PSL voices | My gap year in New Zealand

Published April 16, 2024

Are you thinking of taking a gap year during your Bachelor’s or Master’s studies? Jade tells you about her gap year in New Zealand during her studies at Dauphine - PSL and explains how valuable this kind of experience can be for developing your academic and career plans.

As a Dauphine student since I started out at PSL, I was lucky enough to take a year-long “break” from school –
I know what you’re going to say: “She can’t mean that she just spent a year lazing around.” If that’s what you’re thinking, think again! This break is strongly encouraged by the University and with good reason – it’s a highly valuable experience for students.

Students often take their gap year between the first and second year of their Master’s degree, but it can also be taken at the Bachelor’s level. It gives students like you and me the opportunity to benefit from their student status without necessarily sitting at a desk in a lecture hall or classroom. It’s very common for Dauphine-PSL students to take a gap year, but it’s important to understand that the process is highly regulated. You must submit a request to the educational committee and for your gap year plan to be approved, among other things, it must be aligned with your course of study (such as internship topics or professional contract, a trip to develop specific skills).

You can do an internship, travel, get your first fixed-term employment contract, or try volunteer work. The most motivated among us can even use their gap year to complete the first year of another Master’s program. There’s something for everyone, and believe me, this year is beneficial from both a professional and personal standpoint.

To tell you a bit about my experience, first of all, I decided to do a gap year because it’s pretty common for Dauphine-PSL students at Master’s level. I’d heard about this opportunity when I was a Bachelor’s student, so I’d been thinking about it for a while! Plus, it was a way for me to gain two extensive periods of professional experience, which I knew would help me later on.

Since my first-year Master's courses finished quite early in the year, my gap year was a bit longer than a year, so I was really lucky! I started in May, doing a six-month internship with a network of sustainable development players, which I then extended for three months. It was my first extensive experience in the professional world, and I was able to draw on it to find my final internship for the second year of my Master’s degree. Like I said, it really helps us advance professionally.

Then came the most exciting part. In January, I took off for New Zealand to set out on a seven-month road trip! It gave me the opportunity to discover the country from all angles, work there, travel, meet people I’d never forget and come back with lifelong memories!! I had expressed this wish to travel during my gap year, and it was approved. A trip like that gave me the opportunity to improve my English, discover a new culture, and hone my ability to adapt. In short, it was a life-changing trip.

If I had to do it again, I would do this gap year 1,000 times over. A year is the perfect amount of time to take advantage of the experience without getting too far removed from the academic world! And, at the start of the second year of your Master’s program, you’ll have the opportunity to hear about all the amazing experiences your classmates had during their year off.