Making the Most of My Gap Year by Kyle

Making the Most of My Gap Year by Kyle - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

A gap year can be both a blessing and a curse. If you use the time for extra leisure, you could have a rough return to education following, but a gap year utilized just for work could prove even more draining or distracting. Deciding whether or not to take a gap year would most definitely be a challenging decision, and I personally wouldn’t take one unless the situation essentially required it. However, if I was to take a gap year, and I was not limited financially or in any other facet, I would utilize the gap year to expand my knowledge through travel and work to create useful, interesting, experiences.
Despite aspiring to be an engineer, I’ve been fond of history since I was a young child. Ancient Greek history was fascinating to me then, and still is today. I’ve taken the time to learn so much about Ancient Greek architecture, culture, warfare, and more. I’ve seen pictures and diagrams of homes in Ancient Greece, but I’ve never had the opportunity to actually focus on what remains today, and what historians have utilized to create models. If I was gifted the opportunity during a gap year, I would utilize the time to experience the history of Greece through what remains. Seeing the ruins of Rhodes and Athens personally would further my love for history, and develop a stronger connection to the subject. Seeing the Parthenon, in person, still standing, would strengthen my understanding of Ancient Greek architectural mastery. Learning about the great Greek history from textbooks is one thing, but actual experiencing what remains is a totally new, refreshing experience, that I could not pass up, if I had the opportunity during a gap year.
However, there is more to making the most out of a gap year than solely pursuing interesting travel experiences. An equally important aspect of utilizing a gap year is work. Work isn’t necessarily the most glorified aspect of a gap year, but it is surely important. Inevitably, post education, I will work to make a living, and hopefully support a family. Unfortunately, my work experience thus far has been limited. I’ve worked our family farm, and helped my father in his weld shop, but I haven’t gone out in search of employment and gained the experience of applying to and working for a company that isn’t family oriented. To effectively utilize a gap year, I would apply for a job, and commit to it, in order to develop skills and experience in the job industry. What jobs I would apply for, I’m not entirely sure, but I likely would avoid the food service industry, while instead searching for a more labor oriented job. Labor based work could prove difficult, but would help me learn to overcome challenges different from school work. Working throughout my gap year would be an important part of me effectively utilizing my time.
Though I do not desire to take a gap year, the same ideas and opportunities can be discovered over summer breaks. I’m am absolutely sure I will seek work experience in the upcoming summers, before inevitably taking the finals steps into adulthood and kick-starting a career. Travel is less likely, but if I did have the opportunity to take a trip sooner rather than later, I would, but until then it remains a future goal. These, when utilized during a gap year, would create the most effective gap year for me, because it would stimulate learning through experience, and continue to develop my personal character. There is more to life than a standard education, and a gap year that effectively combines travel and work experience could prove to be beneficial to anybody.