Gap year plan? Forum

[dontrogerthat]

So i've recently considered taking a year off after undergrad to study more for the LSAT and will be applying for the class of 2020. I really have no idea what I would plan to do. I think maybe I'll move home for the first six months and work part-time (save some $$$) and study for the LSAT and take it in December 2016. This is where the advice comes in, would it be reasonable for me to move somewhere completely different for 6ish months. I was thinking maybe even a different country like England or NZ(not sure how Visas would work, honestly probably wouldn't work out since i'd have to work), or maybe a city like Austin or LA. Has anyone done something similar, or does it really make no sense to do this? Any advice on gap year related stuff is also really appreciated!

[Maple90]

I spent a few months solo backpacking/riding a motorcycle around SE Asia. I highly recommend it. Not taking into account the plane ticket, which i purchased using air miles, it cost me about 600 dollars a month, so it is very affordable as a place to go if you did not want to go abroad and work.

In full disclosure however, it did convinced me I no longer wanted to attend law school, and become a laywer. So there is always that risk.


Many of the people I met along the way were headed to Australia on a work visa. Based on what they had to say, getting one was very easy, I believe it was just an online application. So that option is available as well.

[chueca910]

You said you don't want to work during the gap year? So you just want to travel, can you clarify this?

I'm probably biased but I think it's a great idea, I personally took a gap year to teach English abroad after undergrad. And I know other people that deferred a year/applied to grad school during that year.

For New Zealand and Australia you need a working holiday visa or work and holiday visa (I really don't know the difference) -- but this lasts up to 1 year
For the UK or maybe just England: you can stay up to 6 months without a visa
and for the other EU countries you can only stay up to 90 days without a visa.

There are ways to stay longer but PM me if you'd like more specifics

[Generally]

Post removed.

[Dcc617]

You said you don't want to work during the gap year? So you just want to travel, can you clarify this?

I'm probably biased but I think it's a great idea, I personally took a gap year to teach English abroad after undergrad. And I know other people that deferred a year/applied to grad school during that year.

For New Zealand and Australia you need a working holiday visa or work and holiday visa (I really don't know the difference) -- but this lasts up to 1 year
For the UK or maybe just England: you can stay up to 6 months without a visa
and for the other EU countries you can only stay up to 90 days without a visa.

There are ways to stay longer but PM me if you'd like more specifics

My friend did 6 months teaching English in Korea and had a blast. I think it's the TALK program?

[chueca910]

You said you don't want to work during the gap year? So you just want to travel, can you clarify this?

I'm probably biased but I think it's a great idea, I personally took a gap year to teach English abroad after undergrad. And I know other people that deferred a year/applied to grad school during that year.

For New Zealand and Australia you need a working holiday visa or work and holiday visa (I really don't know the difference) -- but this lasts up to 1 year
For the UK or maybe just England: you can stay up to 6 months without a visa
and for the other EU countries you can only stay up to 90 days without a visa.

There are ways to stay longer but PM me if you'd like more specifics

My friend did 6 months teaching English in Korea and had a blast. I think it's the TALK program?

Yeah there's EPIK and TALK for S.Korea. My old roommate went through a recruiter when she was looking to teach through EPIK so idk how easy it is to get.

And yeah the Australia/New Zealand visa process is pretty simple. You just apply online, pay the fee and get your visa shortly after. The fee for New Zealand is cheaper than the one for Australia though. Not sure about the exact amounts but you can probably look it up online.

[debdeb2]

If your dream is to travel, travel in your 20s, when you have less money and don't care that you can't stay in fancy hotels - it's a different experience and it can't be replicated later in life. Pick a place that is less expensive, study up on what visas you may need and whether you have to go to an embassy to get those, and get out there. SE Asia, yes, though I also recommend the el Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Inexpensive, you get really fit, you meet people from all over the world and if you keep going you get to spend time in Portugal, which is freakishly beautiful. I've heard great things about NZ too

[Rigo]

I'm backpacking and working in a national forest this summer and fall. I'm having such a blast that I'm considering taking another year off. Seriously, do something fun. Law school isn't going anywhere.