live abroad

I Regret Taking a Gap Year, Said No One Ever

Malia Obama made headlines recently when she announced she’ll be taking a gap year before attending college at Harvard University.

 

Almost every major news organization picked up on this development and had something to say about the “gap year.” What is it? Why should young people take one? Why shouldn’t they? Almost every angle was broached.

 

So, without further ado, here’s our two cents.

 

The gap year is often discussed in relation to students who have graduated high school, about to enter college. However, a gap year is an excellent option for any individual, no matter their age, who need to take time away from their life for various reasons, whether it’s to get some perspective, recover from career burnout, or simply to take the opportunity to travel.

 

In this article, we’ll address a specific gap year geared towards young individuals who’ve recently graduated from college or grad school: the working holiday.

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in Life Abroad & Travel / Musings From The Stint Team

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8EQQNE5oE

Through Their Eyes: An Experience in Ireland

Most of our Intern Abroad Stinters (program participants) come to Ireland for up to 90 days. While that may seem like a short period of time (like…Christmas was almost 6 months ago!), 2-3 months is a lifetime when it comes to an abroad experience.

 

It’s unbelievable all the things our Stinters do in that short period of time: taking part in a full-time internship, traveling Ireland and Europe, exploring Dublin, and hanging out with their fellow Stinters.

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in All Things Ireland / Life Abroad & Travel / Stinters' Corner
Peri Bowman

A Chat with Peri Bowman, Architecture Intern

My name is Peri Bowman. I’m 21, from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I’m currently midway between my Bachelor of Architecture and Masters of Architecture degrees and I’m here doing an internship with Paul Keogh Architects.

 

So, why Ireland?

 

I didn’t have a particular place I wanted to go. I’d finished my degree but I felt I didn’t really know what to do with my three years of learning. I didn’t know if it was actually enough to be able to work. So I wanted to get out there and see what I could do with what I learned. As part of our masters program, we have to write a thesis. I had no idea what I want to write about so I hoped working would help point me in the right direction. My friend Mia decided she was going to Ireland and asked me to come. So, here I am!

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in Stinters' Corner
Hotel in Dublin

What Are Your Working Holiday Job Prospects?

You are old and grey, sitting on a leather couch by the fireplace, sipping on a steaming cup of Barry’s tea, when a little child crawls around the corner of the armrest.

 

“Grandma, can you tell me a story?”

 

You pick him up and sit him down on your lap while sifting through your memories, fragments triggered with every wisp and crackle of the flames. There was that time you and your friends went on a West Coast road trip. There were those annual family ski trips in Colorado (oh, how you tumbled down the slopes!). Then, you look down at your cup of Barry’s and smile.

 

“Well, once, a long time ago, way before you were born, I worked as a barista in Dublin.”

 

“Wow!” he exclaims. “What’s a Dublin?”

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in Life Abroad & Travel / Resources & Tips
working holidays discover a world of opportunities

Working Holidays: Discover a World of Opportunities

Please note that this tale recounts my working holiday without Stint as this was before Stint existed… Boy would that have made a difference in the first few weeks!

 

Three weeks into my working holiday in Dublin, I was still living in a 48-bed hostel room, homeless and jobless after 20 apartment viewings and countless online and on-site job applications.

 

I was living the dream.

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in Life Abroad & Travel / Musings From The Stint Team

Why Intern Abroad?

Do you know what your education is worth?

I had a crisis midway through college, one I’m sure many of you have had. I realized my college education would mean nothing once I’m in the “real world.”

 

Now, hold on. College wasn’t a complete waste of time – it was a load of fun, first of all. I’m just saying a college education is useless by itself. In the end, it’s just a piece of paper saying I received a degree in history. And all that meant was that I took about 10 classes in the subject – hardly making me a “historian.”

 

The hard truth is no one is going to hire you as an events manager just because you received a 4.0 GPA and “planned events” for the culture club. An education has to be complemented with practical experience.

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in Life Abroad & Travel

Why Living Abroad Is Worthwhile; And Why You Should Experience It For Yourself

Republished for Week 3 of our “I Dream Of Ireland” campaign.

 

I started a bucket list a few years ago back when I was in college. It was a typical school night, a night of reloading my Facebook newsfeed and neglecting my ten-page paper (probably due the next day). Bored of mindlessly scrolling through random statuses (what was the craze back then? FML? Double rainbow? Old Spice dude?), I decided to open up a word doc and create a bucket list. One minute, I was climbing Kilimanjaro, the next minute, I was gazing in awe at the Aurora Borealis.


It was one epic list.


Skydiving was one of the items on the list, something I wanted to do before I die… that is, when I’m 80 years old, having already lived a fulfilling life. But at the age of 20? I wasn’t so sure I was ready. I had my whole life ahead of me. I wanted to fall in love. I wanted to throw a baseball with my future children. I wanted to travel to different star systems and… anyway, I just didn’t want some freak accident to happen (although, I knew there was a better chance of getting into a car crash).

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in Life Abroad & Travel / Musings From The Stint Team

6 Stereotypes About Ireland You Should Rethink

Ireland is a dream destination for many to visit, study, live, intern, work, and play. Sometimes, I wonder why I was first drawn to Ireland. I can never seem to pinpoint what it was exactly, other than a strong longing for this place I had never been. That “longing” led me to study abroad here, come back for graduate school, and return yet again for love. The reasons behind others’ desire for Ireland ranges from discovering family histories, gazing at those green hills you’ve only seen in photos, golfing some of the world’s best courses, experiencing traditional Irish music, or studying a particularly Irish subject, to the more adventurous surfing off the Atlantic coast, drinking a fresh (properly poured) pint of the black stuff, enjoying the warmth of the people of Ireland, or simply taking in the breathtaking views only to be had along the Wild Atlantic Way.

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in All Things Ireland

A Yank in Dublin: Lost in Translation

To an American, Ireland might not seem as foreign as, say, Italy or France, but if you find yourself in the Emerald Isle, I guarantee you’ll find yourself in some funny situations where things get lost in translation during your time abroad.

 

As a recent graduate, I came to Ireland on a Working Holiday visa (which let’s US students/recent graduates live and work in Ireland for up to 12 months). After a few months, I’d accumulated more than a handful of facepalm moments. Here are a few stories from my time in Ireland before joining the Stint team…

 

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in Life Abroad & Travel