Tag Archives: colleges

What can you do in a gap year during a pandemic

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I am seeing questions on Quora and Reddit about what to do in a gap year from university during the pandemic, from people who seem to think that there’s a safe place to go, and a safe way to get there, without contracting nor spreading the novel coronavirus. It’s so frustrating – the reality is that no one should travel now unless it’s essential travel, and certainly not for a year: situations within countries, at borders and on airlines change dramatically from month to month, which can strand you somewhere abroad, with hotels or homestays closed, plus, you could contribute to the spreading of the virus, even if you never contract it yourself.

So, what ARE the options for a student who decides not to start a new semester or entire study year at a university in the Fall or Spring?

You could, in a gap year, or gap semester, stay in your community and:

The more you volunteer, the more you will be transformed by the experience, the more you will learn, and the more you should see leadership opportunities you might want to initiate or undertake. You may end up leading your own virtual project at a program you have worked with and established trust with.

You can also:

  • Trace your family tree, scan family photos, upload those photos online and record family members on video calls talking about family memories. There will never be a better time to work with family members online to get your family names and dates and places and stories recorded.
     
  • Study another language. Duolingo and Babbel are two great resources.
     
  • Take classes that are NOT offered at the university you will attend. Some good resources for free courses are Open University’s Open Learn and MIT’s Open Courseware.

The key to any of the above working is that you need a SCHEDULE and a COMMITMENT. Create a workspace where you will do these things. Carve out a regular time of day and days of the week you will do these activities. Create deadlines. Track your progress. Celebrate your accomplishments and results. Learn from your mistakes and challenges. Document your experiences with a journal or a blog or YouTube videos. And if you do this, then at the end of a year, you will have something much more substantial to show for it than Instagram photos that say, “Hey, look at me!” You will have something much more substantial than vanity volunteering. In fact, you will have proven you can work remotely, something employers very much like to see.

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Nonprofits & NGOs: Get to Know a University

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Nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs):

Do you know what community colleges, public universities and private universities are nearest your agency, geographically? And do any of the degrees or classes they offer relate to the mission of your organization in any way?

For instance,

  • If your organization provides counseling, have you investigated to see if the nearest college or university has a graduate degree program in psychology?
  • If your organization assists victims of domestic violence, have you investigated to see if the nearest college or university has a degree program in social work?
  • If you are focused on the environment in any way, have you investigated if the college or university offers any environment resource management-related courses?
  • If you work with people trying to start micro-enterprises, have you investigated to see if the college or university nearest you offers business management classes, or even an MBA?

Here’s why your organization needs to be able to answer these questions:

  • Your nonprofit or NGO has the real-world environment that college and university faculty and graduate students need for academic research and practical experience.
  • Higher ed institutions have the skills and knowledge your organization may need as well as probono consultants or researchers or on-loan staff.
  • Faculty at colleges and universities get contacted by the media, and if the story is going to be something related to your organization’s mission, they will refer those reporters to you as well.
  • Faculty may hear of funding opportunities that might be appropriate for your organization. 
  • Faculty may find themselves in a conversation with public officials or business leaders where they could recommend your organization’s work.

How can nonprofits and NGOs network with university faculty and get on their radar for potential partnerships?

  • Look at course offerings of college and universities, and identify the faculty teaching courses that relate to your organization’s work. Build a database of people you want to contact; phone numbers and email addresses for most of these folks will be easy to find online, either on the college or university’s web site or through a Google or Bing search.
  • Look to see if faculty with which you want to connect has a Twitter feed and, if so, and it’s regarding their work, follow such. Same for a Facebook profile or a GooglePlus profile. Get to know more about their work through their updates. If the person posts something that relates to your work, reply to a post.
  • Read something by that faculty member in an academic journal (you can get access to this through your local library) or other publication.
  • Add appropriate faculty to your press release distribution list.
  • Invite the faculty you have identified to your open houses and public events. Send a personalized invitation, noting exactly why you are inviting this person to such. 
  • Invite the faculty you have identified to a meeting at your organization set up just for that person, or even to lunch. Let them know about your organization’s in-house expertise. If you already have partnership ideas, propose them. If you don’t, talk about what the faculty member’s courses and research have in common with your organization, and say that you would love to collaborate in some way but you aren’t entirely sure how.

It’s an ongoing cultivation process. You are building relationships, and that won’t come from just an email, a phone call or meeting face-to-face once. Colleges and universities are a HUGE resource right in your backyard – not just as one-day student volunteers, but as potential program and funding partners. Don’t wait for them to find you – seek THEM out!

Look what partnerships with universities can lead to:

Western Kentucky University Entrepreneurship students working to revitalize downtown businesses