'Not about leeching off parents': Why this Singaporean medical student set up GapyearSG portal to help 'gappers' find support

SINGAPORE — The idea of a gap year, also known as a sabbatical or break from studies for students, bring to mind images of young people travelling to far-flung places or taking beachside vacations, blissfully enjoying a lengthy and worry-free period of relaxation on their parents' dime before "adulting" starts for them.

Yet, these are precisely the stereotypes that 21-year-old medical student Gabrielle Lee Chuwen Joly wants to shatter.

The young Singaporean founder of the two-year-old GapyearSG website said: “For some, the year off may be spent getting help for their mental health, improving themselves and avoiding burnout. Discovering hobbies that you really enjoy can help you with de-stressing in the future.

“I feel like that is an achievement in itself and shouldn't be invalidated.”

She continued: “For me, I wouldn't say my gap year was a break. Having to work a few jobs at the same time, while juggling voluntary commitments, it was probably more hectic than my time in school.”

Ms Lee took a break from February 2021 to February 2022 before furthering her studies, when she could not get into medical schools here after applying to get a place.

While trying to decide how to spend her gap year, she started GapyearSG to plug the information gap for people such as herself who are looking for guidance and resources.

Now, she has what she calls a community of "gappers", with hundreds of followers on the site’s Instagram account alone.

GapyearSG provides easy-to-follow guides for those looking to take a gap year as well as details of scheduled events. It also shares the personal experiences of other gappers.

The account has surpassed 450 followers in the last month.

The site is now run by a main team of four volunteers and has managed to publish more than 60 Instagram posts and five comprehensive guides on gap years, as well as many writings from fellow gappers.

Ms Lee, who is now studying medicine in Australia, said that people tend to associate gap years with “relaxing and wasting time”, but they are not necessarily about taking a holiday.

Dr Annabelle Chow, a clinical psychologist in private practice at Annabelle Psychology in Singapore, said that the idea of taking a gap year is an often-broached subject among her patients.

"Some might take an intentional gap year because they want to take the time to try different types of work and experience. We will work with them to weigh the pros and cons of their decision, because everyone has different circumstances," Dr Chow added.

"Some patients, however, might face issues in the form of disagreement and a lack of communication between parents and the child looking to take a gap year."

HOW DID GAPYEARSG START?

Describing how the idea for the website came about, Ms Lee said that when she was unsuccessful in getting into medical schools here, she refused to let this setback deter her.

She thought about what other options she had, ultimately deciding to take a gap year before reapplying for a place in a medical school.

Many acquaintances were quick to judge her decision, but Ms Lee said that her parents knew she was responsible enough to have a plan in mind.

When she searched online for any published resources or services that could help her plan her gap year, Ms Lee could not find anything appropriate.

“Many of the searches showed up content that would point towards travelling, which wasn’t applicable to me at the time.”

Without a clear direction, Ms Lee turned to online forums, where she found sparse information and other people in similar positions.

“It was hard because the information was all over the place, so I thought it'd be great to have a platform to consolidate everything. That's when I founded GapyearSG.”

Even though she could not get such help herself, she knew that she was not going to stay idle or leech off her parents' financial support.

"I chose to work and use my savings to fund the gap year. Since I'm graduating a year later than my peers, I didn't want to further burden my parents like that." 

During her gap year, she stayed "self-sufficient" by taking on several jobs, including being a student researcher at a medical school, a clinic assistant, a piano teacher, and starting a small jewellery handicraft business.

She also volunteered as a petition writer and podcast director at various organisations.

ADVICE FOR 'GAPPERS' 

Among the various resources available on GapyearSG’s website are tips on how to prepare for National Service, what to do after receiving A-Level results, and how to build a portfolio during a gap year.

For example, there is an article preparing pre-enlistees for the challenges they can expect during National Service, how to maintain relationships with friends and family, and keep up personal growth while serving the nation.

There is also an avenue for people to connect with a volunteer and ask any questions they may have about a gap year. 

Ms Lee and her team of volunteers host webinars and conduct live sharing sessions on topics relating to sabbaticals as well.

When asked what to look out for when considering a gap year, she said that each person's situation is unique. 

“Firstly, you need to know if taking a gap year is a realistic idea. You need to be independent enough to take charge of your direction and know the goals you want to achieve.

"For people who are taking a gap year to consider university course options, think about how you can maximise your chances of being accepted.”

GapyearSG features articles that advise students to think about working to fund their university tuition costs, or to explore internship and business opportunities.

This was borne from Ms Lee’s own experience as well. She said that her time spent working as a student researcher in a medical school during her gap year armed her with some knowledge, and she believes that this gave her a leg up in getting more project opportunities at her university now.

“Having that one year to do things related to your future field of study can really set you apart from the other students who haven't had much experience.”

The biggest hurdle for most students, though, would be convincing one's parents about the benefits, she added.

Parents are usually not convinced about the usefulness of sabbaticals, so she hopes that GapyearSG can spread awareness on this.

"Some parents might not like the idea of a gap year, because they see it as their child graduating a year later and losing a year of a working adult’s income," Ms Lee said.

She plans to target parents with GapyearSG’s upcoming content. By showcasing the positive experiences of other parents whose children had taken gap years, she hopes that more parents will gain a better understanding of why their children might want to do that. 

She also plans to refine a mentorship programme by bringing in mentors with a greater variety of backgrounds and experiences.

AN EXPERT'S VIEW ON GAP YEARS

Dr Chow the clinical psychologist does not actively make recommendations to patients to take gap years, but she helps those who outwardly express interest in doing so, to plan how their year might look like.

Ensuring that her patients' decision aligns with their goals and values is an important step in planning for the study break, she said.

"For example, if someone is unsure whether to take the path of a special needs teacher or a career in academia, the gap year could be used to volunteer at special needs organisations or try out internships."

Ultimately, the person has to make the decision to take a gap year and be responsible for the outcomes.

"Everyone's circumstances are different. It really depends on how you use the gap year.

“When a gap year is taken with intention, communication, an agreement with family, and in alignment with one's goals and values, it increases the chances of having a rewarding and fulfilling gap year,” Dr Chow added.