My Favorite Non-traditional Way to Learn by Maximus

My Favorite Non-traditional Way to Learn by Maximus - September 2024 Scholarship Essay

Students are usually provided textbooks or forced to hear lectures from professors or teachers on various subject matters. Unfortunately, these are the typical or traditional ways students learn the course material. My favorite non-traditional way of learning is by physically immersing myself in the culture or obtaining personal experience. Nothing can beat actually living and breathing an experience you read about in text or hearing from your teacher.

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a few countries. While in elementary school, I visited France and Austria. I experienced the World Cup (France won) and visited the place where the Sound of Music was based in Austria. This resulted in a deep conversation about the Von Trapp family and their flight to freedom. It is one thing to read about the Nazi and another to have a tour guide explain and have you imagine that point in time.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit Italy, Switzerland and Germany for a Leadership Summit. Trekking up a mountain in Switzerland or taking in the scenery on a gondola ride in Italy is something you can't put into words. The words in a textbook doesn't do justice for this type of experience.

Many students don't get the opportunity to travel to different countries and that's okay! The whole world shut down a few years ago and opened up so many ways to learn outside of the traditional ways we are so use to in the past. Thank you for allowing me to share my experiences and stroll down memory lane. Carpe Diem!