What are you all doing with your gap year?

[HybridEarth]

Hey guys,

Wrapping up my last semester of undergrad with finals next week and preparing my application materials for this upcoming cycle! Very exciting time for most of us.

For those of you taking a gap year, what do you plan on doing? Any traveling or other adventures? Places you've wanted to visit? Learning new instruments? Learning a foreign language? Got a pretty cool internship or experience lined up? Staying at home eating Doritos and watching Netflix?

Let's hear them! I'd like to hear some cool ideas I can try to pursue in addition to my already set-in-stone obligations. It would also be equally awesome to hear what some of my potential future colleagues are immersing themselves in.

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[HybridEarth]

I worked in big pharma and played a ton of video games. Would do it again.

Considering I haven't touched video games in three years but I was basically an addict in high school.... I plan on doing some of this. Perhaps SC2 and some Halo.

 

[deleted436726]

Grand Theft Auto V, masturbating, sleeping...in that order.

 

[karayaa]

Hey guys,

Wrapping up my last semester of undergrad with finals next week and preparing my application materials for this upcoming cycle! Very exciting time for most of us.

For those of you taking a gap year, what do you plan on doing? Any traveling or other adventures? Places you've wanted to visit? Learning new instruments? Learning a foreign language? Got a pretty cool internship or experience lined up? Staying at home eating Doritos and watching Netflix?

Let's hear them! I'd like to hear some cool ideas I can try to pursue in addition to my already set-in-stone obligations. It would also be equally awesome to hear what some of my potential future colleagues are immersing themselves in.

How much free time will you have? What do you like to do? What are your goals?

 

[HybridEarth]

How much free time will you have? What do you like to do? What are your goals?

I'm personally committed to a full time internship at a well-known physician's private practice. I spend most of my free time writing music so I'll probably spend a lot of time over the next year playing local shows and whatnot. I haven't had the opportunity to travel or really go out much since college began because of financial struggles and co/extracurricular responsibilities, but I really wish I had that opportunity. That's one of the biggest things I wish I could change, but neither I nor my family makes enough money to support a vacation. Just wanted to see if there's anything else people are doing that I may have time and money to do myself.

 

[Lannister]

I don't plan on taking a gap year, but if I totally bomb the MCAT in May I might have to. So if I end up taking a gap year, I'm probably going to go back to Chile (where I studied abroad last semester) and teach English. If I take a gap year, it'll only be because my MCAT score was bad, not because I need to improve some other aspect of my application. So I would definitely be thinking about my own personal happiness, rather than improving my application, if I decided to do that.

 

[Lannister]

I'm personally committed to a full time internship at a well-known physician's private practice. I spend most of my free time writing music so I'll probably spend a lot of time over the next year playing local shows and whatnot. I haven't had the opportunity to travel or really go out much since college began because of financial struggles and co/extracurricular responsibilities, but I really wish I had that opportunity. That's one of the biggest things I wish I could change, but neither I nor my family makes enough money to support a vacation. Just wanted to see if there's anything else people are doing that I may have time and money to do myself.

There are totally ways to go abroad that aren't insanely expensive! You should look into teaching English abroad. I know this program for Chile (http://www.centrodevoluntarios.cl/) provides you with housing, food, and a stipend once you get there, you just have to pay for the plane ticket. A lot of times you don't even have to speak the native language, although that obviously helps. I really really recommend you look more into going abroad, it's such an incredible experience.

 

[lifetothefullest]

I'm not graduating this year, but in my gap year I'm planning on either trying to do a Fulbright or working in industry to save up money for the long haul.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Probably working EMS, finishing up my research, maybe doing some volunteering.

 

[Storph]

I got a job doing research, and I spend my free time playing the games I missed out on in undergrad.

 

[DrShephardWannabe]

Hopefully I only have to take one but I plan on it being epic. Kayaking, hiking, video games, laziness, possibly bartending part time again to afford a lot of extremely low quality alcohol (and pay the bills I guess), continuing to run a non-profit organization I started, and spending a lot of time with my SO binge watching netflix. I guess I'll throw some clinical volunteering in there too.

As an extremely stressed undergrad about to finish an extremely challenging semester, I can't wait.

 

[LJN Ltd.]

I'm going into a 2nd gap year myself. Worked at a legal services center this past year and will continue on a fellowship at the affiliated law school. Starting a research project in health law and continuing to tour the country on the amateur circuit for an individual sport (e.g., ping pong, badminton, golf).

 

[MrTaco92]

Working in a lab and scribing as of now. Pretty typical EC's I guess. The vast majority of the money I make goes toward skiing, tacos, pizza, and future ski trips.

 

[spade92]

Sleep

 

[mcatjelly]

I'm a psych tech on the forensic unit of a state psych hospital. Get to attend court hearings. Good stuff.

 

[SufiPoet]

Trying to decide between teaching full time or going on a fulbright in Spain