Gap Year Ski & Snowboard Instruction, Canada-NONSTOP Ski

My Gap Year Story
by Jacob

When was the last time your parents or someone at school came to you and said "you should take time off school and take a Gap Year?" If you're like me, then chances are probably not! But taking a Gap Year may be the best year of your life.

My name's Jake, I'm 19 and after I graduated American high school, I took a Gap Year. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do in college. So I went to a cultural immersion program in Jerusalem. I traveled to Egypt and took scuba diving lessons in the Red Sea. Then I went to Canada and became a ski instructor. After that I went to New York City and became a bartender. And as of now, I'm in Europe touring around with some British mates that I met on my ski instructor course. Sound good? It's been awesome!

So why take a Gap Year? Besides the fact that it's a totally epic experience, there are endless possibilities of what can be gained from it. Plus most likely whatever you do, it will give you more than an edge on your college application as well. For example, I took a ski instructor training course with NONSTOP Ski and Snowboard in Canada. Upon completion of the course, I can now put "winter tourism" experience on every job application. Plus I can work during my time off school as a ski instructor, almost anywhere in the world. And when you get to college? You will have such an advantage in maturity and broad knowledge, that will put you ahead of others who don't have such experiences, and often waste most of their first year.

So how did I find the resources to have such a life benefiting year? First I had to have a plan. The internet is your best guide. Google whatever you are interested in the context of a "Gap Year". The options are endless. That's basically how I planned my entire Gap Year. I jumped into as many things I have ever been interested in as possible. Now I am so much more focused on things I know I will be interested in long term. Get your parents involved as well. Ask them to help you with the planning, and if you get them involved with the planning the more likely they are to help you with finances as well.

Paying for such a worthwhile adventure can sometimes be a chore. I worked three jobs a day the summer before I went, but it was worth all the work. And because I enlisted the help of my parents, they became keen on helping me with some of the costs. If your parents aren't keen at first, don't give up. If like me, you have American parents, then the idea of a Gap Year is probably very foreign. You might help them to understand the benefits of your Gap Year. Look out for programs that offer tuition assistance as well. Good programs I have been on that gave me much tuition assistance were NOLS, (national outdoor leadership school) and Outward Bound. One can also have an amazing Gap Year cheaply, if you chose to do a volunteer work project.

Well thats it for me! I'm off to Brighton on the south shore of England. Trust me, taking a Gap Year will be the best decision you will ever make!!

Since 2002, NONSTOP Ski has been successfully running both instructor courses and improvement camps in the Canadian Rockies; and more recently New Zealand. Gap Year Ski instructor courses offer you the chance to live and travel in the Canadian Rockies; develop your skiing, gain professional qualifications, enhance your resume, meeting people from all walks of life and making life long friendships.