11 ms·

Go on a gap year when you can backpack around the world. This is literally the worst time to have a gap year. If you're stuck at home you might as well study.

game_the0ry 6y ago
> If you're stuck at home you might as well study. Exactly. It's a good opportunity for self directed study. I would spend time doing something productive, not traveling.
- wutbrodo 6y ago
  Self-directed study is challenging, especially for 17 year-olds that don't have anyone (eg parents) who are in tune enough with autodidactism to guide them. One of the biggest advantages of college for me was realizing how much there was to learn and how easy it was to do it (after skating through all of my schooling with straight As), and I only really refined my autodidactic abilities in my mid-20s.
  - game_the0ry 6y ago
    > Self-directed study is challenging Fair point, but that's because students are not encouraged to learn what they are interested in.
    - astura 6y ago
      Or they literally don't know how to learn what they are interested in? I went into computer science as a major because I was interested in computers. College was literally the only way I was able to learn because I didn't know anything about getting started - I didn't know what a programming language was, for example, so I wouldn't know to learn to program. I grew up poor and my public education was very substandard. College allowed me to get past that, I couldn't imagine trying to do it myself with literally zero guidance. I know some of you are just so smart you don't need college - but please consider there's a vast about of us plebs that do.
      - Grimm1 6y ago
        Google "Careers in computers", followed by how to learn <one of the 18 that pop up in the top list> then click on any of the resources and get to it. I'm very much not a fan of the kind of "learned helplessness" being displayed in this comment and getting started in something like this is trivial with the amount of resources available right now. It's really not that hard to get started learning and college doesn't really prepare you for these jobs anyway so if that was your reason for going I think you wasted a lot of money.
        ghaff 6y ago
        I'd agree that "computers" is almost certainly not the best example. Self-teaching how to program is probably one of the easiest topics to jump into out there. And it has the benefit that, if you're really pretty sure you want to major in computer science (which may or may not actually be the best choice for someone who is just "interested in computers") learning how to at least program and doing some projects, etc. is one area of self-study that will be very valuable when you start university. As has been discussed here at length before, for better or worse, good university computer science curricula tend to assume you know your way around a computer and can program--or you have to get up to speed very quickly on the side.
        nitrogen 6y ago
        I'm very much not a fan of the kind of "learned helplessness" Someone coming from a community where there are literally zero engineers or programmers will be very lucky if they even know what words to look for. We can't search for what we don't even know exists. On the flip side people don't know what they do know, in the sense that assumed common knowledge might not actually be common. I was lucky that I had a parent who was a teacher, at a time when textbooks started including simple BASIC programs to demonstrate concepts. I was also lucky to have access to a safe and clean public library as a kid, that happened to have a couple of shelves with computer books.
        astura 6y ago
        This is exactly right - the only community I grew up in had zero engineers, zero computer professionals, and even zero white collar employees.
    - hotcrossbunny 6y ago
      Also the self direction is neither taught nor encouraged in the existing model of education
    - wutbrodo 6y ago
      Right, but in the absence of parents who are capable of guiding them, they won't be able to either. Most adults arent good at being autodidacts either.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    And even if they are tuned into autodidactism, self-study is not really an outcome in and of itself. So I pick some topic and topics to self-study for a year while staying with my parents. Maybe I get some part-time job. Maybe I even get fairly deep into some generally useful topic. Now what when I enter university the following year? There are probably some core subjects I could usefully have studied. But, in general, I'm probably not going to place out of classes at many schools even if I've deliberately studied for AP tests. So it's not obvious that year of self-study necessarily leads to a shortened or improved degree program. That's not a reason not to do it of course. But self-study doesn't necessarily lead to greater personal enrichment than volunteering or hiking the Appalachian Trail does.
- briandear 6y ago
  Traveling can be incredibly productive; they aren’t mutually exclusive.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    The problem is that traveling is very challenging right now. It's a lousy situation. Paying for a year of school is a lousy option right now, a typical gap year with travel/activities is tough, and employment options are very limited. I guess if I were an incoming senior, I'd do my best to wrap things up and get a diploma this year--one school I know is basically letting only seniors among undergrads back on campus in the fall with the message to wrap up whatever they need to do in-person to graduate and plan to be online in the spring. For anyone else, if I were in a position to deal with it financially, I'd take a year off and spend it as usefully/enjoyably as I could.
kerkeslager 6y ago
You can study without paying tens of thousands of dollars. There are also tons of productive uses of time that can be done during the pandemic. Now is a great time to volunteer.
- x87678r 6y ago
  Volunteer - unemployment is the worst for decades. There are literally half the population not working right now with nothing to do, its the least useful time to volunteer. (OK maybe I'm wrong)
  - benburleson 6y ago
    Just because (some) employers are able to pay as many employees (possibly zero) as before, doesn't mean there are no jobs to be done. With so many social issues currently highlighted, it seems like an excellent time to give some time.
  - kingkawn 6y ago
    This is the most useful volunteering time because the social needs are everywhere
  - kerkeslager 6y ago
    You are uninformed. Please delete your post and stop spreading harmful misinformation. 1. Just because people aren't working doesn't mean they are volunteering. In fact, there's an exodus of volunteers, because retirees, the group which historically is most likely to volunteer, are also the most likely to isolate because they're at high risk from coronavirus. This is causing a massive shift in the demographic of volunteers. It's unclear to me whether the number of volunteers is going up or down overall, but it is clear that some organizations are being left short-handed by the change. 2. Quantity of volunteers does not necessarily mean that there's a good match between volunteer skillsets and the skills needed. The massive shift in volunteer demographics means that certain roles which were previously filled by people with a lot of experience, are now empty, and an excess of young enthusiastic volunteers doesn't fix that problem. 3. Unemployment also drastically increases the need felt by many communities. I'm not sure whether the supply of volunteers is up or down, but the demand for volunteers is clearly increased. You don't have to trust me or x87678r: call your local charities and see if they need volunteers. I am confident you'll very quickly find that some do. EDIT: My post is strongly worded, but I don't apologize. x87678r's comment is far more offensive than anything I said. If HN is more worried about some strong wording than about telling people not to volunteer in a time when millions of people desperately need help from volunteers, then our priorities are screwed up.
anonAndOn 6y ago
Backpacking doesn't have to mean exotic locales. There may be some bucket list activities that are closer to home, eg: Trans Canada Trail, Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Camino de Santiago, etc.
- ghaff 6y ago
  I think there are still logistical challenges during the current situation although if you mean literal backpacking, that is mostly a reasonable option. (Which isn't what most people mean when they talk about "backpacking" across Europe.)
- bilbo0s 6y ago
  "Trans Canada Trail"? Can we get into Canada? EDIT: I mean that I thought Canada won't allow entry to people from the US? Is that just a rumor?
  - brummm 6y ago
    No non-essential travel for Americans to Canada.
    - mjcohen 6y ago
      If Trump is re-elected, escape would be essential.
  - soperj 6y ago
    No it isn't a rumour. There were a bunch of options in different countries. I think they were just listing some so that anyone could choose their local.
  - MR4D 6y ago
    Up to date info on traveling to Canada from the US: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html#_Canada-U.S._border_restrictions_1 https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/201...

game_the0ry 6y ago

> If you're stuck at home you might as well study. Exactly. It's a good opportunity for self directed study. I would spend time doing something productive, not traveling.

wutbrodo 6y ago
Self-directed study is challenging, especially for 17 year-olds that don't have anyone (eg parents) who are in tune enough with autodidactism to guide them. One of the biggest advantages of college for me was realizing how much there was to learn and how easy it was to do it (after skating through all of my schooling with straight As), and I only really refined my autodidactic abilities in my mid-20s.
- game_the0ry 6y ago
  > Self-directed study is challenging Fair point, but that's because students are not encouraged to learn what they are interested in.
  - astura 6y ago
    Or they literally don't know how to learn what they are interested in? I went into computer science as a major because I was interested in computers. College was literally the only way I was able to learn because I didn't know anything about getting started - I didn't know what a programming language was, for example, so I wouldn't know to learn to program. I grew up poor and my public education was very substandard. College allowed me to get past that, I couldn't imagine trying to do it myself with literally zero guidance. I know some of you are just so smart you don't need college - but please consider there's a vast about of us plebs that do.
    - Grimm1 6y ago
      Google "Careers in computers", followed by how to learn <one of the 18 that pop up in the top list> then click on any of the resources and get to it. I'm very much not a fan of the kind of "learned helplessness" being displayed in this comment and getting started in something like this is trivial with the amount of resources available right now. It's really not that hard to get started learning and college doesn't really prepare you for these jobs anyway so if that was your reason for going I think you wasted a lot of money.
      - ghaff 6y ago
        I'd agree that "computers" is almost certainly not the best example. Self-teaching how to program is probably one of the easiest topics to jump into out there. And it has the benefit that, if you're really pretty sure you want to major in computer science (which may or may not actually be the best choice for someone who is just "interested in computers") learning how to at least program and doing some projects, etc. is one area of self-study that will be very valuable when you start university. As has been discussed here at length before, for better or worse, good university computer science curricula tend to assume you know your way around a computer and can program--or you have to get up to speed very quickly on the side.
      - nitrogen 6y ago
        I'm very much not a fan of the kind of "learned helplessness" Someone coming from a community where there are literally zero engineers or programmers will be very lucky if they even know what words to look for. We can't search for what we don't even know exists. On the flip side people don't know what they do know, in the sense that assumed common knowledge might not actually be common. I was lucky that I had a parent who was a teacher, at a time when textbooks started including simple BASIC programs to demonstrate concepts. I was also lucky to have access to a safe and clean public library as a kid, that happened to have a couple of shelves with computer books.
        astura 6y ago
        This is exactly right - the only community I grew up in had zero engineers, zero computer professionals, and even zero white collar employees.
  - hotcrossbunny 6y ago
    Also the self direction is neither taught nor encouraged in the existing model of education
  - wutbrodo 6y ago
    Right, but in the absence of parents who are capable of guiding them, they won't be able to either. Most adults arent good at being autodidacts either.
- ghaff 6y ago
  And even if they are tuned into autodidactism, self-study is not really an outcome in and of itself. So I pick some topic and topics to self-study for a year while staying with my parents. Maybe I get some part-time job. Maybe I even get fairly deep into some generally useful topic. Now what when I enter university the following year? There are probably some core subjects I could usefully have studied. But, in general, I'm probably not going to place out of classes at many schools even if I've deliberately studied for AP tests. So it's not obvious that year of self-study necessarily leads to a shortened or improved degree program. That's not a reason not to do it of course. But self-study doesn't necessarily lead to greater personal enrichment than volunteering or hiking the Appalachian Trail does.
briandear 6y ago
Traveling can be incredibly productive; they aren’t mutually exclusive.
- ghaff 6y ago
  The problem is that traveling is very challenging right now. It's a lousy situation. Paying for a year of school is a lousy option right now, a typical gap year with travel/activities is tough, and employment options are very limited. I guess if I were an incoming senior, I'd do my best to wrap things up and get a diploma this year--one school I know is basically letting only seniors among undergrads back on campus in the fall with the message to wrap up whatever they need to do in-person to graduate and plan to be online in the spring. For anyone else, if I were in a position to deal with it financially, I'd take a year off and spend it as usefully/enjoyably as I could.

kerkeslager 6y ago

You can study without paying tens of thousands of dollars. There are also tons of productive uses of time that can be done during the pandemic. Now is a great time to volunteer.

x87678r 6y ago
Volunteer - unemployment is the worst for decades. There are literally half the population not working right now with nothing to do, its the least useful time to volunteer. (OK maybe I'm wrong)
- benburleson 6y ago
  Just because (some) employers are able to pay as many employees (possibly zero) as before, doesn't mean there are no jobs to be done. With so many social issues currently highlighted, it seems like an excellent time to give some time.
- kingkawn 6y ago
  This is the most useful volunteering time because the social needs are everywhere
- kerkeslager 6y ago
  You are uninformed. Please delete your post and stop spreading harmful misinformation. 1. Just because people aren't working doesn't mean they are volunteering. In fact, there's an exodus of volunteers, because retirees, the group which historically is most likely to volunteer, are also the most likely to isolate because they're at high risk from coronavirus. This is causing a massive shift in the demographic of volunteers. It's unclear to me whether the number of volunteers is going up or down overall, but it is clear that some organizations are being left short-handed by the change. 2. Quantity of volunteers does not necessarily mean that there's a good match between volunteer skillsets and the skills needed. The massive shift in volunteer demographics means that certain roles which were previously filled by people with a lot of experience, are now empty, and an excess of young enthusiastic volunteers doesn't fix that problem. 3. Unemployment also drastically increases the need felt by many communities. I'm not sure whether the supply of volunteers is up or down, but the demand for volunteers is clearly increased. You don't have to trust me or x87678r: call your local charities and see if they need volunteers. I am confident you'll very quickly find that some do. EDIT: My post is strongly worded, but I don't apologize. x87678r's comment is far more offensive than anything I said. If HN is more worried about some strong wording than about telling people not to volunteer in a time when millions of people desperately need help from volunteers, then our priorities are screwed up.

anonAndOn 6y ago

Backpacking doesn't have to mean exotic locales. There may be some bucket list activities that are closer to home, eg: Trans Canada Trail, Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Camino de Santiago, etc.

ghaff 6y ago
I think there are still logistical challenges during the current situation although if you mean literal backpacking, that is mostly a reasonable option. (Which isn't what most people mean when they talk about "backpacking" across Europe.)
bilbo0s 6y ago
"Trans Canada Trail"? Can we get into Canada? EDIT: I mean that I thought Canada won't allow entry to people from the US? Is that just a rumor?
- brummm 6y ago
  No non-essential travel for Americans to Canada.
  - mjcohen 6y ago
    If Trump is re-elected, escape would be essential.
- soperj 6y ago
  No it isn't a rumour. There were a bunch of options in different countries. I think they were just listing some so that anyone could choose their local.
- MR4D 6y ago
  Up to date info on traveling to Canada from the US: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html#_Canada-U.S._border_restrictions_1 https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/201...