I didn’t realize it until I was already leaving Ecuador, but I made a big mistake. My original intention was to spend the year progressively studying for the GRE in my free time. Even if I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for grad school or if I would apply, I would at least be ready for it. But studying for an exam for an entire year is a hard thing to do. You get bored, you get restless, and without a test date in mind, you lose interest and move on. So after a couple of months of studying for about 30 minutes at a time, I stopped. 
And now I’m really kicking myself for it. As a volunteer I only worked 20 hours a week, and often struggled with finding things to do in the meantime. Now I work over 40 hours a week and might be adding tutoring as a side gig. All of this, in between trying to study for the GRE in December and applying to grad schools (which is in itself is a huge process to undertake). Additionally, I’m new to Buenos Aires and still trying to get adjusted here, make friends, and have some fun at the same time. It’s too much for one period of time.
Many people who volunteer for extended periods of time are doing it as a gap year, or until they figure out what they want to do with themselves. But that doesn’t mean that you have to sit around until inspiration hits. I would suggest, from my own experience, that it’s much better to be prepared and use that free time to study for an exam like the GRE or MCAT or whatever you might be interested in down the line. Even if you only have a slight interest. Because if you wind up in a situation like I now find myself in, you will know that you squandered valuable time.
My only hope now is that I can balance all of these things delicately, and come away successful, standing on the other edge with a job and a grad school waiting for me. So use that time volunteering wisely. It goes quicker than you think.
Latest posts by jgbrandt8
- Not Too Far Gone - March 4th, 2010
- Mate Makes Amigos - January 15th, 2010
- Day in the Life: G to the R to the E in Bs to the As - December 18th, 2009
- Would It All Be Worth It If...? - December 1st, 2009
- New Doors Open, Finally - November 25th, 2009
- Putting Volunteering on Hold - November 3rd, 2009
- Romanticizing Ecuador, But Aware of It - October 27th, 2009
- Going Abroad Alone or With a Group? - October 7th, 2009
- Keep Your Head Up, Champ! - September 29th, 2009
- I Sold Out, Dude. Went All Corporate. - September 22nd, 2009
Ude your time wisely. So true, you can never get it back.