go into a foreign country like (Australia, the UK, France, South Africa, i.e. more developed). You have a small support system when you arrive but you need to find your own job and accomodations. I’m not sure if your accomadations (cost) are taken care of but I don’t think they are. This one is only $4 - 800 but you need to get your own airline tickets with some sort of big discount (ISIC card idea I believe). The idea of this one is to basically fund a long vacation through working at the same time. Feasibly you can work anywhere. No money is lost and money is rarely gained but if you are smart about it you can come out with some. Parents don’t like looseness of this one but like the money idea. Wouldn’t be the same level of life experience however.
My own orchestrated trip out west -
I have some connections out there and would like to go out and work in a hotel or on a ski hill in some ski town. I love skiing and BC/Alberta (the Rockies) would be my graceland. I’d make money but again wouldn’t get the same experience.
If I worked it right I could feasibly end an option 1 through 3 in late winter early fall and go out west after. I wrote out these for myself but to also seek advice.
My big question is money vs. experience? If I’m going back to school what is more important.
my after school plans are pretty simple…i plan to get a job for a year or so to get money to attend trade school for welding then i will become a contractor. in the meantime and during all of this i will ride my uni alot.
i would say it is more experience.
you can always work and save more money.
I myself have been to Scotland for three months and I just got back from spending a week in Taiwan. Granted both of these were through my university so yeah.
But who knows, it is different for everyone.
Personally I would go with the SWAP and go over to the UK for a year or two. When I was over there, I met a bunch of people from Australia and New Zealand who were there on their ‘gap years’ and they worked, traveled and had a good time.
Let us know what you decide and I hope everything works out for you!
-barb
What is important at this point in your life is to see the world and have fun. School (especially a technical degree) is going to be intense and seemingly long, almost unending when you reach your senior year Enjoy the freedom you have for now and do what you’ve been dreaming of doing.
You’ll have time in your first couple years of school to take a part-time job so if you’re not totally broke, don’t worry about the money. As you near completion of your degree you might be able to work for one of your professors, so that’ll combine work and school into one (great experience, but low-paying) job. Look for scholarships while in school, take out loans, etc. and the money thing will take care of itself for long enough to finish school.
Go for it! Let us know what happens… we love us a good story here in JC!
I never graduated highschool so I can’t have any post-HS plans. I’d be the oldest Junior in the school’s history if I enrolled at 39 years next fall!
Some of you folks have some wonderful ideas about what to do. I’d say aim high and follow through!
Also… finish HS. It’s a real pain to have to mark “no graduation date” on applications and often requires all sorts of explanatory letters and special permissions to do the many cool things in life that require administrative support, like employment at a larger organization and academics.
So many folks are in such a rush to get to the work world to start making money. Although it is important to be able to survive financially in the world, there is probably no better time to do something spectacular than right after high school. It can be a little dangerous though if you plan to go to college because the longer you stay away from school, the more difficult it is to get yourself back in the school swing…this coming from a guy who graduated from college ten years out of high school. So plan to make firm plans and be disciplined to follow through.
When you do get to college, same applies. Don’t be in a rush to finish at the expense of floundering once you graduate and move on. I was once invited back to speak to the incoming engineering students at my alma mater. One of my key points was to seek out some internships during their college years. It really serves to help you understand the corporate world, how it works, and why you’re doing all that homework. I had three internships during my college years, two at Argonne National Laboratory and one at a manufacturing facility. The money will come and with some 40 years of a career looming, one or two years of missed income will be about as important as another “Hey, where’s your other wheel” taunt.
I don’t know about post-high school, but you should definitely go on some sort of a foreign exchange program.
I’ve been in France for a little over a month now (I’m from Canada) and it has been such a crazy-awesome experience.
You meet and kinds of interesting people, bask in another culture, and be the butt of many jokes. Everyone should be an exchange student at least once.
I don’t think the SWAP option sounds very good, basically because nothing is taken care of. You want to find an organisation that’s willing to help you out, or do the legwork for you. This way you can just get in there and start doing your thing.
The Canada World Youth one sounds the best, because you can experience two different cultures (well, another part of Canada might not be THAT different), it’s cheaper than the GAP program, and it’s longer than the GAP program.
Like Yoopers says, losing a year’s worth of income over your entire career isn’t much, especially if you get to experience something as awesome as living in another country for an extended period of time.
Without getting too hokey, I think life’s about the people.
I’ve always dreamed of hitchhiking/unicycling across Europe (perhaps after high school?). That would be pretty sweet.
Whatever you do, remember to take your one-wheeled friend. It’s a real chick magnet and an excellent ice breaker when you meet new people.
Thats my mindset. And Yoopers, that dirt pun was cheap, maybe even… dirt cheap? (neck wobbling, snooty laugh)
Good advice from all especially unisteve, yoopers and maestro.
I talked to my sister and a teacher of mine, and I think I will put off SWAP till after or during university. It can be done any time and is better suited for when I am older.
Its now just between GAP and CWY, I like the way CWY is structured more. But its now likely all about the placement. GAP is working in schools in Ghana (my teacher liked this one but I think she was biased) and CWY I’m still unsure of. I will know this month but I will need to have a $600 deposit in if I want to do GAP by April the 17th. Also depending on the time frame I will likely be flying out west after the exchange.
I graduated from high school 5 years ago. I’ve got 3 years of college and university education behind me, and I am not much closer to the end of it than when I started. And I’m not really in a hurry either.
Take your time, decide what you want with your life.
I am planning on getting my private pilot’s license in grade 12. then after I graduate, go to a flight college and receive a commercial pilot’s license and become a helicopter pilot.
Where are you planning on getting your heli training? I’m planning on getting my heli license as well, I’ve gotta decide on where to do my training, I’ve found a few good ones. One of the best in the country as far as I can tell (I’ve talked to a number of pilots, and most will confirm this) is Great Slave Heli, which has recently relocated from St. Albert to Springbank Airport in Calgary. I had a friend do his heli training at Bighorn Helicopters at Springbank, he got a job within 2 years of getting his license. Apparently Whitecourt has a good school as well.
Enjoy the freedom you have for now and do what you’ve been dreaming of doing.