Training

Last month I spent four days on the Hebridean Island of Coll. While there I met over 80 enthusiastic volunteers and learned a lot to prepare me for India.

Training is a specially designed course provided by PT to prepare it's volunteers for their challenging year abroad. It was one of the reasons I chose PT for my Gap Year as I think it's a really important idea.

Before training I felt totally unprepared for India. But the course was very helpful. We had many discussions about the customs and culture of India, talks on many subjects from health care (fluids!) to keeping people up to date. One of the most helpful things I learned was how to teach. We had to plan and execute two lessons each. This was perfect for teaching us how to teach (sounds strange but it's true). I blindfolded my classes. Thus, I learned the limitations involved with teaching blind students and what I can do to make the lessons more accessible. It was a great help.

The training was intense, a lot to take in and not a lot of time to do it! Staying up past midnight chatting certainly didn't help!

I also met the 23 other girls I'll be going to India with. Everyone was really nice (phew!). I also finally met my partner! I believe we got on well.

Also had a great two nights in Oban, my first hostel stay!

Good Luck to all the Thailand, Senegal and China volunteers I met too!

TL:DR - Training prepared me and I met loads of great people.