Latest news with #gapyear
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Mind the gap: what Hong Kong students need to know before taking year off
As Hong Kong students receive their results in the city's two major university entrance exams – Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programme – this summer, they face many pressing choices that could shape their future. Most think about where to continue their studies and which courses to choose, while some consider taking a gap year. The Post examines the pros and cons of such an unconventional option. 1. What is a gap year? A gap is a period during which people, often students, temporarily pause their education to pursue other interests or opportunities. It typically lasts for about 12 months, which is why most students refer to it as a 'gap year'. Alternatively, university students may choose to take a gap semester. These gap years often take place when students transition from secondary school to higher education or during their time at university. 'I think gap years are getting more popular in Hong Kong, especially among Bachelor's degree students,' Ng Po-shing, a student guidance consultant at Hok Yau Club, said.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Fears for agricultural gap year program as funding deadline draws nearer
It's a bitterly cold winter's day on a dairy farm in Victoria's north east, and the ground has turned to mush as the rain falls from the grey sky. Jesse Wallace is guiding 500 dairy cows up the muddy path to the dairy shed for their afternoon milking. The 18-year-old does it with ease, noting which cows are usual suspects for lingering at the back. However, six months ago this was a daunting task. "It was in the middle of summer, and they all get in the river and you have to get knee deep to get them out," he said. "And you're worried about all the gates being shut." Mr Wallace finished high school last year in Brisbane, and is now working on a dairy farm for his gap year. He is a participant in the AgCAREERSTART program, run by the National Farmers' Federation. "There's not a lot of dairy opportunities in Queensland, because the weather is so hot, and I thought this would be a good area to get started in," Mr Wallace said. "It's cold [in Victoria] — but I'm warming up and getting used to it. Waiting at the dairy ready to start attaching the cups to the udders, is Ruby Spicer, 18, who originally hails from Canberra. Also in her gap year, she said she had no prior experience with farming and no connections in the industry. "I like working outdoors and thought it would be a good opportunity to have a gap year," Ms Spicer said. "Everyone is very patient with teaching you — you don't feel stupid for not knowing things. "It is a lot of early mornings, but you get used to it — if you start at 3am, then you're usually done by 10am." Ms Spicer said she would like to stay working on a farm next year if there was a position for her. "I probably wouldn't have gone into agriculture without this program," she said. "This is a good experience and you get to decide if this is a job for you." The Australian Bureau of Statistics says the average age of an Australian farmer is 58, which is a decade older than the rest of the general workforce. And attracting young people to work in the agriculture industry has been a challenge across a range of sectors. The AgCAREERSTART program is currently in its fourth year and has placed 250 students aged 17–25 onto working farms to support farmers facing workforce shortages. Participants get paid to work, and also receive a $4,500 training bursary. Over the past four years, 85 per cent of participants kept working in the agriculture industry with 43 per cent finding ongoing work on the same farm. One of those alumni is Hannah Dunn, 19, who is into her second year working on the dairy farm with Mr Wallace and Ms Spicer. "I love to work with animals and I'm currently studying a Bachelor of Animal Science," Ms Dunn said. "I'd tell people to do it — it's a great way to get practical experience that employers are looking for. "And it's a paid gap year, like, why not try it out?" The AgCAREERSTART program is funded by the federal government until 2026, currently allowing for one more intake. The ABC has contacted the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to ask if funding will be guaranteed beyond 2026. Richard Hamilton is the manager of the dairy farm in Tallangatta South which employs the three young workers. He said it would be a shame to lose a program that worked so well to solve worker shortages in the industry. "These three can run an 800 cow day-to-day operation without assistance," Mr Hamilton said. "If they stay in dairy is irrelevant. "If they can take some good practices from us and go on and develop, it's got to be good for Australian agriculture as a whole. "It's a bigger picture than us; if they give us a good couple of years on their way and go on and do incredible things then it's a tick in the box from my point of view."
Telegraph
25-06-2025
- Telegraph
Why your child's south-east Asia gap year plans need a rethink
Finally, the nation's 18-year-olds and their parents can breathe a sigh of relief. Well, until results day at least. A-levels are over, the sun is shining, and school leavers now have a couple of months to decide whether to launch straight into university, find a job, or to start planning a gap year. For many, the final decision will be made in mid-August. But for those leaning towards a gap year, take note: the classic 'Banana Pancake' route in south-east Asia has been split apart at a crucial junction. This week, Thailand's army closed the border with Cambodia after months of rising tensions between the two countries. Things escalated in May after troops exchanged fire at a contested area of the border, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier. Since then, relations have soured further. Cambodia has suspended fruit, vegetable and gas imports and even banned Thai films from being screened in its cinemas. After the border closure, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its advice for Britons to ' take extra care and stay alert ' in the region. It lists the temples Preah Vihear, Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom – all within the contested zone – as places to practice particular caution. They also warn of unexploded landmines in this area, and urge tourists to stay on marked paths, especially around Ta Krabey. Despite reports to the contrary, it appears that flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are operating as normal. But most travellers on a budget go overland, and a leading operator, Gap 360, tells The Telegraph, 'Thailand and Cambodia are always two of our most popular destinations in Asia.' Reflecting on the border closure, a Trailfinders spokesperson said: 'We are closely monitoring this situation and our Sales Consultants have been briefed about handling any client queries accordingly.' The Trailfinders rep said that there hasn't been a flurry of queries on this matter, yet, although local television reports show scenes of confusion and crowds building up at the border crossings. This will no doubt have a big effect on the thousands of tourists hoping to make a border crossing in the coming days and weeks. And hopefully that's the sort of timeframe we're dealing with here. It is in neither Cambodia's nor Thailand's interest to have a lengthy pause on trade and the movement of people, not least because Thailand's tourist numbers have stagnated somewhat in the post-pandemic era. They have dropped from 40 million in 2019 to a predicted 37 million in 2025. On the flip side, leaders on both sides are under extraordinary pressure over the dispute and are unlikely to want to be seen to be conceding. It's the number one political topic in these countries right now, and there have been protests in Bangkok after a controversial phone call between the political leaders of Thailand and Cambodia was leaked. Schools and villagers on the border are said to be building bunkers and trenches in anticipation of an escalation of tensions, signalling a longer-term stand-off could be on the cards. Even if things do patch up on the border, there are other considerations that should be high on the minds of prospective gappers, and their parents. In November last year, six foreign tourists tragically died of suspected methanol poisoning after drinking spiked alcohol at a hostel in Laos. The Foreign Office has since expanded its advice to warn tourists to avoid all homemade alcoholic drinks and to only buy alcohol drinks from licenced stores. Drug laws also vary greatly across south-east Asia – right now, three British nationals are facing the death penalty in Indonesia on drug smuggling charges. The Thailand/Cambodia border dispute shouldn't deter this year's cohort of school leavers from hatching plans to explore south-east Asia. It might, however, serve as a reminder of the benefits of booking with an established tour operator, who will be able to offer personalised support on the ground, if things do go awry. Jane McLellan-Green, operations director at Gap 360, tells The Telegraph: 'Our local teams and partners on the ground are all highly reactive and prepared with contingency plans for situations such as this. 'We also have the ability to consider re-routing tours through Laos or Vietnam if necessary, as well as changing itineraries to adapt to the evolving situation.' And, as always, it reminds us of the importance of insurance. If you're ever going to splash out on a comprehensive policy (rather than the cheapest one that pops up on a comparison website) it should be when you are in your late teens or early twenties, embarking on a gap year adventure around this most beautiful, culturally rich – if occasionally precarious – corner of the world.
Independent Singapore
25-06-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Poly grad disheartened after being rejected by every university he applied to, now considers taking a gap year
SINGAPORE: A polytechnic graduate recently shared on social media that he has been rejected by every university he applied to, including private institutions. Posting on the r/SGexams forum on Tuesday (Jun 24), the young man admitted he never imagined himself in this situation. 'I've been rejected from every single university you can imagine (yes, even private universities..) and I've never been more lost and stressed,' he wrote. He also explained that taking a gap year was never something he had considered. However, with no offers in hand, it now feels like the only option available. 'I'm having a very hard time coping with this setback and I cannot really think straight,' he said. 'If anyone out there has any advice on how to maximise my gap year and if there's anything I should know about reapplying for university next year (I'm okay with hearing the hard truth), do let me know.' 'I think it's helpful to start by evaluating why you might have been rejected.' In the discussion thread, one Singaporean Reddit user suggested, 'If you went to poly, I would heavily consider working straight away if I were you. Try to get a job in some field you like and reapply to uni again in 2 years if you still wanna go uni then.' Another commented, 'Hey, first of all, huge congrats on surviving and graduating from poly! That's already a big milestone, so give yourself some credit for that. As for the rejections, don't be too hard on yourself. They added, 'I think it's helpful to start by evaluating why you might have been rejected. Was it due to GPA, portfolio strength, or missing prerequisites? Once you figure that out, you'll have a clearer sense of what to work on.' A third user advised, 'I think it's best to take a few steps back. You don't have to die die get into university. Instead, take this gap year to explore your interests. I don't know what course you are aiming for.' 'You can take up a contract job to gain valuable experience and skills during your gap year. I worked odd jobs until I got a job at a hospital so I could apply for a life science degree. Fyi, I have a diploma in engineering, it's not relevant to the degree I am taking.' See also NUS falls to third place in Asian University Rankings In other news, a woman renting a dual-key studio apartment turned to Reddit to express her frustrations about a 'weird and demanding' neighbour who, she says, has repeatedly overstepped boundaries and disrupted her peace at home. Writing on r/askSingapore, she said the trouble started on the very day her neighbour, a middle-aged Chinese woman with a chihuahua, moved into the adjoining unit. According to her, the neighbour left so many boxes and bags in their shared foyer on move-in day that she couldn't even open her front door. Read more: 'How do I make her stop?' — Woman says her neighbour is 'weird and demanding,' but she struggles to say no to their demands Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Boston Calling not returning for 2026, changing festival weekend
New England's largest music festival is taking a gap year. Boston Calling 'will take a short break in 2026″ before returning in 2027, the festival said Friday. In addition, the annual event will be held during June 4-6, 2027, instead of Memorial Day weekend. 'Thank you for making this year's Boston Calling such a wonderful experience. Your energy, passion and support mean the world to us,' Boston Calling wrote in an Instagram post. 'Stay tuned for updates and thank you again for making the festival a cherished summer tradition.' Organizers did not name a specific reason for the festival not returning in 2026. Boston Calling has been held during Memorial Day weekend since its inception in May 2013. The festival used to be held at City Plaza in Government Center before switching locations to the Harvard Athletic Complex in 2017. The festival was most recently held from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25. Boston Calling made several improvements for the 2025 festival after receiving backlash in 2024 over unsafe conditions, crowd control and capacity issues. Among the improvements were an indoor arena, more water stations and a reorganization of stages. Philly bands SNACKTIME, Mo Lowda & the Humble open Sunday Boston Calling main stage (Photos) Remi Wolf overcomes audio issues to give powerhouse Boston Calling set (Photos) Goth Babe animates audience at Boston Calling with crowd surfing, contest (Photos) Vampire Weekend gives penultimate performance on Sunday at Boston Calling (Photos) Dave Matthews Band closes out Boston Calling 2025 with Sunday headliner (Photos) Read the original article on MassLive.
