best gap year options (beyond TFA, PC etc) Forum

[thelawdoctor]

Momentum once lost, is rarely regained.

[thelawdoctor]

So people have recommended I take a gap year since I'm a k-jd who will be graduating a year early. What I really want to know is what are some of the lesser known programs that are similar to the more popular ones (like TFA, peace corps, and fulbright). An example of one I've found so far is Princeton in Asia, not a huge program, but still very intersting. I'm also not looking to do this to boost my app, just looking for interesting options.

Basically I'm thinking about taking a year or two off before law school, any suggestions?

If serious, join the Reserves. They will let you train for that year (with pay) and then help pay for the JD to make it debt free.

You could even enlist as a JAG assistant to see if being in law would interest you. If you hate it, you'll know not to waste the rest of your life on it.

[09042014]

Make BANK in North Dakota as an oil worker.

I actually did this, but in WY. It paid for a one-month vacation in NYC, followed by a one-month vacation in Europe, not to mention I skied every Sunday.

180 bro. Great job. I should have done this for my bar summer.

[thelawdoctor]

Make BANK in North Dakota as an oil worker.

I actually did this, but in WY. It paid for a one-month vacation in NYC, followed by a one-month vacation in Europe, not to mention I skied every Sunday.

180 bro. Great job. I should have done this for my bar summer.

Are you saying that you wish you would have worked during bar prep?

[goldenflash19]

I was kind of "forced" into an off year by the retake limit, but it's wound up being one of the best of my life, and I'm excited for one more. Like others have said, WE experience and disposable income are two big perks. I'm getting season tickets for my favorite NFL team next year, and my dad and I are planning a road trip to watch them play at Lambeau. Even just going out to the bars every weekend with buddies without having school work to come back to on Sunday is great. I also picked up Arabic and plan on spending a few weeks in Egypt before a Eurotrip by train next summer. It's been interesting picking up a different language, and I figure it could help me out down the line, too.

[09042014]

Make BANK in North Dakota as an oil worker.

I actually did this, but in WY. It paid for a one-month vacation in NYC, followed by a one-month vacation in Europe, not to mention I skied every Sunday.

180 bro. Great job. I should have done this for my bar summer.

Are you saying that you wish you would have worked during bar prep?

Yea, make some money in the MIDBEST

[thelawdoctor]

Wouldn't it make more sense to (oh I don't know) focus on the prepping for the exam?

[jselson]

Make BANK in North Dakota as an oil worker.

I actually did this, but in WY. It paid for a one-month vacation in NYC, followed by a one-month vacation in Europe, not to mention I skied every Sunday.

180 bro. Great job. I should have done this for my bar summer.

It was seriously the best decision I've ever made. Met a ton of interesting people, and it was the focus of my PS. Way better than living broke in Brooklyn doing political fundraising or ticket counter stuff.

[heywatchitbuddy]

@jselson

what kind of job was it? are you an engineer?

[jselson]

@jselson

what kind of job was it? are you an engineer?

Nope, English/Art History major, but my dad works for Shell, and asked the project manager if there was anything available. I was originally going to be doing office work, but the pm wanted to "shock the city outta me" and put me in materials for awhile (pulling/hauling pipes and valves around). Eventually, I got in with Quality Assurance, mostly because I could type well and do basic database stuff. Like, my first project in QA/QC was making consistent our records for the composition of our steel parts (there's a particular name for this thing, but I can't remember), and making it easier to search for them.

Also, please don't quote this post.

[thelawdoctor]

Resisting urge to quote.................yet respecting it anyways.

There wasn't bad in there, why the request?

[jselson]

Resisting urge to quote.................yet respecting it anyways.

There wasn't bad in there, why the request?

Easy identification, I've posted jokey things I'll probably take down at some point.

[JDndMSW]

I'll second the AmeriCorps endorsement because it is something that I love and it has always given me great things to talk about at interviews and people always ask about it when they see my resume. You also get 5,500 as an Ed award for school.

The program I think is even better for a K-Jd is the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). This one is residential and team based. They also have this thing called FEMA Corps which is cool but more of an office type work setting. I did NCCC and it changed my life. I was able to do so many cool things all on the governments dime. A great idea if you can't find a job that you would enjoy. It might be too late to apply for a fall start but it's awesome.


One more thing to add is I think it helped me outperform my numbers (full tuition at a t30 where I was median LSAT and below median GPA).

[thelawdoctor]

@jselson

what kind of job was it? are you an engineer?

Nope, English/Art History major, but my dad works for Shell, and asked the project manager if there was anything available. I was originally going to be doing office work, but the pm wanted to "shock the city outta me" and put me in materials for awhile (pulling/hauling pipes and valves around). Eventually, I got in with Quality Assurance, mostly because I could type well and do basic database stuff. Like, my first project in QA/QC was making consistent our records for the composition of our steel parts (there's a particular name for this thing, but I can't remember), and making it easier to search for them.

Also, please don't quote this post.

oh, I see....................

[Nova]

I managed an Abercrombie for my gap year

Would not recommend

[jselson]

@jselson

what kind of job was it? are you an engineer?

Nope, English/Art History major, but my dad works for Shell, and asked the project manager if there was anything available. I was originally going to be doing office work, but the pm wanted to "shock the city outta me" and put me in materials for awhile (pulling/hauling pipes and valves around). Eventually, I got in with Quality Assurance, mostly because I could type well and do basic database stuff. Like, my first project in QA/QC was making consistent our records for the composition of our steel parts (there's a particular name for this thing, but I can't remember), and making it easier to search for them.

Also, please don't quote this post.

oh, I see....................

[Nova]

oh, I see....................

[Otunga]

Are people that go backpacking in Europe for any extended period of time all independently wealthy? It's a compelling suggestion. I just don't get how it's feasible for most people. I also don't think it's very advisable, even if you have sufficient money for it. Save that shit for expensive COL, right?

[sinfiery]

Are people that go backpacking in Europe for any extended period of time all independently wealthy? It's a compelling suggestion. I just don't get how it's feasible for most people. I also don't think it's very advisable, even if you have sufficient money for it. Save that shit for expensive COL, right?

When I was looking at it, you could go for 3 months on 6k...ofc, it could last you 2 weeks too. Depends on how you live.

[guano]

Are people that go backpacking in Europe for any extended period of time all independently wealthy? It's a compelling suggestion. I just don't get how it's feasible for most people. I also don't think it's very advisable, even if you have sufficient money for it. Save that shit for expensive COL, right?

I've known plenty of middle class prior who've done it.
I never understood how some people could afford it, but que sera

[062914123]

.

[jbagelboy]

Are people that go backpacking in Europe for any extended period of time all independently wealthy? It's a compelling suggestion. I just don't get how it's feasible for most people. I also don't think it's very advisable, even if you have sufficient money for it. Save that shit for expensive COL, right?

Lol spot on, at least for western europe. Its the modern hipster aristocratic Great Tour. The bohemian thing was viable back in the 70s with a strong dollar; now its ludicrously expensive to travel anywhere west of the danube. This is coming from someone who's lived in europe extensively. Even respectable "backpacking" is prohibitive when you include the lost work hours, to the point where its effectively a bourgeois domain. Thank god daddy called american express bfore you left so his credit card (or the biggest bs, the "graduation money") will get you out of trouble should you ever actually face discomfort. This doesnt stop lots of sappy pseudo-leftist students from elite universities and upper middle class families from pretending its their own progressive existential experience.

If you really want a cheap and fascinating backpacking experiece, do south america

[jselson]

If you really want a cheap and fascinating backpacking experiece, do south america

[jbagelboy]

If you really want a cheap and fascinating backpacking experiece, do south america

True. Very true. There are parts of this country with such low CoL. I have a close friend who lived in the back of his truck for 8 months after graduation. He drove across the country staying in walmart parking lots and out in the desert. Sharp guy, great experience at surprisingly low cost

[sinfiery]

a