What is a Gap Year in Latin America in 2019?

A gap year can be taken either right after high school, after university or just whenever you’re done with your teacher and want to explore the world. Many students are going to Latin America for its beautiful countries, the culture, and the Spanish language. Opportunities are endless when it comes to spending your gap year productively. Taking a gap year is a great way to explore learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom teaching and gain real-world experience. A gap year can help students in transitioning from one phase of their life to another.

 

What are the pros and cons of a gap year?

A gap year can help you in gaining valuable experience that will stay with you forever. One of the major advantages of a gap year is that it allows students to have fun and also explore many different development opportunities, both personal and professional. By traveling to a new country during your gap year, you gain new perspectives on the way people lead their lives in different parts of the world. Traveling allows you to experience an enjoyable language and cultural immersion. You also get the chance to meet many interesting people and make new friends. The skills you learn during your gap year can give you an edge over your contemporaries. Apart from learning a new language, you can also learn other useful skills like photography, cooking, playing a musical instrument, dancing and so on. However, on the downside, if you don’t properly plan your gap year, you may end up wasting your valuable time and money. A gap year can quite expensive, depending on what you do or where you go. Also, traveling alone and staying away from family could be daunting for some students.

Why go to Latin America for a gap year?

Latin America is one of the most popular gap year destinations in the world. You get to explore cultural diversity, visit beautiful places, meet warm and friendly people, eat delicious food, and make unforgettable memories. You can also take advantage of a wide range of adventure opportunities like hiking, rafting, camping, snorkeling and more. Choosing Latin America for a gap year is especially beneficial as it is really inexpensive to travel and stay around Latin America. The availability of great facilities and the low cost of living in modern Latin American cities like Medellin, Lima, Guadalajara, among others make for a comfortable and exciting stay.

What to do in your gab year in Latin America

There is a wide range of options available to make your gap year enriching and productive.

Learning Spanish

For starters, Latin America is a great place for learning Spanish. There are numerous Spanish language schools in every major Latin American city, and by being surrounded by friendly Spanish speaking locals, you can easily apply what you have learned in class. Learning a popular language like Spanish can open up many professional opportunities for you in the future.  

Internship

Moreover, you can do an internship in Latin America or go backpacking across different countries while working remotely. Doing an internship during your gap year is advantageous for gaining worthwhile work experience, and with proper research, you might even land a paid internship. With the presence of thriving cities like Santiago, Bogota, and Rio de Janeiro, you can find many internship opportunities in Latin America. Also, Medellin, a popular Colombian city, is considered one of the best destinations in the world for working remotely. You can check out our housing pages for various Latin American cities where you can find many options for affordable international student houses. Earning money during your gap year is a great advantage as it can help you in covering your travel expenses. Another way of gaining work experience and earning money during a gap year is teaching English.  

English teaching jobs

There are plenty of English teaching job opportunities in Latin America and you can easily find them on websites like Go Overseas and Gap year. And obtaining the required certifications like TEFL can improve your chances of landing an English teaching job abroad.  

Volunteering

You can also volunteer at different organizations and work for various environmental and social causes. You can take the help of websites like International Volunteer HQ and Pod Volunteer that specialize in providing volunteering opportunities abroad.

Traveling to Latin America is a great way to enjoy your gap year while being productive. Latin America is a vast region, and it is essential that you thoroughly plan your trip to make the most of out your stay here.