EF Gap Year - Build Your Year

Taking the EF gap year has shaped the person I am today in so many incredible ways. This program is perfect if you want to see and experience new places in a fun and safe community. Traveling always has its moments of uncertainty, however, the EF local staff always did their best to support us and provide a plethora of information on the places visited. I loved this particular program because it allowed me to visit multiple countries and participate in a language study, service work, and an internship. Those experiences paired with tourist activities allowed me to fully experience the countries I was living in. This program allowed me to gain independence, meet so many wonderful people, and see places I never thought I would have the opportunity to see. I’m so grateful for this experience and highly recommend it to anyone considering!

My gap year experience was life changing. It’s unique that I got to learn a language, volunteer, have an internship and travel to so many places all over the world in the span of six months. I learned so much about the world and interacted with a variety of cultures along the way. The experience taught me how to travel with others and also cherish the time to myself.

I’m now living and working abroad in Thailand, one of the countries I visited with EF. The gap year gave me the confidence and skills needed to make that possible.

This program is unlike any other and it made me into the best possible version of myself! I chose Costa Rica, Peru and Madrid for my 3 modules because I wanted to improve my Spanish and I am nearly fluent now! I did some of the coolest things I’ve done in my whole life all throughout my gap year. I scuba dived in the Great Barrier Reef, lived in my first apartment in Madrid, jumped the highest cliff jump in the world, held a koala, volcano boarded, snorkeled in Panama, went to the Sydney opera house and so much more. I met some of the coolest most unforgettable people of my whole life and they are all likeminded people who love to explore and travel so it makes it way more fun. If you are on the fence about choosing college or a gap year, take a gap year! Life will start to get busy and you won’t want to regret it if you don’t go when you have the time! You’ll have so many stories to share and memories to cherish and nothing really compares to that.

I was a student in EF Gap's first-ever cohort in 2018-19, and it was an unforgettable experience. I was fresh out of high school, tired of classrooms, and just wanting to be different, so I decided that a gap year was what I needed. However, there are SO many types of programs out there that I couldn't decide what I wanted. I chose EF because of the huge variety of experiences, including service-learning, internship, language study, and pure travel. The highlights of my trip were our time spent at the beautiful Ashridge Estate near London, celebrating Loi Krathong with my amazing group in Chiang Mai, Thailand, my social media marketing internship in Milan, Italy (looks GREAT on my resume), and of course the MANY great friendships I made with my cohort. When you're traveling so much and frequently moving from place to place, the people you are with become your home. Yes, there will be ups and downs, but that is inevitable when traveling. I am a confident traveler now, and I even spent 3 weeks after the trip solo-traveling. The EF staff are very helpful and reliable and have proven to be great connections to have upon my return to the US. If you're hesitating to decide on an EF Gap Year, trust me, do it. For the money, this program is the most cost-effective of all the programs on the market, by far! EF will not let you down.

The introduction to the program and the closure in Hult University in the U.K. was very good. The tours were good, the hotels ,mostly well located. The housing and assistance could greatly improve, I will give my comments on the three areas. LANGUAGE ( 6 WEEKS) ROME: The Academy was in the best area in Rome, two blocks from the Trevi Fountain. I petitioned to stay in the Residency which was next to EF. I was told to stay with a host family in order to better immerse myself in the culture. I was assigned an apartment with a landlady who rented rooms, no family experience, pasta for dinner every day, we were not allowed to store any food, in a very remote insecure area of the city. After several weeks of asking for a change, I was assigned to stay in a B&B near school, but this is not the experience I was looking for ( I was not living with students and not living with a family). I was sick for a week and one came to see me, call me or sent a Dr. ( WE ARE ALL 18 , MANY HAD NEVER BEEN ABROAD). SOCIAL SERVICE ( 6 WEEKS) TANZANIA: The Safari was the best experience I have had. The social service program did not give me any sense of accomplishment, for we were not involved in "real" program ...we stayed a week in each place... not enough time to get involved.... the last place I stayed was really awful, but since it was located in a beautiful beach resort I was able to take advantage of this. INTERSHIP ( SIX WEEKS) MADRID: After making a point that location was important I was assigned an apartment in a nice location but not a good street.... a street full of bars open until dawn...not the best place for 4 young girls to stay. The apartment was bare...no headboards, nightstand....one pair of sheets..one towel...no cleaning utensils provided...the small washing machine never worked....very bad rating in AirB&B.... that for the lodging...regarding the Intership we were not assigned to work in a company related to our interests... it was more like a part time job you can get back home. in a store at the mall... in contrast with my cousins that got internships this last summer in great companies. I think EF has a great platform with all the Ef Academies it has worldwide...but they have to be more conscious for the other services they are providing.... there is no one to in direct contact to make sure all is fine...and when we have a petition, comment, etc no one comes to really supervise what is happening and how to best solve your needs.

The EF Gap Year transformed me into a world traveller and gave me more confidence and knowledge to take on college. My fellow gap year friends are like my family, and I now have friends all across the globe. This experience shaped me into a different person than I was before my gap year. My language study (Barcelona) and internship (Madrid) gave me the confidence to live in another city alone, learn to speak another language, and be able to adjust and develop a community. My favorite parts were Volunteer Service (Thailand) and the Australian Immersion program. Those modules I became very close with my cohort, and had the most fun! Although, it isn't always fun and can be hard and lonely at times (especially away from your family), however, I grew the most during the hardships and it became so much stronger in the long run. I can't wait to travel abroad again. I loved the EF Gap Year, I wish I could do it again, and recommend everybody to do it!

I can’t imagine who I’d be right now if I hadn’t taken a gap year. EF’s gap year program allowed me to accomplish so many goals of mine, whether it be to learn fluent Spanish or to go bungee jumping in a foreign country. I studied Spanish in Costa Rica, completed Service Learning in the Dominican Republic, and interned in Madrid, Spain. My gap year took me out of my comfort zone so many times that I don’t even know what that means anymore - and my life is better because of it. Now, as I head off to college, I am able to focus on my excitement rather than feeling nervous, because I have built so much confidence within the past year. If anyone is searching for a path to follow, a way to achieve their goals, or even just who they are, they need to take a gap year.

I loved my gap year, thanks to EF! The program they offer is the perfect combination of structure and freedom, allowing space to explore and get to know yourself while still learning skills and achieving goals.

I studied French in Paris, learned through service in Costa Rica, and interned in Sydney, Australia.

My time in Paris was fantastic. I had classes a couple times a day, leaving time to explore the city and practice what I was learning in school.

Costa Rica was an amazing six weeks. EF scouted out some truly special volunteer programs and communities to partner with, making sure we made good use of our time. I worked closely with locals and as well as environmental specialist. I had hands-on projects, like handling sea turtles and teaching art to kids.

My favorite module was my internship in Sydney. EF worked with me to find a company that matched my beliefs and would help build the skills I was searching to develop. I worked with a truly meaningful non-profit company and started my first internship with a smile.

The blend of independence and support from EF was powerful. I felt confident in exploring myself, stepping out of my comfort zone, because I knew I wasn’t alone. EF does a fantastic job of making the students feel important while giving them space to do what they are on the gap year to do: grow. EF left an impact on me, and my gap year was a truly special experience because of it.

(Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!)