Soak It Up by Ciara

Soak It Up by Ciara - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Ciara Gibson

Varsity Tutors Scholarship

7 March 2016

Soak It Up

Puking, screaming, crying. These are words that come to mind when I think of a classmate in my study abroad program. Her six weeks on foreign soil made her (and at times those around her) completely miserable. She had never left her home state and it showed.
The word require evokes a certain connotation of restriction to me. Maybe that’s just my young Millennialist mind talking. I usually like to be disassociated with generational thought; however we are known for not wanting to be restricted, judged, and criticized. I can’t help but feel that schools mandating a study abroad experience would not be healthy for every student. Instead, every student should be allowed to exercise the freedom of choice.
For me, studying abroad was a requirement. Yes, it was a mandate passed down from the president of the university or, at least, the head of the Foreign Language department, but I couldn’t have cared less about that. The compelling, God-given motivation to study abroad was planted within me at the young age of nine¬– when I started to learn French in school. I studied the foreign language in the United States for about a decade, and I was consistently near the bottom of my French classes. Twelve years later after much dedication, perseverance, and stress– both academically and financially– I reached my dream of studying abroad in France. Before I left, my mom told me to, “soak it up,” and I did. I had the best time of my life. I had tunnel vision dedicating myself to the study of French language and culture. My thirst for knowledge couldn’t be quenched. I wanted to know about the people– their view on politics and religion. I wanted to hear about their stories and lives. I wanted to learn about the language– grammar, sentence structure, and literature. I wanted to learn about the culture– their beautiful history, church, and food. Nothing could satisfy my search for these questions: What makes a French person French? What are the values naturally ingrained and taught to their children? I became so intrigued with their culture that I returned the following summer and plan on returning this summer.
During my last semester of my undergraduate degree, I finally wasn’t at the bottom of my French class. I could speak with confidence and fluidity. I overcame the fear of asking questions. Immersed in another culture made me self-aware in every way.
I currently teach French to preschoolers and get to experience the joy of watching their faces light up when they learn a new word. This fall, I plan on returning to school to finish a degree in education to become a better teacher.
Reality is that not everyone loved the study-abroad experience as much as I did. Studying in France helped guide the rest of my life and career, but for others it was just a miserable experience. I hope that universities will do us, travel junkies, a favor and let the homebodies stay home.