Why does the notion of Gap Yah receive such a rap? Oh yes very funny Matt Lacey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFjWR7X5dU&list=PL7A6C8BBB462AD241 (If you haven’t seen it already).
All this talk about – ‘finding yourself’ – rah rah rah!But seriously, what inspires us to escape the ordinary and experience life abroad? What can we indeed learn from doing so? Without sounding too much like, ‘this one time on my gap yah…’ this year, I embarked on a momentary departure from my life in Melbourne, Australia to set off and discover Europe, followed by study abroad in the UK.
Life as we know it, is short lived. This idea I have found, is often a reason behind the decision to postpone that which is serious – university, work – and experience adventure, the unknown, in places unfamiliar. So I went abroad.
Setting abroad for long periods and with limited experience, as is the case with many gap year goers, naturally incites events and circumstances that challenge our preconceived ideas and tests our skill to problem solve. Dad might call this character-building, I’ll say, it’s a path to newfound confidence in independency.
If two months in Europe wasn’t enough, I flew to Leeds to experience university life in England. Prompted by my lack of enthusiasm for my course at my university back home, I was itching to experience university life abroad. In my home city, university life is not necessarily a cherished time but rather feels to many students like standard procedure – attend the campus at minimum, pass exams, and get back to social lives that often stem from school days. Further, most fellow students I know, myself included, remain living at home and attending a university within the city. The concept of moving away from home, living in student accommodation, student budgeting, preparing daily meals, joining student societies and embracing the university experience was therefore foreign to me.
Having never travelled to the UK prior to my exchange, Leeds was my first stop. A fish out of water as I indeed felt with no connections to call upon and limited knowledge of the city and university itself. Six weeks into my exchange and my experiences so far have been equally challenging and insightful.
Freshers’ week, a dorm of 12 girls, presenting for student television and radio, Friday cheerleading practice, a carvery roast dinner, bonfire night and the list goes on to describe the many moments that have fulfilled my anticipations for a diverse university experience overseas. However, there is far more to appreciate about the privilege of living and studying in a new environment. Most pivotal to my time overseas has been growth in my self – reliance. Traveling away from home for extended periods such as this, teaches us to embrace difference and expect surprise and even conflict to arise as we meld our pre-existing mindsets with a new environment.
Most importantly we come to realise in turn, that however wonderful it may be to displace ourselves in the new and exciting, our home stays within our hearts and remains something we will ever seek to return to.
Mia O’Connor
Images are all my own