October is Gap Year Exploration Month so I thought it would be a good time to talk about how our Gap year students are getting on at St. Clare’s in Oxford this semester.
Well, so far, they are loving it!
When planning a Gap year, there are so many questions around travel, safety, location, experience, accommodation, but actually one of the most daunting aspects of going abroad, is fitting in and making friends. One of the great things about St. Clare’s, is just how international it is, and how students from all different programmes spend time together. After a period of adjustment, and getting to know the people they are sharing a house with, our students are saying that “the best thing has been meeting people from other countries and exploring the historic city of Oxford”.
As well as having the option to take part in organised activities, like horse riding, quiz nights, bowling, football, walking tours, our students also spend time exploring Oxford’s museum, galleries and busy night life. They are also very keen on weekend excursions to other cities in the UK, like Cambridge, London, Liverpool, and this semester they are going to Whitby, a seaside town in Yorkshire.
Interestingly, the main draw for our Gap year students is the opportunity they are given at St. Clare’s to study something they have never studied before. We often get medical students wanting to study something quite niche, like ‘Oxford and Fantasy Fiction’ or ‘Travel Writing’, knowing that when their undergraduate studies start, they will have little time for other things. The list of interesting subjects is long and varied, and it’s an opportunity to stay in the academic loop.
We had some lovely feedback from one of our 2023 Fall cohort, Sissi Pan, she says, “The teachers are all very passionate about their subjects. One of the other best things is that there are so many people from different nations and cultures. I have learned bits of Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Dutch, and even sign language. Another cool thing is our common room: We watch movies and series, play just dance or sing karaoke together.”
A semester on the Oxford Gap year programme is a great way for students to learn independence with friends in a supportive environment, a stepping stone before heading off to college or starting in the workplace.
