GAP year developments

Dear MUWCI alumni,

Greetings from the hill! We are writing in order to inform you about some changes that we are making to our gap year programme structure and to see how you might be able to be a part of it!

Our primary goal is to make the gap year / third year option a more attractive one to the students of the college. While taking a gap year might have been a valid option during your time at the college, now, there are very few students who see value in it. Most are caught up in the race for universities, without taking the time to think about what they want to learn.

As a first step in addressing this, we carried out a survey to elicit the level of enthusiasm that current first years have for taking a gap year. Based on the results, we understood that one of the main deterrents for taking a gap year is the lack of financial support. Another deterrent is the inability to convince parents / guardians about the values of taking a gap year. We are trying to work on both these aspects. 

While the latter will be addressed via email conversations with parents of current students, addressing the former requires the creation of a gap year award which would provide truly interested and motivated students the financial support they need for a focussed and structured gap year. 

And this is where you, an alumnus of MUWCI, would be able to help us in a concrete fashion. If you feel like giving back to your alma mater, then this is a good opportunity to do so. You can choose one of the following options:

Option 1:

If you have an idea for a gap year which you want to see in action, you can decide the thematic / regional focus for the gap year, and provide the student with a stipend to go with it. The stipend needs to be enough to cover basic costs of transport, lodging and food. For example, if you are keen to sponsor a gap year in India, a reasonable stipend would be
Rs 1,00,000 (approximately US$ 2000) for the entire year. 

 

Option 2:

You could also finance a gap year that we design. We will design a programme with the student in question, and your money would support the student’s living expenses for the duration of the programme. 

Please think about this and write back to us with as many queries and clarifications as you need. 

We look forward to hearing from you soon,

Warm regards,

Jing (Class of 2013) and Subarna (Faculty, Mathematics)

Gap year team for the Triveni office