Why and how to go abroad for a gap year?
Gap year abroad
Want to “take a break” from your studies? Have you thought about the gap year?
The gap year is increasingly requested by French students, it allows you to temporarily suspend your studies to live a unique experience and attract the eye of recruiters on the job market.
Gap year: definition
The gap year is a "parenthesis" in a student's curriculum so that they can carry out a personal project or have a new experience. Often offered by higher schools (engineering schools, business schools, grandes écoles, etc.), it allows students to interrupt their studies and then resume where they left off.
This personal or professional experience gives students the opportunity to devote themselves to other activities in France or abroad. They can thus take the time to integrate into another country and have an international experience, this could be as part of an internship abroad or a humanitarian trip, for example.
The gap is not necessarily for a year, it may be a break of only a few months, in this case it is called a gap period. It lasts for a maximum period representing one academic year.
Namely, a gap year is not a sabbatical year which is a period that allows you to get away from the professional world to devote yourself to an activity of your choice or to rest.
Why take a gap year abroad?
Diversify your professional skills and enrich your CV
Take the opportunity to deepen your professional and language skills. If one of your goals is to improve your level in a foreign language, especially your level of English, then the gap year abroad may be a good solution.
Going abroad is a real asset for standing out in the job market and increasing your chances of being hired with an international profile. This period represents an experience that is increasingly popular with recruiters. Through it, they can see your ability to adapt to a professional and multicultural environment.
Have an experience abroad and discover a new country
Beyond the positive impact it can have on your professional life, the gap year abroad is a real source of wealth on a personal level. It allows you to meet other cultures by adopting a lifestyle different from the one you have in your country of origin. This experience contributes to your openness and to your view of the world.
Gain maturity and interpersonal skills
Whatever your plan during your period of absence abroad, this experience helps to improve your "interpersonal skills" and your ability to act independently. Living in another country allows you to gain independence, self-confidence or even self-discipline. The gap year corresponds to a time of personal construction as formative as an academic year.
When to take a gap year?
After the baccalaureate
The gap year after high school years is a practice that appeals to more and more high school students. They put all the chances on their side to access higher education. Their choice is particularly focused on the gap year abroad in order to improve their language skills. In fact, the training available for their post-baccalaureate orientation has more and more demands on these skills.
After the baccalaureate, it is also an opportunity to anticipate the first year of studies and to acquire rewarding professional experience for their future search for internships or work-study training.
A stay abroad requires a certain preparation and a sense of responsibility. Living abroad is not easy, you have to be prepared to deal with language barriers and cultural differences. Which isn't always easy right after high school.
During your graduate studies
Experience abroad is strongly recommended to progress within certain university courses. Many schools recommend it in the form of an internship or professional project during the second or third year. Thus, many students make sure to find an internship abroad during their student semesters.
Be careful, the gap year should not upset your study plan, it should complement your studies. If you don't feel ready to take a break from your student life, there is no obligation, your experience can be later.
At the end of your schooling
You don't want to start your professional career after your graduate studies? Go live in the summer
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