Now, if you're thinking about taking a gap year but you're not sure what to do with it, our next guest may be able to help you.0:08
First of all, Amy, why did you decide to take a gap year?0:16
Because I felt like I'd had enough of formal education, in short.0:19
By the time I'd sat my high school exams, I needed a break from studying.0:23
Also, I'd never had a job, so I wanted to get some work experience.0:28
So did you go abroad for that like most gap year students?0:33
I knew I wanted to go to Africa to work as a conservation volunteer.0:38
I had a friend who did it, and she said that it was the best experience of her life, so I wanted to do the same thing.0:42
The problem was, the program was pretty expensive.0:50
So I decided to fund myself by working for a while in the UK first.0:53
Was it easy to find something?0:58
I registered with an employment agency.1:01
I said I would be happy to do any kind of office work.1:03
Before long, I was getting work covering for sick office workers, answering telephones, and data entry work, that sort of thing.1:07
It was quite tedious, but it was good for my CV, definitely.1:15
And did you succeed in saving enough money to get you to Africa?1:20
It took more than half of my gap year, but I got there in the end.1:23
And did you enjoy it as much as your friend?1:28
Oh, for someone like me who loves wildlife, it was a dream come true.1:31
Just living on a South African game reserve is an experience.1:36
We'd wake up to the sound of so many birds, and often we'd hear lions roaring while in bed at night.1:40
The work involved following and observing big cats like lions and cheetahs.1:46
I even helped to fit a monitoring collar on a cheetah one day.1:51
What was the downside to it?1:56
The accommodation was quite basic, and there wasn't much privacy.1:58
The volunteers on the project lived in a farmhouse, and nobody has their own room.2:02
There was no electricity, and the showers were always cold.2:07
But actually, all those things did me good.2:11
Now I really appreciate everything I have here in the UK.2:14
What would you say you learned from the experience?2:18
A lot of teamwork skills in particular.2:22
I also learnt how to use technology I'd never even seen before, like walkie-talkies and a GPS.2:24
I learnt basic first aid too.2:32
Oh, and I even got a little teaching experience at a local school.2:34
If you'd like to learn more about the project Amy took part in, visit our website.2:39
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