As a new season of study in New Zealand begins, many will opt instead for a gap year this year. If that’s the case for you, then it’s up to you to decide how to make your year both productive and enriching. In this post we’ll discuss some great ways to make the most out of your gap year, including learning a new language, experiencing the tourism New Zealand industry, and making your hobby a source of income.
Learn a new language
A gap year can be the perfect time to learn a new language, and it’s a very popular class among night schools. Learning a new language can be incredibly beneficial to you later in life. No matter what your career goals may be for the future, there’s a pretty high chance they have the possibility to send you overseas, and having a second language up your sleeve can open up so many opportunities.
Pick your language wisely: is there a part of the world you’ve always wanted to live in, or visit? Are you career driven and want to go to where the money is? The most common languages in the world right now are English and Mandarin, so these are both good options if they are not your natural language. It has also been predicted by Forbes Magazine that by 2050, French could be the most popular language in the world. Learning a popular second language can take you more places than ever before.
Travel for your job
Once you’ve learnt a new language, your gap year is the perfect time to put it the language into practice and go jet setting. The key to getting the opportunity to do this is to set goals at the start of your year – so now is a good time. Figure out how much you need, and secure yourself some full-time work that will allow you to save. Budgeting and saving can be really difficult, but it will be worth it when you’re off exploring the world while all your friends are stuck in lectures all day long! Travelling is the best way to learn new things through different experiences, and being out of your comfort zone and away from the real world can really help you to figure out what you want to do with your life.
One way to travel the world is to break into the tourism industry. This is a great way to spend your gap year because you can be getting paid while you travel the world – which means you skip having to work all day and save all your money. Crown Institute of Studies offers some of the best courses in Tourism New Zealand has to offer, including short, 20 week courses that can get you out there in the world sooner than you’d ever think.
Turn your hobby into your side hustle
A gap year is a great time to pursue your hobbies, but painting all day for fun is unfortunately not a sustainable way to spend an entire year. But starting your own business and selling T-shirts with your paintings printed on them could be a heap of fun and make you a bit of cash on the side. Whether it’s painting, knitting, gardening or sewing, a good business model can help you turn your hobby into a real entrepreneurial venture. Taking a gap year could mean you have just the right amount of time to pull it off.
If you wouldn’t have the first clue about running your own business, Crown Institute of Studies has many business courses to help you out along the way. A New Zealand Certificate in Business takes only 20 weeks, and it can give you all the tools to get set up and start your exciting gap year venture right away.
Want to know more?
Whether you want to travel, to learn or to make money on your gap year, Crown Institute of Studies has all the tools to help you achieve your goals. If you’d like to study a short course or an extended study with us, get in touch today to discuss your options.
