FAQs

About the Preparation Year

1. Why did we start a Preparation Year?
2. What is the difference between a GAP Year and a PREPARATION Year?
3. What type of commitment is the Preparation Year?
4. Will I have more clarity on which career to choose after the Prep Year?
5. How much free time will I have, when enrolled in the Prep Year?
6. Who should join this Prep Year?
7. What will I be doing in the Prep Year?
8. What can I expect from this Prep Year?
9. What makes this Prep Year different from others?
10. Will I cope with such a full program?
11. Will this year not be wasting my time?
12. Am I ready for a Prep Year?
13. What are common misconceptions about a Preparation Year?
14. Where are you located?
15. How do I apply for the Prep Year?
16. Is there student accommodation available?
17. What is the age limit for the Prep Year?
18. What will I need for the Prep Year?
19. What work experience will I be exposed to?
20. What if I have a part-time job?
21. What is the academic calendar for the Prep Year?
22. Do I need a car or some form of transport?

1. Why did we start a Preparation Year?

We started the Preparation Year because we realized from our own experiences, as well as our work with young people, that people need guidance and support especially in making big decisions like choosing a career. Learning practical and especially emotional life skills is vital. We help young people to make the best transition possible into adult life.

2. What is the difference between a GAP Year and a PREPARATION Year?

When people hear GAP year, they usually conclude that you are taking a year off. The definition of Gap Year is a period, typically an academic year, taken by a student as a break between school and university or college education.

A Preparation Year in contrast to this is a program designed to prepare students for their first year of higher education. Our Prep Year is a year where the students engage in different courses, travel, work experience, and volunteer work. It’s taking the time to develop your emotional and practical skills to prepare you for university or entering into work life.

3. What type of commitment is the Preparation Year?

The Prep Year is a full-time commitment. It’s a year that you take to invest in yourself and your future without any other distractions. We work according to the school terms, and students get to go home for two of the four holidays during the year, the remaining two holidays are spent on tours.

There are written and practical assignments to complete each term. The Certificate courses we offer will require written exams.

4. Will I have more clarity on which career to choose after the Prep Year?

Yes. This is one of the main focus points of the year, to expose the students to many different career options. There is an in-depth career guidance session involving aptitude and personality questionnaires and throughout the year we guide and advise our students in private sessions.

5. How much free time will I have, when enrolled in the Prep Year?

You will have free time to spend with your family and friends on weekends and off days. The schedule can sometimes feel demanding we, therefore, monitor the students and also schedule free time or relax time into the Prep Year schedule. This is also a great way to teach practical time management.

6. Who should join this Prep Year?

This Preparation Year is for young people that are not sure what they want to do after matriculating as well as for those who want to gain experience doing various courses, tours, and volunteer work. The life skills we teach are practical life skills and emotional life skills. We have a holistic approach and focus on a balanced body, soul, and spirit. This Prep year will be of most value to people who are interested in personal development, likes learning, and experiencing new things, and has a positive attitude. This is for young people ages 18 to 22 years old.

7. What will I be doing in the Prep Year?

This is a formative year for young people to learn a variety of Life Skills. All courses include theory and practical sessions as well as assignments to be completed.

Some of the emotional life skills courses that you will be doing at the Prep Year include emotional intelligence, people skills (interaction with others - thus communication and conflict resolution), personal skills (self-consciousness, managing your emotions and stress), cognitive skills (critical thinking and problem solving).

Some of the practical life skills courses that you will be doing at the Prep Year include Scuba Diving, Photography, Social Media Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Business Management, First Aid Level 1 & 2, Biblical Foundations, Career choices, Marine Ecology, Ocean conservation courses, and volunteer work.

The courses are presented in a group setting, our groups are kept to a minimum number of students per year because we pay attention to each individual. You will be learning and growing within a mentoring relationship. You will also have regular one-on-one sessions where you have the opportunity to talk through more personal matters. You will also have one on one career guidance sessions.

The Prep Year also includes various trips and tours where students get the chance to practically apply what they have learned through the term as well as relax and enjoy the trip. Every year is unique and we visit places like Egypt, Mafia Island, Madagascar, St. Helena Island and we have an Africa tour where we travel through 5 African countries. These tours will expand your mind, experiences, and interests.

Prep Year Courses

8. What can I expect from this Prep Year?

The students that take part in this program undergo a rapid learning process. This is a personal development year where we help you realize your potential and develop your talents and strengths. This year will broaden your horizons and open your eyes to many possibilities and opportunities. It is our goal to help young people remove their personal stumbling blocks and to live a fulfilling life.

9. What makes this Prep Year different from others?

We have a passion for people, to help them develop and see them succeed. This is not a job to us but a calling. The young dynamic group that is involved with our Prep Year has the same values and ideals.

The programs we offer are adjusted around each student’s individual needs.

10. Will I cope with such a full program?

The program is jam-packed in order to give our students as much as possible in the time you are with us. We monitor the students and schedule relax time, off days as well as fun outings to help students manage. We are flexible and take each individual student into consideration. We will not expect things of you that you are not capable of, but we like to push student’s a bit so that you realize how capable you really are.

11. Will this year not be wasting my time?

The Prep Year is an investment that you make in yourself. You take time to focus on yourself, to get to know yourself better, and to develop yourself. This year will help you mature, make better decisions for your future as well as give you lots of practical experience. After this year you will have a head start because: you will have worked through issues, know your strengths and weaknesses, gained experience, improved your emotional intelligence as well as gained lots of practical life skills. You will have more clarity on what you want to do and the way you need to take to get there. This is a road lesser traveled, but it is definitely worth it!

12. Am I ready for a Prep Year?

This comes down to your attitude. If you are positive and willing to learn, you can achieve anything. The year will be what you make of it. We give as much as possible to each student, to give them the most opportunities to grow and learn, the rest is up to each student whether they seize these opportunities or not.

13. What are common misconceptions about a Preparation Year?

Thinking it is a year that you take to do nothing.

This Prep Year is quite the opposite of doing nothing. It is a jam-packed year with a very demanding schedule. You will complete the year having done various Certificates and courses.

Thinking that it’s for people who are ‘not very academic’.

The Prep Year will be of great value to anyone. Even though the main focus of the Prep Year is to further your emotional intelligence and practical life skills, academics does form quite a big part of our Prep Year.

14. Where are you located?

The Prep Year is in Gordon’s Bay, a coastal town 45min drive from Cape Town city bowl.

15. How do I apply for the Prep Year?

You can download the application form and email it to us. Once we receive the application form, we will contact you to arrange a meeting with the student and his/her parents. This meeting can be in person or via Zoom.

16. Is there student accommodation available?

Yes, we have a live-in option available.  There are two student apartments, one for girls and one for boys. They are located in Greenways Golf Estate, a secure complex between Strand and Gordon's Bay.

17. What is the age limit for the Prep Year?

We will accept students between 18 and 22 years old.

18. What will I need for the Prep Year?

Appropriate Clothing and shoes for each of the following:

• Sportswear
• Swimwear
• Hiking wear
• Presentable clothes for working with customers
• Passport and ID
• Cell phone in good working order
• Digital Camera

Optional Items

• Laptop/ tablet

19. What work experience will I be exposed to?

You will get exposure and/or experience in the following areas:

Marketing, retail, tourism, facilitating adventure activities, customer service, facilitating classes, working with children, managing people, marketing, entrepreneurship, public speaking, compiling information, writing articles, social media management, photography, and volunteer work. If a student shows interest in a specific area, we will arrange some exposure or job shadowing in that profession for them. 

20. What if I have a part-time job?

Since the Prep Year is a full-time commitment, you will not be able to take part in the Prep Year. You will, however, be able to join our Skills Development Program. Contact us to discuss your specific needs.

21. What is the academic calendar for the Prep Year?

We work according to the Western Cape government school calendar.

22. Do I need a car or some form of transport?

No, you will not need a car. We have Prep Year vehicles and mostly travel as a group.

If you have any other questions please CONTACT US.

Just Africa Life Skills Preparation Year

This Preparation Year guides a young person into their future, taking further education, life skills, emotional intelligence, gaining work experience, and job availability into consideration.

This is for young people that are not sure what they want to do after matriculating as well as for those who want to gain experience doing various courses, tours, and volunteer work. The life skills we teach are practical life skills and emotional life skills. We have a holistic approach and focus on a balanced body, soul, and spirit.

Download Prep Year info (PDF)

Download Application Form (PDF)

Category: Prep Year

• prep year

Shark & Dive Tour

The Shark & Dive Tour is for conservation awareness and diving experience furthering the Prep Year student’s knowledge and skills.

This tour will take place in KZN where we visit Sodwana Bay and the Aliwal Shoal.

THIS LEARNING EXPERIENCE

• Is a great follow up of the Shark Life Conservation course and gives the students the opportunity to see and experience the grace and beauty of these misunderstood animals first hand. Sharks are a vital part of the ecosystem and they need to be protected.
• This tour is also about raising awareness about the plastic pollution problem the world is currently facing and the impact that it has on the ocean and environment.
• The students will gain valuable diving experience.

Sodwana Bay

Is located on the east coast of South Africa, in one of the most unique and unspoiled parts of the world. Situated in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the Maputaland Marine Reserve.

Aliwal Shoal

The Aliwal Shoal is a rocky reef which is the remains of an ancient sand dune approximately 5 kilometres off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Aliwal Shoal has a diverse marine life including large predators and is popular as a recreational scuba diving destination. The Shoal is known especially for its abundance of Grey nurse sharks (known locally as ragged tooth sharks or "raggies") between July and November when the sharks congregate there to mate.

We protect what we love. Education is vital to understanding which leads to conservation.

Category: Prep Year

Category: Prep Year

• life skills
• personal growth
• prep year
• travel