Starting Transition Year? Here are some tips from a student

Heading into Transition Year you may be wondering how to make the most of it and what to expect. Here are some tips to make the most of Transition Year.

The first is to be open minded. TY isn’t a doss year. Even though you don’t do as much classroom work as other years, there’s still plenty to be done. If you go into school and sit back with your feet up for the year you’re going to get bored. But if you go into TY willing to do work and take opportunities you’re going to have a blast.

Make sure to make the most of the opportunities that are offered. TY is full of opportunities, everything from trips to various courses. The trips I went on in TY are some of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’m honestly so glad I went on the trips I did. Likewise goes for the courses your school offers, even if it’s something you don’t think you’ll enjoy, do it, you don’t know when it might come in handy.

Organise your work experience early. One of the most important aspects of TY is work experience. Students all over your county will be looking for the best place to work and that’s why you should organise your work experience as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the month before you start work experience to organise it. Also, try to find work experience in a place you would actually like to work rather than just going to a relative’s shop for the sake of it.

The experience is just as important as the work.

As there’s not so much focus on traditional learning in Transition Year, you will find that you have more time for yourself than you did in third year. Use this extra time to perhaps go back to your local Taekwondo club or taking up learning piano or guitar. Transition Year is all about developing yourself by discovering new – and old – interests. Perhaps there was a hobby you took up during quarantine, TY will most likely give you the time to keep up that hobby.

At the end of the day you get out of what you put into Transition Year. So, just make sure to have fun as that’s what it’s all about.