A free year, what to do?

[Nario64]

It always matters. Saying it doesn't matter is like saying you don't have to wear deodorant or brush your teeth today because you're just going to the grocery store. It's still going to annoy the crap out of the people at the grocery store who have to smell you.

My friends have taken me to a game store, those ones with warhammer tables and magic card games... people don't wear deodorant there so he's got a bit of a point with the "gaming forum" line.

Side note on your argument, my friend has finally become a full fledged doctor (after 28 years!) and he's the smartest guy I know, but he's started typing like "Hey, how r u doin?" and it's simply because time is more valuable to him now so the faster he can get things out the faster he can get back to work. I agree with you though, I hate it and really emphasize using proper grammar with him but it's a lost battle.

[Reeve]

My friends have taken me to a game store, those ones with warhammer tables and magic card games... people don't wear deodorant there so he's got a bit of a point with the "gaming forum" line.

Side note on your argument, my friend has finally become a full fledged doctor (after 28 years!) and he's the smartest guy I know, but he's started typing like "Hey, how r u doin?" and it's simply because time is more valuable to him now so the faster he can get things out the faster he can get back to work. I agree with you though, I hate it and really emphasize using proper grammar with him but it's a lost battle.

If he just starts typing normally all the time eventually he'll get to the point where it's just as fast or faster to type with proper spelling/grammar.

Also, I'd prefer it if gaming could shed the stereotype of the unwashed basement dwellers who don't really have a sense of socially acceptable behavior.

[Nario64]

If he just starts typing normally all the time eventually he'll get to the point where it's just as fast or faster to type with proper spelling/grammar.

Also, I'd prefer it if gaming could shed the stereotype of the unwashed basement dwellers who don't really have a sense of socially acceptable behavior.

Most normal gamers who are clean shaven, washed, and respectable are not the ones that people see. They act normally, go to bars, hang out with friends, go see movies like normal people. If you go into a game store (talking table top games and card games and comic book stores) and take a look at the people in there, they enforce the stereo type. It's quite rank and they often don't have very good social skills so they don't understand that their smell is unpleasing to the rest of us.

But back to OP:

TRAVEL!

[Surgery]

If you have white skin and speak English as a first language, teaching English in Asia is an option if you want to see the world. Vietnam in particular pays well in comparison to the cost of living, plus it's a great country if you can get your head around it's many quality of life issues. You'll need a nest egg to set yourself up and you need to keep you wits about you because labour laws are not respected by employers. Once you have experience, you'll always have a means of employment almost anywhere in the world.

p.s. before anyone jumps on my back, Asia is renowned for discrimination... I'm just telling it like it is.

[ifrah]

All traveling-related gets the thumbs up from me. It does not necessarily have to be flying around and staying in hotels. It may be out of your comfort zone, but will probably give you memories that last for lifetime, which is difficult to say about playing PS.

[Tornainbow]

Never in my life have I had an entire year of free time. I went straight from high school (where I worked after school) to college and 3 jobs and I've been working since.

If you spend it at home playing video games...I don't even know what to say. Heck, if you spend it at home...there is something wrong. Get out and explore the world. You'll never have an opportunity like this again.

If nothing else...get a job? You have no expenses so any money you make is profit.

[Celista]

Do a work abroad program, where you get assistance with visas, housing options etc. as a new graduate. The programs are designed for recent college grads...they're cheaper than learning abroad programs (significantly cheaper) and lots of fun.

If I can find a link for one, I'll link you.

[Skippy88]

Here is a question for you: What would you like to do?

Depending on your schooling from what I know it isn't cheap so the more money you make can go along way to help pay for that.

If your set financially set you may want to volunteer at your hospital. That way when your done school you will have made some contacts and possibly a job.

If you are not in a relationship you may want to work on that if you are interested.

Is there any hobbies or stuff you've always wanted to do but never got around to it?

[Deleted]

What is your BA in? And what masters are you doing?

What job are you interested in doing in the future?

Try and find something related to that? Smash it out for 6 months (gym it up at the time, pick up some hobbies beyond gaming, volunteer a bit for a cause you believe in)

Then spend the other 6 months on like a work holiday with the cash you've made.

[Eläin]

Make an account at couchsurfing. Com and start to look around for people who live in an area you want to visit. You find people in pretty much every town/city around the globe. Most people who sign up there are likeminded and socially competent, from my exerience its only been good! Lived with a chick in paris who just gave me the keys to her apartment and then ran off to work .
Anyways, my finnish couch is up for grabs during the summer and the same goes for my swedish one when school starts in the fall.
Travel the world on a budget, you will get far and the memories will last forever. Gl!

[Nario64]

If you are not in a relationship you may want to work on that if you are interested.

I'd suggest otherwise. If you're single and haven't had much experience dating (going with the 'nerdy gamer' stigma) then dating while you have nothing else to do will make you either:
1. Obsess about the person, always want to do things with them since you have nothing else to do, and they will become overwhelmed
or
2. You won't have anything else to keep your mind occupied and you may over-analyze the experience (which is usually very bad)
Also, it's tough to have fun dating if you don't have money to do things. It's doable, but not as much fun. Get a job if you want to start dating, and date on the side.

Make an account at couchsurfing. Com and start to look around for people who live in an area you want to visit. You find people in pretty much every town/city around the globe. Most people who sign up there are likeminded and socially competent, from my exerience its only been good! Lived with a chick in paris who just gave me the keys to her apartment and then ran off to work .
Anyways, my finnish couch is up for grabs during the summer and the same goes for my swedish one when school starts in the fall.
Travel the world on a budget, you will get far and the memories will last forever. Gl!

As much as I fully endorse your idea, it's not for everyone. It's actually for a select few of adventurous and streetwise people. Whenever I travel these days, it's couch surfing or hostels (Doing mostly hostels in Japan next month) and I travel with just a carry on. But I was lucky I was brought up as a traveler. If you've never traveled much or even at all, it can be very daunting to go crash on some strangers couch. But if the OP is up for it, do it.

[kendro1200]

You could work, as others have suggested, or you could study and try to get a head start on your master's program by preparing for it. Getting credits out of the way early and having an idea what your Master's thesis is going to be, and perhaps even have some background work already done for it, is a really smart idea to make sure that your Masters' program doesn't last forever.
Working and stock piling cash is good too, nothing says an enjoyable grad school stay like not having to live off ramen and pasta everyday.

[Nario64]

I'm highly endorsing traveling (incase you couldn't tell yet). This is a map on my wall of where I've been. 26 countries so far, Japan next month (not on the map yet). I really need to get south of the equator.

Take that year and travel, you won't regret it.

[serenka]

i'd travel, if money is an issue maybe get a working visa, i'd love to go and spend a few months working in USA/Australia, a friend of mine has just gone off for 6months working in USA, travelling around to 3 different states, 2months working in each with time to explore. i'm a little jealous!


i'm planning to start uni next September, after that i plan to take a year off and travel, i love visiting other countries but never really had the money, only been to 5 or so, and all in Europe

[ovm33]

Get a job. You say you have little to no expenses, but you have to have some. Food / rent /etc. How are you paying for this if you aren't working? I can understand not holding down a 40 hour a week gig while going to school... but you're not in school anymore, at least for a year, now are you?

Time to suck it up and pull on the big boy pants and stop sucking on your parents / governments teets.

[someotherguy]

Make a website, and get 100 people to use it at least to some degree.