Study Abroad Gap Year Programs

Would absolutely recommend this program to anybody looking to experience Chinese culture! You’ve got to be able to roll with the punches, and learn to manage your time well, but the rewards are so worth it. Being an au pair is incredible for learning Chinese, as you get to learn as you teach. The friendship I made with my kiddo was the highlight of the whole experience!!! LoPair is amazing at finding great host families, on top of creating a great support system during your stay.

It has been an incredible experience. I was able to fulfill my dream of studying Chinese and getting to know this beautiful country. Also, meeting my "little friend," being able to teach her English and share time with her, has made me very happy. Being part of a Chinese family has been a challenge because of cultural differences, but it has been a beautiful experience.

I was in Quepos for 6 weeks did Spanish classes, surf classes and two volunteer projects (working with kids and teaching english). I made a lot of new friends, got more independent and experienced an amazing country like a local.

I strongly recommend LoPair for an experience as an au pair in China! The staff has always been helpful whenever i had questions, and they were extremely supportive throughout my experience. Not only is this an amazing opportunity to learn more about the culture, history and traditions of the country, but it’s also an excellent way to learn Chinese and make new friends. Every month the staff will also plan a cultural activity for all au pairs, giving us the chance to try different crafts and meet up together.

One thing I appreciate about this program is that you are able to focus on just living. Before taking the leap, I constantly made decisions around bills and working. For the time I have been here, I have met amazing people that have changed the course of my life and learned from teachers who taught me lessons beyond just Chinese. I am not saying that your experience will always be easy, but the plot is well worth it.

I went into Seamester feeling excited, nervous and worried that my expectations were unrealistically high! I can not stress enough that I was so wrong, Seamester blew my mind, it was more incredible than I could ever have began to imagine. I can not recommend this program enough, you will experience once in a lifetime things and see incredible places. More than that you will learn, learn about the world the ocean and most importantly yourself. You will be challenged in the best way possible and truthfully flourish. I owe this program so much and would do it again in a heartbeat. Go in with a smile and an open mind and it will not disappoint.

I came to Argentina with mente Argentina for the first time and it was a really good experience ! It’s perfect if you want to make friends and contacts really quickly, the atmosphere is warm, people are really nice and the activities are amazing ! I did the barman program during 1 month and it was really resourceful but I ended up staying in Argentina longer using Mente Argentinas apartment. Even if I was technically not with Mente anymore, I kept really good friendships from mente Argentina as I was in the shared apartment option. The apartment has everything you need to make your stay comfortable, it was also close to marketplaces, bars etc. This option is also really good if you want to make friends fast ! I recommend entirely !

My semester abroad in Nepal was one of the most influential and memorable three months of my life - even years on afterwards! This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best ways - learning to bargain, figuring things out for myself in a place that was completely new to me, fumbling (but loving!) learning Nepali and the excitement of speaking to people in rural villages and learning about what their lives were like, pushing myself physically when it came to trekking, eating so many momos (delicious!), and feeling the extraordinary peace of days of silence at the Buddhist monastery. The instructors were also incredibly supportive and helped me make connections for my independent study project (theater in Kathmandu). I came back from Nepal with so much more confidence in myself and my abilities; I would not trade this experience for anything!

Going to Nepal changed my entire life. I wish I could go back. The experiences I had, the people I met, the food… I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to go. The trip was well organized and I always felt safe. I knew I could rely on my team leads. There were numerous opportunities to lean into activities that I was interested in, and I felt an appropriate amount of freedom and boundaries which are both very important when traveling to a foreign country!! I would recommend a dragons program to anyone. It’s not an experience you come to regret.

My gap program with Dragons in China and Southeast Asia was truly a remarkable experience. Doing homestays in Cambodia, Laos, and China are experiences that I'll remember for the rest of my life. The instructors were excellent and managed to both challenge the group and make sure that everyone was always supported and had everything they needed. I learned a lot from their instruction, but the full immersion in local culture was my favorite part.

Over 10 years ago I had the most incredible gap year experience in Bolivia and Peru with Where there be Dragons. The knowledge I gathered during that trip continues to inform my thinking and career path today. My time in Bolivia and Peru, learning about international development through the lens of host families, local NGOs, civil society organizations, and the Where there be Dragons staff themselves inspired me to pursue an undergraduate degree (and now graduate!) in international studies, Spanish, development, and policy. I have spent 10 years living, working, and studying in Washington DC and continue to reference this experience in job interviews and graduate program applications. Shockingly, all of this isn't even the best part of the experience. Instead, it's the relationships and friendships built that continue to last the test of time. In the past year I've seen three dragons friends around the US, and over the past ten years there's been countless reunions and catch ups. Would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for experiential learning opportunities that seamlessly blend intense outdoor exploration, independent study, and cultural immersion- as well as of course lifetime friendships.

SAS as a recent high school graduate was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to sail on the Fall 25 voyage as an international gap year student. The experience as a whole was so unique and I truly do not believe that you can find such a program anywhere else. The accommodation was so surreal because I got to wake up and see the waves as we sailed across the world. The community SAS builds is welcoming and kind because whenever I had a problem on the ship or in port, I never once felt alone or stranded. There will always be someone in your corner, which I appreciated. A massive thank you especially to the crew members on the ship who always make an effort to get to know your name, check in and give you a smile or laugh whenever you're stressed by travel planning, relationships and/or academics. The food does get quite repetitive if I'm being honest but it's truly a blessing to have such skilled crew members who can create delicious and nutritious meals in the middle of nowhere on the ocean. Pro tip: always get your cake first cause everyone loves the cake and it's always the first to go. In terms of academics. there are a variety of courses and I loved how everything always tied back to our in-port experiences, which allowed us to reflect on our SAS journey deeply, which I think was a crucial aid in how I developed and matured as a person. This was a great bridge between high school and university because I feel that I came out more mature, socially aware and ready for adult life. I also never felt that I couldn't make new friends because everyone is so open and you get to interact with a lot of diversity due to the various represented cultures, backgrounds, religions, nationalities etc. Til now, I am so grateful for the friends I made on SAS and we keep in touch almost daily as we plan our reunion trips. If I had one piece of advice for whoever's reading this, is that you will never truly see and understand the world around you until you're interacting with various people on the ship and in port. So do it!!! You will never regret SAS, I can promise you that :p

I wanted a gap year that actually meant something, not just backpacking. This program gave me structure and purpose. I studied at Fudan University in Shanghai while interning at a finance firm. My Mandarin improved so much I could hold business meetings by month four. The support team was incredible — always there when I needed help. Now I'm working in international trade, and this experience is on every interview list. Worth every penny.

If you’re looking for a safe way to travel while earning some money, I think being an au pair is one of the best options. You get a great homestay, your meals are covered, and there’s a good balance between duty hours and free time. With LoPair in particular, you also have the chance to seriously study Chinese at one of China’s most popular universities, especially if you’re placed in Shanghai. It is an such an amazing opportunity for both personal and even professional growth. Shoutout to Alison and Erica, who have always supported us whenever we faced any kind of issue, from visa problems to host family situations.

Choosing an Au Pair agency is always a daunting task but I must tell you guys, Lopair really was there for me even when me and my Host family went through some tougher times! I do not think any other agency is as engaged as they are! So if you're looking for safety and security as well as a good agency that always has your back, you should definitely choose Lopair. Other than that, Lopair also is a really affordable option. They literally payed for almost everything. Flights and accommodation if things go wrong, really it’s great! So if you’re still unsure, this can be your push in the right direction! Also a shout out to Alison and Erica my Coordinators here in Shanghai, they’ve been so helpful and kind to me throughout the entire time I was here! Love them to bits!

Hi ! My name is Acha and I was Au pairing with Lopair from February to November 2025. To say this experience changed my life is an understatement, I had one of the best host family one could ask for and we definitely hit it off ! I traveled with them for months going to amusement parks with the kids and having the time of my life. My Chinese improved a lot and by the end I could maintained a full conversation! And after this I loved Shanghai so much I came back to work here with the help of my host family which I am still in contact with to this day :) Thanks to Alison for organizing very fun outings, always trust her for food, she knows her stuff ! And thanks to Erica for always being here when needed <3 Take a chance and come in China with Lopair !!! If you have any questions about my experience here's my insta: @acha_mint

Having completed my 6 month program in Hangzhou, I can say with certainty that I have no regrets about my decision to participate in this program and I am so grateful for this experience. From the beginning, Lopair supported me and eased any of my worries, they made the application process very streamlined and matched me with a wonderful family! I have experienced things in China that I would never have been able to alone, and I really felt like I could integrate into life here. Despite the initial culture shock, I was lucky to have a good support system here, through the agency, my host family and close friends I made through the program. Even when there were hardships, I was never made to feel like I made the wrong choice coming here, and I feel that, above all else, I have grown so incredibly much as a person thanks to my time here! I couldn't recommend it enough, especially to others who may have been like me, finishing high school without a clear sense of direction and wanting a new environment. There is no better way to truly observe Chinese life than by becoming a part of a family, and Lopair facilitates that so well. As the days before my departure tick down, I am sure that I will work with Lopair again to come back to China, and I would recommend this agency without reservation.

I am a 19 year old French girl who arrived in Beijing in November 2025. I had a first experience with a family which I thought was perfect for me but turned out that I was not the person for them. Lopair found me a new family really quickly and now it is going really really good. I thank them so much for their reactivity and I see this family change as a positive and great thing. It doesn’t have to be perfect right away!! Right now it’s going so good with the children, I love them like my own. I absolutely love my Mandarin classes : I’ve made good friends from all across the world and I’m so happy about it. We learn very fast and my curiosity keeps growing bigger and bigger everyday about this language. The teachers are really nice, such as all the school staff in general. I’m really glad I’m getting more and more autonomous, I know it will help me for the rest of my life. Of course, at some point my family and my habits are starting to be missing a little but I think about the great holiday I’m going to take next month ;) Thank you Lopair for this crazy enriching experience !!! 谢谢 ！

I can genuinely recommend this program. I think there is no better way to learn Mandarin and to explore the Chinese culture. My Chinese skills improved extremely quickly and I did more activities than I can remember. Of course, taking care of the child was exhausting at times, but It was also incredibly rewarding and the parents made sure to plan lots of fun activities for us. As in any situation in life, I also encountered one or two challenges here. The lopair staff was super helpful and made me feel taken care of very well. All in all it was an amazing time, I would definitely do it again.

AuPair in Beijing I have only been in the program for not even 2 months, but I am really enjoying it. The LoPair stuff is really kind and helpful. If you have any issues or questions, they are always there for you and try their best to help you. In addition, the organization plans monthly meetups with other AuPairs in your city, which are very fun. Some examples of those meetups, which I attended are a photoshoot in traditional clothing and doing pottery. It is not only fun to do those activities, but also learn more about the culture and are able to exchange your experiences with other AuPairs and make contacts. Another great point is the language course. You get to learn more about the language and culture and meet new people with similar interests. And it is very helpful to improve your Chinese to understand the culture better and to navigate through daily life. Lastly staying with a hostfamily is also a great experience, although it can come with some challenges. It gives you the insight of the local life in China and they accompany you on your journey. You get to eat a lot of local dishes, learn about the culture like Chinese new year and get to learn how things can be different in other cultures. You can also travel with your hostfamily. Mine for example took me to Hangzhou and Anji for Chinese New year. But also know, that language barriers and cultural difference are also part of the experience and one can struggle a bit. Just be sure to be open and accept the differences, try to communicate and learn. But don't worry, the company will even help you with that. Overall LoPair will give you a great service and always tries their best to help you.