Planning on traveling after high school, but not sure what you need? Read this handy how-to guide. 

AU PAIR
So, you’ve decided you want to au pair overseas? You need to be able to answer yes to the following questions:

• Are you between 18 and 30 years old?
• Do you have a matric certificate?
• Have a clear criminal record? ‘You will need to obtain a police clearance, which is either done through your local police station, or your au pair agency can assist’, explains Amanda
• Do you have childcare experience? ‘Babysitting counts as childcare experience,’ says Amanda. ‘As does coaching a younger sports team. It doesn’t have to be professional.’ 
• Do you have a driver’s licence? ‘This is most important if you want to go to America. If you’d like to go to the Netherlands, you need to be able to ride a bicycle.’ 
• Can you swim?

STUDYING
Studying overseas is a bit more complex as it all depends on which university you want to go to, and how much help they will give you. Rais Hassim (18) has been working towards getting a scholarship in America since he started high school. To get a scholarship, he needs to do the following:

• Maintain an 80%+ average. 
• Do the SATs (an American test used for admission to American colleges. Your score will influence which colleges you can get into.) 
• Obtain letters of recommendation from teachers and coaches.

And if you’re not getting a bursary? ‘You’ll need to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses for at least a year, depending what country you go to,’ says Amanda. Yikes. Good luck! 

For more travel trips, page through your January issue of ClubX.