Hello friends, I`m Asami from film study class. Today I`d like to write about voluntary year.
Have you heard of the word "voluntary year"? I`ve heard it from my German friend in her letter. She is going to graduate from high school, in German word "Gymnasium", in next year. She wants to study at university, but guess what, she told me that she is going to take "one year break" after her graduation!!! The "one year break" after graduation of high school seemes to be called "voluntary year" in English word. To say short, in foreign countries, especially in Europe, students don`t choose to go to university soon after graduation of high school.
As for the German friend of mine, she is going to have job experience at an office in her voluntary year instead of going to university. After the one year job experience, she is going to apply for university.
I just wondered and asked my French pen friend about the voluntary year. She is same years old as me and started going to university in last month. She told me that she also had voluntary year before she entered univrsity and experienced "au pair" in England. "Au pair" is a kind of activity of voluntary year but it`s only for women. Like her some women choose to stay in foreign countries and experience homestay there. And they take care of children of the house. This experience is called "au pair".
Recently the other German friend of mine also have started experiencing "au pair" in Italy. She is also going to apply for university or job in next year.
In Japan, we can never imagine students take "one year off " (voluntary year)after graduation of high schoo, right?
Normally we start going to university, college or technical school soon after we graduated from high school and some start working soon as well. Of course, there are many people who don`t (can`t) do that but only because they couldn`t be accepted by any of universities they applied for. And maybe there are some people who become "neet" in Japanese word. No one in Japan don`t try to take "one year off" to experience something important which we can`t experience by studying at university.
To hear about voluntary year, I think we really should have opportunity to have it in Japan,too. One reason is that it can be good way to visit foreign country and stay there not as a traveler. Recently I`ve heard that many young people hesitate to visit foreign countries for studying and experiencing foreign culture there. I think it`s very sad tendency. If we have a system of voluntary year in Japan, many students can choose to visit foreign countries. And second reason is that there must be something important which we can`t experience at university but we really should experience when we are young.
In voluntary year, people can do anything!! Some choose to work, experience au pair, just traveling far away from their countries.... They can do anything they want to do!!
What do you think to hear about the voluntary year? Do you think we should have it in Japan,too?
I`ve found a video of a girl who is experiencing au pair.
Looking forward to your comments!!
Asami Okumura
Have you heard of the word "voluntary year"? I`ve heard it from my German friend in her letter. She is going to graduate from high school, in German word "Gymnasium", in next year. She wants to study at university, but guess what, she told me that she is going to take "one year break" after her graduation!!! The "one year break" after graduation of high school seemes to be called "voluntary year" in English word. To say short, in foreign countries, especially in Europe, students don`t choose to go to university soon after graduation of high school.
As for the German friend of mine, she is going to have job experience at an office in her voluntary year instead of going to university. After the one year job experience, she is going to apply for university.
I just wondered and asked my French pen friend about the voluntary year. She is same years old as me and started going to university in last month. She told me that she also had voluntary year before she entered univrsity and experienced "au pair" in England. "Au pair" is a kind of activity of voluntary year but it`s only for women. Like her some women choose to stay in foreign countries and experience homestay there. And they take care of children of the house. This experience is called "au pair".
Recently the other German friend of mine also have started experiencing "au pair" in Italy. She is also going to apply for university or job in next year.
In Japan, we can never imagine students take "one year off " (voluntary year)after graduation of high schoo, right?
Normally we start going to university, college or technical school soon after we graduated from high school and some start working soon as well. Of course, there are many people who don`t (can`t) do that but only because they couldn`t be accepted by any of universities they applied for. And maybe there are some people who become "neet" in Japanese word. No one in Japan don`t try to take "one year off" to experience something important which we can`t experience by studying at university.
To hear about voluntary year, I think we really should have opportunity to have it in Japan,too. One reason is that it can be good way to visit foreign country and stay there not as a traveler. Recently I`ve heard that many young people hesitate to visit foreign countries for studying and experiencing foreign culture there. I think it`s very sad tendency. If we have a system of voluntary year in Japan, many students can choose to visit foreign countries. And second reason is that there must be something important which we can`t experience at university but we really should experience when we are young.
In voluntary year, people can do anything!! Some choose to work, experience au pair, just traveling far away from their countries.... They can do anything they want to do!!
What do you think to hear about the voluntary year? Do you think we should have it in Japan,too?
I`ve found a video of a girl who is experiencing au pair.
Looking forward to your comments!!
Asami Okumura
I think voluntary year is a very good oppotunity for student. And if there are such system in Japan, I would like to use it.
ReplyDeleteBut Japanese university system is strange, I think. when we students are absent from school, we have to pay tution neverthless we cannot take classes. In Korea, students do not have to pay in such a case.
Considering the diffrence of temporary wuthdrawal from school, I think that is related to the fact which Japanese do not like to study in abroad. Korean students like to do that.
Anyway I want a voluntary year before I do jobhuntings.
Motoki
I've never heard of the word "voluntary year" and it made me surprised.
ReplyDeleteI think it's so interesting but I can't choose whether Japan should adopt the system. It is because a Japanese university entrance exam is so hard. Then if I got the year, I couldn't spend enough on studying and I mightnot enter the university which I wanted to go to.
However, I want to get such a year before becoming a working member of society to know how a job is and whether the job is good for me.
I wonder why people in Europe take the year before entering university.
Hoh,
Asami,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interesting blog. An au pair is a nanny. There are good stories and bad stories about au pair - it depends on the family and the working and living situation, and as you can imagine, it is case by case.
Your point about the situation in Japan is interesting, but how different is a year off from being a ronin for a year? Certainly would be cheaper, less stressful, and students might learn more!
Of course, universities probably couldn't get into the idea at all and wouldn't know what to think about an applicant who took a year off for "no reason."
If you support this idea, how could we universities be persuaded to do such a thing?
On the other hand, one disadvantage of having a year off after high school is that some students might not have any money to travel unless they worked during high school. As you know, a lot of Japanese high schools forbid working while going to school.
I guess I need more information about how the year abroad works in Europe and the social and economic situations for families and high school students.
Just as a final point, it used to be common for Canadian students to do a year abroad on their own before they go to university. Most went to Europe. I don't know if the trend still exists now.
Ms. MacGregor
Hello Motoki,
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment! It`s sounds so interesting point!!
Yes, we have to pay for university even when we couldn`t attend classes. But I think when we "skipped" the classes for something stupid reason, we "have to" pay for classes..haha
I wonder how it is like in Korea, is it okay for not paying for classes even when students skipped the class for stupid reason, like "tired", "wanna go out"...?
And you`re right. I also have heard many Korean students want to go abroad. I think the reason many Japanese students don`t want to do that is exactly because they are poor at English. They aren`t confident to be used to the life in foreign countries. Without English, without communication, right?
Japanese English educational system must be changed so that many students are encouraged to study abroad.
See you in next class!
Asami
Hey Hoh,
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment! You also have very interesting point. Yes, as entrance exam is very hard in Japan, students lose their time to prepare for it if they have one year of voluntary year. So if we have voluntary year for senior high school students, the current university application system must be changed absolutely. But I know it`s difficult and nearly impossible.
Considering entrance exam isn`t so hard in Europe as it is in Japan and "現役”isn`t so important there, it`s possible for students to have a voluntary year befor they apply for university.
There should be some freedom in our educational system in Japan, I think.
I just thought something, if this kind of voluntary year suddenly is carried out in Japan, all students won`t know how to spend it. So it`s silly, they can`t make the most of the precious year..
See you on Monday!
Asami
Hello Ms. MacGregor,
ReplyDeletethank you for your comment as to my blog!
Yes, I can imagine that whether students can get great experience or not on au pair is depending on each family, I mean the house they stay. When I experienced homestay in the U.S, I also felt same.
The difference of the year of "ronin" and "voluntary year", I have same points as you. Some of my good friends experienced "ronin" year, they told me that it was really stressful life, just going to cram schools every day. They could nothing but study in the year. And it cost them so much to go to cram school. But voluntary year isn`t a year for only studying hard for entrance exam, I think. Students have many chances to experience foreign culture, develop individuality, and think of future course. It can be very important year for young people, I think. Just studying, just being able to pass the entrance exam.
I want to support the idea of voluntary year but don`t know well how to persuade university. I know it`s difficult to change a system and convention. And we would need many students who support the idea when we persuade university.
Yes, you are exactly right. I forgot to think of "money". And I wonder how students make money for one-year trip when they were going to high school in foreign countries. Even if they had part-time job, they may not be able to earn enough money for it, I guess. I`ll ask some of my friends about this matter. Well, I think they can get something like scholorship from some organization which encourage meaningful voluntary year. but in Japan, it would be difficult because few people would support the idea..I`m sorry, I haven`t got some information about the money stuff from my friends. but I also want to know.
Now I wonder the voluntary year is popular only in Europe or in another part of the world too. I guess students can have voluntary year in Canada,too because the entrance exam isn`t so hard there,too. As Hoh remarked, we have to think of our application system,too. In Japan it is very strict and hard so students must prepare hard for it. And "Gen-eki" is very important. This strict application system makes students not being able to have voluntary year as European students do.
Asami
There is no entrance exam to Canadian universities. Entrance to university is based on your grades and your letter of application. It is common for students to take a year off either during their high school career (i.e. to do Rotary exchange or something), or take a year off after graduation, so universities and employers are not suprised by that. In fact, they might even welcome it since the applicant may be more mature.
ReplyDeleteMs. MacGregor