Put the Excitement Back into Education by Grace

Put the Excitement Back into Education by Grace - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

Put the Excitement Back into Education

Imagine you’re stuck in an incredibly boring class. Yep. You know the one. Your professor’s voice drags on in an endless monotone, you sit in the same desk you’ve sat in all year, and your eyes glaze over as your mind wanders to more important things…like lunch. Unfortunately, this scene is all too familiar to students of every age and background in the typical US school system. Imagine now that you’re in that same class, the subject matter hasn’t changed, but your environment drastically has. You’re now sitting in an entirely different country, with a diverse cast of characters surrounding you. Foreign landscapes, weather, language and culture envelope your curriculum. Everything around is a new experience, and your brain is alert and ready to learn.
Vastly different scenarios right? Which would you prefer? The majority of students, along with myself, would choose to explore the second option. Study abroad programs are offered by a majority of colleges as a way to expand your horizons. By attending a study abroad program you would be given the opportunity to develop knowledge not only academically, but emotionally, culturally and spiritually. Growth comes from breaking out of your comfort zone and trying new things, so what better way to achieve that then through travel? Study abroad programs’ primary purpose is to help you grow. The adventures you traverse on, the people you meet, the lessons you learn and the new experiences you try during such a program stick with you your entire life.
Study abroad seeks to put the excitement back into education. Education and learning in itself is not boring, it is quite the opposite in fact. Our brains are hardwired to learn and find incredible satisfaction and purpose in the process of learning a new skill or subject. However, the unbearable repetition of our school system can foster a sense of bland monotony and purposelessness. Every minute is scheduled, you don’t get to make many decisions on your own, and once you’re free from your school hours a pile of homework awaits you. Every day. For 12 years. Because of this, many students are burnt out by the time they reach college, sitting quietly in an assigned desk. By studying abroad, you’re granted an opportunity to shatter the mold of traditional classroom education, supplement your coursework with cultural experiences and appreciate learning for the adventure it truly is.