gap year

On Monday, writing for The Independent, Tom Griffiths (founder of gapyear.com ) explained how by having a ‘dynamic gap year’ helps you to stand out from the crowd. No longer are employers and universities soley looking for straight A students. Such a high proportion of students in the UK are going to University and coming away with a good grade, that it makes it extremely difficult for employers to differentiate between applicants.

Increasingly, people that have taken worthwhile gap years have that little bit extra on their CV that makes them stand out of the crowd. People can spend their gap year, travelling; volunteering; gaining worthwhile paid employment… the possibilities are endless.

At Oyster, we believe that to achieve the most in your year off you should do a worthwhile overseas project. When people tell me that they will be getting a round the world ticket for their gap year, I always suggest that they consider staying in one location for 3 months or so. That way they will be able to call somewhere home (and not just be a tourist) and use their skills to assist a local community.

How did you spend your gap year? Maybe you are an employer that struggles to differentiate between applicatants… all comments are welcome

Click here for the full article in The Independent.

If you want to avoid the crowds in India and would enjoy making a real contribution in one of the most beautiful parts of the Indian Himalayas, our new project could be for you.

India needs little introduction, with a population of over a billion and a diverse culture, India has fascinated travellers and writers throughout history. Oyster is very fortunate to be able to offer placements in Sikkim, India’s smallest state. It borders Nepal, Tibet (China) and Bhutan and was an independent Himalayan Kingdom until 1975. It lies in the heart of the Himalayas at 2000 metres and is dominated by Mt Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain. Read the rest of this entry »

My experience in Romania has been amazing; I’m halfway through my 3 months here and am already making plans to return next year. Brasov is a great place to be based. The flat I’m in is lovely and only 5 minutes walk from the town centre. Our rep is called Razvan and he is friendly, funny and approachable. He speaks excellent English and looks after us very well.

I’m involved in 2 very different placements. I work at a children’s orphanage 2 days a week and at a bear sanctuary for 3 days a week. At the orphanage I work at the children are aged between 12 months and 16 years and are all severely physically and mentally disabled. It can be distressing at times but also a joy to see a child respond to something you do or to a toy you’ve brought in for them. I brought a little hand-held keyboard in for one child and he loved it so much he wore the batteries out within hours! I take as many children as possible to the playroom with the physiotherapist, who is marvelous and very dedicated to the children. I play with the children, give cuddles and play music for them. All of the children can communicate on some level - a smile, a particular noise, a clap and it is so rewarding to have this interaction with them. You don’t need experience, just compassion, patience and a lot of love to give.

My other placement is at a bear sanctuary in Zarnesti which is a 25 minute drive from Brasov. It is set in beautiful countryside overlooked by mountains and is a wonderful, tranquil place to work. There are horses and donkeys in the fields, sanctuary dogs running around and the occasional Romanian shepherd wandering by with his flock. I work with Laci, the manager, his wife Emi and her Aunty Zita. They live in Brasov so I travel there and back with them. They are very friendly and have a great sense of humour and even though Laci is the only one who can speak English we can all communicate and they are good company. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting a study by two economists at the University of Western Australia that claims to show taking a “gap year” translates into better marks at university!