Trips and Bills by Nancy

Trips and Bills by Nancy - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

After a first, successful freshman year in college, thinking about taking a gap year can sound scary. After all, not only am I excited to go back to school and enrich my mind but seeing my friends in a couple of weeks makes the waiting unbearable. However, as much as going back to school sounds exciting, the constant reminders of coming tuition dues and fees that come with a new school year makes a gap year sound rather attractive. If I were to take a gap year, in order to make the most out of it, I would most definitely work a full-time job to pay for my college tuition and if possible, go on a mission trip to a francophone country.
As nice as it sounds to take a gap year to relax and travel around the world, my gap year would consist of working full-time in order to save up for my tuition. Each click that leads to the acceptance of another loan makes it hard to believe I can ever graduate debt-free. While taking a gap year may hinder my plans of graduating in four years, I know that year will allow me to finish school with a smaller debt than if I were to do otherwise. Not only would I save up for my college expenses, but my hopes would be to help my parents with some of their own bills. Although my parents may work over 40 hours per week, having to provide for a six-person household puts them under a lot of stress in regards to their bills and expenses they have to pay. Me being another person with an income, it would allow me to help them monetarily and lift some weight off their shoulders.
If time and money allowed, I would also go on a mission trip, preferably, to a francophone country. Although English has quickly become an international language, there is still a great population of (in this case) French native speakers who do not know the English language. This would be a great opportunity for me in regards to practicing and being able to communicate in French, but also create new friendships and lasting memories interacting with the community members. Going on a mission trip to a francophone country will not only lessen the language barrier, but it will give me an insight into another culture and lifestyle. This will allow me to take a break from work and also give me personal experiences I can use in relation to my majors.
Overall, now that I am in college, having to pay for tuition and taking out loans can feel like a burden. If making the most out of a gap year consist of working full-time, and possibly doing a mission trip, in order to get my degree, I think it is rather reasonable to consider it.