MY GAP YEAR EXPERIENCE & WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE ONE | viola helen

[@yellowsyellows9150]

any advice for someone (aka me) taking a gap year without travelling? all my friends are going straight to uni. thanks

[@thelifeofbekah]

For me, I'm just going to get a job and just kind of go with the flow of life, haha. (I'm about to graduate and than I'll be taking a gap year)

[@yellowsyellows9150]

Beckieyy Ann my plan too :)

[@violahelen_]

bomnivore hey, I replied to your question in my Q&A video on my channel! :)

[@StyleZeal]

Watched the whole video because it was so interesting. Travelling is something I want to do but too scared to step outside my comfort zone. Loved listening to your story 👍

[@violahelen_]

thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it x

[@priyajhitaxx]

Loved this! Really helped make my decision easier, going to gain a high amount of confidence, figure out my career path & hopefully travel ✌🏽️

[@nevewatson6924]

How did you find the English teaching job in China, is there a company you found the job through? X

[@deepalishirkay1633]

I'm considering a gap year but I'm not 100% sure. It looks like it'll be so much fun but I think I would prefer to go with a group. Do you know any organisations that arrange group gap years? Also, was it easy to settle back into university and studying and was it fine being a year older than most people? x

[@sarahdavis2133]

Loved this video so much, so inspiring, and definitely going to check out a gap year :) you just earned a subscriber!!! ❤️😘

[@sarahdavis2133]

Also I would love a video on how you planned it! I have no idea where to start or plan it!

[@violahelen_]

Thank you so much Sarah - it honestly means a lot to me! I'm still editing all of my Gap Year vlog footage but once that's all up I'll definitely film a video on how I planned it!

[@camillepowell589]

I love this video so much! I've always enjoyed travelling and am really thinking of going on a gap year with a friend too, but I'm just worried it might be awkward starting uni in the UK a year older than other students in first year, or do most people take a gap year too ? thank you so much for your videos x

[@violahelen_]

Thank you so much, it really means a lot! I was slightly worried about this too {though I 100% knew I would still take a gap year!} but actually, now that I'm at uni, a surprising number of people have taken them. I'd say out of the roughly 130 freshers in my college at uni, roughly 1/4 took one (if not more!) I can definitely see the difference in maturity/independence but there will always be people you find to click with - be that others who have also taken gap years or just mature individuals straight from school. Either way, the people you connect with will have something in common with you and you'll be on the same wavelength (if that makes any sense?!) Hope this helps x

[@hafsanak685]

So inspired, just reassured me to take one.

[@courtneyherron2193]

What did you use to get the interactive map that shows exactly what points you flew to? At 2:07! I love it :)

[@lauraburrows8563]

So inspired!! Do you think it would be better to do a deferred entry to university or apply before the year you go? 💕

[@amaliebach7592]

Do you have a link to the school where you studied Mandarin? And where you volunteered? :)

[@frehaamjad2303]

Sounds amazing!

[@annaflore7098]

how'd you decide to go to the countries you went to? I can't choose!! I want to see South America, Australia, China and so much more! I don't know where to start :c

[@violahelen_]

So Alice & I wanted to go to Australia because it's really far away from home, HOT(!!), we'd both never been before and Alice is a marine biologist so wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef. We thought about Europe but knew that we could travel around there during our uni summers, and Australia is a big trip. We didn't want to do South America as we both can't speak Spanish and we didn't have a specific desire to go there, and we didn't do the typical East-Asia route either because we had personal reasons for wanting to spend a lot of time in China. If you head over to my blog (link in description box) there are a lot of posts on my entire trip, planning and costs etc! xx

[@annaflore7098]

thank you so much for your reaction! You're so sweet and interesting as well! I'm excited to do some research on your blog :) 🤗

[@luckycharm4rc]

how would your travels have changed if you were a solo traveller throughout? Would have gone through a company instead?

[@violahelen_]

I would have definitely stayed at hostels only (not AirBnBs) in the dorm rooms to make lots of friends. Research the best hostels for solo travel as there are lots of blog posts and guides out there! Many people travel solo and you quickly make friends at hostels and organise things to do together (this is what I did when Alice & I separated) but no, I don't think I would have gone with a company, at least not for ALL of it x

[@frangouveia6355]

How did you book all of this? X

[@fairoozballout3908]

I’ve applied for deferred entry but now I’m having second thoughts because all my friends are going off to uni and I don’t have that much money and don’t want to waste a year! 😫

[@emilyleng5656]

hey thanks for making this video!! it was so so helpful! i'm a senior in high school right now and i'm planning to take a gap year too, and i was wondering, for the few months you spent backpacking in Australia, was it all planned out and how did you plan it? i really really want to do something like what you did but i'm not really sure how to plan and how much i should plan? thank you so much!!

[@violahelen_]

I'm so sorry I never saw this comment before! Thank you so much, I'm so glad you found it helpul :) - the backpacking in Australia wasn't really planned, no. We had fixed dates for the tours we had booked (e.g. Fraser Island, Whitsunday Islands and we also went to the Falls Festival over New Year) but other than that we just winged it and played it by ear. We had a list of the cities/towns we wanted to visit but didn't plan a specific amount of time in each xx

[@alliediallo1945]

I'm not planning on taking a gap year but this video was still very informative! :)

[@violahelen_]

Thank you!

[@abeedahdiab2010]

thank you so much for this video!

[@violahelen_]

No problem, thanks for watching!

[@ellamaywright]

Viola this is brilliant!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@ellamaywright]

Yeah you should definitely talk more about finances and budgeting because that puts a lot of people off normally xxx

[@violahelen_]

+Ella Garrett thank you SO much Ella! yeah I definitely will, just a lot to go through & calculate haha x

[@alicecheese7130]

Ive just finished year 12, and i think i want to take a gap year, but i dont think my parents would let me because im a repeat student, idk what to do. Im confusedd.

[@1diamondK]

Hey, please can you tell me how you found out about the intensive chinese course and teaching english opportunity? I am looking for something similar right now! Many thanks x

[@violahelen_]

Hey, I found it myself just by doing google searches and reading lots of reviews! You can read more on my blog {www.apieceofviola.wordpress.com} if you're interested x

[@robertocedeno-ramirez7623]

The course I want to apply for at Oxford doesn't allow deferral ☹️

[@violahelen_]

Roberto Cedeño-Ramírez which course is this?

[@robertocedeno-ramirez7623]

viola helen (French and) Beginners' Russian, can't defer with Beginners' Russian, and I'd rather get the UCAS application done while I'm still in school

[@violahelen_]

Oh, that actually sucks! Yes I got my UCAS application finished when I was in Year 13 at school.

[@ceza1487]

all i want to do is travel! i have no idea about career path or even if my choice of course is right :/

[@violahelen_]

Go for it! If you're unsure about your course or career path and you want to travel then I would highly suggest taking a break, earning some money and going off somewhere new to explore

[@igniteking3696]

How did you save up enough money to travel that many countries?? I mean even if I sticked to a budget It wouldn't amount to that experience? do you have any saving tips please

[@violahelen_]

I literally worked 4 different jobs (three of which I did simultaneously) and I worked non-stop and pretty much saved everything. As mentioned in the video, I also saved up a lot of Christmas/Birthday money too so it all added up. I also used savings for the second month of intensive Mandarin - I can do a more detailed post on how I saved up if it would be of any use? I'm planning a Saving Tips blog post so if you head over to my blog and subscribe then you'll be notified when it's posted! x

[@igniteking3696]

viola helen No wonder! i mean i couldnt belief you could travel that much unless you had rich parents or something. Thats crazy! Pure hardwork!! and it would be great if you made such video.👍🔥

[@mikaylataylor2435]

I'm not really aloud to work because I have a watch my brother and go to high school. do you know any online jobs for teens?

[@brihulgan7036]

how did you plan what you did?

[@sanna4604]

I think I really do want to take one but at the same time I'm scared and also don't know what to do/ who to go with/ what job to do/ how much money I will need/ what countries to go to (there are so many!!??). I'm in lower sixth (at the start) and I also don't even know what I would want to study at University so any more advice you have would be very much appreciated.

[@ariadnemata2785]

any advice on how to get a job? I'm from mexico and i find it really hard to get a job or part-time job, i just have no idea

[@kathleensolomon4312]

how old were you when you took Gap year?

[@xzzkat]

How did you find all those opportunities in China especially the teaching one?

[@violahelen_]

Google haha!

[@saintetienne755]

I'm amazed your still alive

[@zararakkar9544]

I wish I could take a gap year but I know I'm going to have to retake my a levels ... even though I don't want to go to university

[@violahelen_]

You can still do a lot in your gap year even if you have to retake A levels! Getting a job is incredibly fulfilling and you get to learn the real value of money! You could also save up to travel after you've retaken A levels :)

[@edenkifle3257]

Im shy mostly quite , i live in London but is not my first language , I speak English but I have insecurities about my accent do you think I could take a gap year . Is 2500£ enough for a gap year , thanks for answering .

[@violahelen_]

If you're shy and quiet then I think a gap year would be perfect for you to improve your confidence! £2500 is definitely enough but it depends on what you would like to do - drop me an email at [e-mail] & tell me more :)

[@avamodica6558]

Hii I was wondering did you talk about your gap year in your personal statement ? :) I really want to take a gap year but I don't know where to start :(

[@violahelen_]

Hey, yes I did - I mentioned it briefly at the bottom about planning a gap year & teaching English in China but it was very brief. If you mention it in your PS (which I'd recommend if you're applying pre-gap year), you don't have to end up doing what you say! It's just so they're aware you actually have plans to do something productive rather than lounge about for a year doing nothing. Hope this helps & email me if you have any more questions :)

[@Winiarynka123]

if i would like to take a gap year how university will know that? during interview, ucas application?

[@violahelen_]

I wrote a small paragraph at the bottom of my personal statement and chose the option to apply for the year afterwards, so 'deferred entry'

[@nadinerubio2715]

how much did it cost and how did you save up for it?

[@violahelen_]

There's more info on my blog: www.apieceofviola.com - search 'gap year'!

[@emmabrodie4043]

weird question.. did you see a lot of spiders in australia??x

[@violahelen_]

Emma Brodie strangely enough we didn't see an abnormal amount, so no!

[@Gccc7655]

so inspirational, well done :)

[@resiagr4066]

This is so inspiring but im currently on my final year now, so 🙃 can u give the tips for #sobatmisqueen to travel the world too?:)

[@eev3.972]

how can you save enough money when theres other priorities aswell getting a car, liscence etc

[@violahelen_]

My priority wasn't learning how to drive lol, I always wanted to spend my money on travelling instead

[@miguelcoelho7365]

how much money did you spend during your gapyear?

[@violahelen_]

you can read all about it on my blog! www.apieceofviola.com - just search 'gap year' x

[@ApplePro121]

how is $2500 enough money especially if each plane ticket is $1000?

[@violahelen_]

I never said $2500 was enough money...?