As part of her English 12 independent project, Chantel Neubert ’16 explored the pressure students experience about attending university immediately after high school, and decided to explore additional options.
Deferring her university acceptances for a year, Chantel chose to take a gap year instead, and provided us with a wonderful ‘snapshot’ of her adventures this year!
In her correspondence with me, Chantel expressed excitement and appreciation for the opportunities she’s experienced. She pointed to the importance of fostering family relationships, learning new skills (like cooking from scratch!), putting oneself in uncomfortable and new situations, and staying connected with old friends while making new ones. A few quotes from her:
“I am doing amazing! I am taking a gap year and it is definitely the best decision I could have ever made! I have travelled around Europe and have seen so many new places, cultures and have met so many new people. As well, taking a break has given me a new perspective on university and studying and the fact that there is more to life than just school. I hope that with what I have learned this year when I go to university in September (which I am – I have decided to go to Ryerson for business!) that I will keep those things in mind and take the time to live and experience a great deal of new things, not just school.”
“[Meeting with alumna Laura Fonda ’14] showed me that Yorkies are connected for life. I never really talked to Laura at YHS but we had a great time together in Brussels. It’s important for us to stick together as Yorkies and to reach out to each other, even if we weren’t necessarily in the same grade.”
“Working taught me a lot about what kind of jobs I like and what kind of work environments are important to me. Working is such a great way to learn about yourself!” It also “showed me first hand what works/doesn’t work for a team and also for myself!”
“I lived alone for three months and it taught me to provide and take care of myself as well.”
“I thought, I am doing a gap year to push myself and try new things so why not do something insane! [Skydiving] was a great experience and taught me a lot about myself and it was just super cool.”
To learn more about gap years, take a look at these recent articles from the New York Times:
A College Application Guide to Gap Year Students
Is a Gap Year Worth It?
My Imperfect Gap Year
Tanya Boteju
Senior School English Teacher
I visited my aunt and cousins in Monheim and then traveled with my second cousin to Spain. These two travels taught me that family is so important and it’s important to foster relationships in your family and people close to you.
I visited my aunt and cousins in Monheim and then traveled with my second cousin to Spain. These two travels taught me that family is so important and it’s important to foster relationships in your family and people close to you.
I did a 4-week language course in Florence, Italy and on the weekends I part took in three day trips. The first was to Cinque Terre and I met these two girls and we spontaneously decided to go swimming in the ocean in our clothes! This taught me to take advantage of all situations and that it’s nice to make friends, even if it’s just for a day, so that you have others to share your experiences with.
The second weekend trip I did was to Venice and once again I made two friends and had a great day!
The final trip I had signed up for was Rome but then the day before it was cancelled. I really wanted to go so I went by myself! I booked a ticket on a bus, for a hop-on-hop-off tour and to visit the Coliseum. It all went well and this was such a great experience and showed me to never give up and if things don’t go as planned because there is almost always another way!
I decided to take a pizza making class in Florence and this was such a fun class. I think it’s important to immerse yourself when you travel to new places and it’s always fun to learn something new!
Before I went home for Christmas I traveled to 12 German Christmas Markets, many alone. It was great to see a part of my culture and I also organized two day trips to Nürmberg and Dresden alone which was another great chance for me to practice organizing things for myself and being independent!
I went to Brussels, Belgium for two weeks to help with a political conference.
This is at the political conference in Brussels. I helped make and hang the box decorations you can see hanging from the ceiling as well as helping with many other jobs and tasks. This was another great experience because it gave me a chance to compare the experiences I had here with the ones in Oldenburg and really showed me first hand what works/doesn’t work for a team and also for myself!
These were my closest friends in Brussels. The girl on the left I later visited in her home in Switzerland and the girl in the middle is Laura Fonda, a Yorkie that graduated two years before me. This taught me that it’s so important to make new friends and also showed me that Yorkies are connected for life. I never really talked to Laura at YHS but we had a great time together in Brussels. It’s important for us to stick together as Yorkies and to reach out to each other, even if we weren’t necessarily in the same grade.
I was an au pair for three months in France and it was great because I basically took the kids (girl 13, boy 11) to school and did homework with them and during the days and on weekends I was off. In my free time I explored Saint Germain (where I am lived) and Paris or traveled around Europe on the weekends!
On two separate weekends I visited friends in Europe! I first visited the one girl I met in Brussels in her home in Switzerland and then Fraser, a girl in my grade, at her university in Dublin, Ireland. It was so great to visit friends and this showed me that it’s important to reach out to people and it’s so great to stay connected with lots of different people because it’s great to have friends all over the world.
I went skydiving! I thought I am doing a gap year to push myself and try new things so why not do something insane! It was a great experience and taught me a lot about myself and it was just super cool.
On two separate weekends I visited friends in Europe! I first visited the one girl I met in Brussels in her home in Switzerland and then Fraser, a girl in my grade, at her university in Dublin, Ireland. It was so great to visit friends and this showed me that it’s important to reach out to people and it’s so great to stay connected with lots of different people because it’s great to have friends all over the world.
I helped organize the 23rd International Film Festival Oldenburg in Oldenburg, Germany. This was such a great experience because I lived alone for three months and it taught me to provide and take care of myself as well working taught me a lot about what kind of jobs I like and what kind of work environments are important to me. Working is such a great way to learn about yourself! Plus, Nicolas Cage attended our festival which was a huge highlight!
