Freeing Societal Expectations by Samantha

Freeing Societal Expectations by Samantha - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

Society tells you to go to high school for four years, take all the A.P. classes available to you, get a perfect 4.0 GPA, and get into the best Ivy League school you are accepted into. That process is fine, as long as you fit into the 0.1% of people that that sequence works for. Everyone else? A face full of pimples and anxiety issues because you are trying to be someone you are not meant to be. There is another option. Would you rather learn about the Taj Mahal in your Cultures 1 class Freshman Fall Semester 1, or stand inches from its walls while taking in the history yourself?
Taking a gap year is the best thing you could do for yourself: entering this world, independent and free, as long as you spend your time meaningfully. If I were to take a gap year, which I have thought about numerous times, I would begin in Spain. A language immersion month-long program would start my journey. There, I would be immersed in Spanish culture, language, and other international students like myself.
From there, I would find work exchange programs, staying at host families houses or businesses for free in exchange for my labor or insight, throughout Europe. Two weeks to a month in each place would be most appropriate, I feel, for a total of five countries/families. An example of countries I, personally, would go to is Spain, France, Poland, Finland, and China. While in each of these Locations, I would contact local organizations such as orphanages, food banks, soup kitchens, elderly housing, etc. that could use help and immerse me in the culture while impacting those in need. By the end of these few months, I would feel as if I have had a global impact, along with feeling independent that I can survive by myself anywhere in the world.
After those experiences, I would include another structured program to take some of the responsibility off myself, and implement more structure into my days. For example, I may join a group in Nepal with a "tour-guide" that leads you on a hiking trek through the Himalayan Mountains. Programs such as the one mentioned tend to run around two weeks long and include accommodation and food. This would again immerse you into another culture much different than America and even Europe for that matter.
Lastly, I would end my gap year at a yoga school in India, the birthplace of yoga. These programs tend to last a month, and include five hours of yoga each day. There, I would be around international students also interested in the healing aspects of yoga and would like to deepen their practice.
Coming back to America to begin college after this year may be difficult or may be comforting. However, at least you would know your experience was unlike any other and something you will never forget. We only have a finite time on this Earth and if all of it is spent in a classroom or office, I feel we are missing out. Being eighteen is a powerful time, because you are in charge of your own future and the way you live your life. Make the most of what is available to you. Think outside the box and do something great!