Resources To Help Students Build A Strong Foundation During Their Gap Year with Michael Shouldice

We all have regrets, however, if we plan our gap year mindfully, we can lay the foundation for a very bright future. Today's guest Michael Shouldice from Athabasca University talks about his three gap years and some of the things that he would have done differently if he were to do it all over again. A lot of that comes down to accessing the right resources that can help you build a successful foundation during your gap year.  

Michelle and Michael dive deeper into his gap year experiences where he talks about his time spent abroad working in Australia. He drops some golden-nugget resources for students who are taking a gap year and transitioning on to university, employment or both. Stick around to the very end of the episode where Michael shares a little bit more about how Athabasca University can fit into your gap year and allow you to earn university credits, while still having the freedom that a gap year provides. 

Topics Discussed

• Michael describes his first gap year between high school and university and his regret for not having access to the gap year resources at the time. 
• Michael discusses the second gap year and moving to Australia through one of the Government of Canada’s visa opportunities (like International Experience Canada!).
• Michael re-visits his third gap year in his mid-thirties after he transitioned from the Software industry and his regrets for not taking advantage of some of the gap year resources that were available at the time.  
• Three resources to mindfully plan your gap year activities so that it coincides with your goal. 
• The importance of knowing what opportunities are available to students during their gap year. 
• How Athabasca’s distance university can easily tie into a student’s gap year with their flexible intake and their diverse asynchronous classes.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• Discover Year https://www.discoveryear.ca/
• Working Abroad with International Experience Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadians/international-experience-canada.html
• Athabasca University https://www.athabascau.ca/
• Centennial College https://www.centennialcollege.ca/
• Connect with Michael Shouldice on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelshouldice/

Connect With The Canadian Gap Association

• Join Gapper Connect on Discord to connect with students thinking about a gap year, current Gappers, and alum all in one place! https://www.cangap.ca/gapperconnect
• Visit our website https://www.cangap.ca/
• Follow on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/cangapassociation/
• Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ucangap
• Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/ucangap/status/276178230694772736
• Follow on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuBit8gLXEOxaBggoGmykjQ