Gap Year Helpline
We are a group of university students and working adults who have experienced taking a gap year, and thus we most probably have gone through some of the struggles that you are currently facing during your gap year. Shoot us your questions through our individual Google Form and we will get back to you within 3 working days for FREE!
Ryanne
Mechanical Engineering Graduate from the Technical University of Hamburg
Dec 2012: A levels and university admission results
Jan: started working part-time as a tuition teacher for Economics and Physics
May: decided to take a gap year instead of accepting any university spots
June: started working full-time as a research assistant at National Institute of Education (NIE)
Oct: started learning German 3x/week in the evenings (A1)
Feb 2013: went to Germany for A2 classes full-time
May: Returned to Singapore, completed university applications and continued working
Oct: Started full-time studies in Germany
Aisyah
NUS Global Studies & Malay Studies
Jan-Apr 2016: Editorial internship
June: Volunteered in Indonesia
Jul-Sep: F&B job selling churros while studying for A-Levels. Participated in a Malay short story competition
Nov: Retook As, commissioned & performed the theme poem for Singapore Writers Festival
Dec: Participated in my first Malay poetry competition and won 2nd.
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Jan 2017: Started being a Malay educator/facilitator for Malay cultural arts with a consulting company
Feb-Mar: Participated in a Malay poetry competition
Apr-Dec: Freelanced as a school camp instructor
Jul: Started my own poetry group initiative
Jul-Nov: Did relief teaching at NYGH while volunteering at Mendaki
Dec: Overseas volunteer trip to Vietnam with Mendaki
Feb 2018: Sponsored by the National Arts Council (NAC) to go to Brunei for a regional Malay poetry conference
Feb-Mar: Competed in a Malay poetry competition again and emerged 2nd
Apr: Received offers from a university in Norway and NTU
May: Offered me a spot at NUS FASS
May-July: Trained to be an insurance agent while selling ice cream, being a camp instructor and tutor/educator.
Aug: Sponsored by NAC to go to Indonesia for a Malay short story conference
Vissly
Peking University, LLB Politics and Public Administration
Mar-Jun 2020: Interned at MM2 Entertainment to help out with regional projects, regional market research, and translating materials from Mandarin to English
Jul-Aug: Attached with Allen & Gledhill to help out with corporate services.
Nov 2020-Jul 2021: Worked at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to write formal meeting minutes for meetings and reports on the FAST payment systems
Marianne
NUS Nursing Graduate
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Declined NUS Medicine's offer to take a gap year to go for OM’s Missions Discipleship Training (MDT) program in Africa
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Decided to apply for NUS Nursing instead upon returning to Singapore
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Spent 3 years working in a local hospital before going back to the mission field as a nurse
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Read more about her story here: https://thirst.sg/from-a-levels-to-africa-how-a-daughter-followed-in-her-fathers-footsteps/
Image credits: thirst.sg
Faye
Previously Senior Video Producer at TSL
Apr 2018: Graduated from TP Communication Design with major in branding (2015-2018)
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Wasn't sure whether to pursue uni or work first, and I didn't know if I wanted something similar to or different from my diploma
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Decided to search around for stints I could take up or continue working PT at Makisan until I figured what I wanted
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Applied for the TSL internship
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Went down for an interview with TSL YouTube team
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Did a second interview and they offered me a 6-month internship from June to Dec 2018 with Zula
Dec: Offered a FT role as Video Producer and was afterwards, promoted to Senior Video Producer
End 2019: Looked for university courses, considered both local and private options
Jan 2020: Started a part time double major in Web Communication and New Media in Murdoch University through Kaplan
May 2021: Left TSL to do investments
Gabrielle
Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Monash University
Jan 2021-Feb 2022: Self-employed piano teacher and accompanist
Feb: Petition writer at People's Action Party
Mar: Interviewer at upathsg, started a small business and founded GapyearSG
Mar-Apr: PSC iExperience Intern at Ministry of Education (MOE) Special Education HQ
Apr-Oct: Clinic assistant at a paediatrics clinic
May: Started and directed an international STEM podcast, mentored A-Level private candidates
Jun 2021-Jan 2022: Research internship at Duke-NUS Medical School
Oct 2021 onwards: Social Media Manager at a tuition centre while awaiting matriculation
Fairoz
NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (Statistics)
Aug 2016-2018: NS
Aug 2018: No longer interested in furthering his studies in law (he studied law in TP previously); started taking a gap year to chart a clear life path before continuing to university
Aug 2018-Jul 2019: Worked in various industries such as legal, accounting, admin & logistics, networked with employers and colleagues who aided his job-hunting
Mar-Jun 2019: Worked at a law firm as a full-time paralegal but resigned voluntarily after 3 months because he decided that it was not a good fit for him
Aug: First gap year ended
Unsure of what to pursue and was financially tight so he continued another gap year
Jul 2020: Accepted a year-long contract in the public sector and enrolled in a virtual computer science course
Aug: Second gap year ended and he had a clearer direction as compared to the previous year
Jan-May 2021: Applied to all 3 universities (NUS/NTU/SMU) and was given all 3 offers.
Jul: Public sector job's one-year contract ended
Aug: Final gap year ended, Fairoz achieves all targeted objectives and he matriculated in NUS.
Toh Ling
BFA Fine Arts
Parsons School of Design
Jan 2021: started my small business
March: started renting a studio space with a few others and working F&B on the side to pay rent
June: started working as a gallery sitter (quite my F&B job due to circuit breaker), started volunteering for Kolektif (to plan for Light to Night)
Aug: did my first pop-up for my small business, started social media work for Workers’ Party (officially became a volunteer in April)
Dec: did my second pop-up, got a job offer at the end of the month as the Project Coordinator of National Youth Film Awards
Jan 2022: execution of Light to Night programmes
Feb: started more on-the-ground volunteering for Workers’ Party, started my contract job as the Project Coordinator (to end in mid-August)
Jun: did my third and biggest pop-up at Public Garden
