Sociology: The Class for Our Lives by Soraya

Sociology: The Class for Our Lives by Soraya - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

Class after class, lecture after lecture–soon enough, the high school experience transforms from a new, enthralling world closer to adulthood to a repetitive cycle. With the clear-cut course requirements, high school students often lack space to take extra classes that may enhance their knowledge outside the classroom. With that in mind, it is important to provide a class that will do so. That class, although filling the general requirements, will encourage students to think analytically in a classroom setting but will also resonate and provide use in everyday life. Sociology is that class.

Sociology is psychology’s long-lost brother; similar in theory but largely different. Sociology and psychology both focus on how things work, but sociology focuses on societal factors in relation to actions, thoughts, and feelings.

The goal in adding sociology to the American high school curriculum is to promote a bigger-picture view of the world. It will encourage students to be more aware when making decisions or observations. It is a course that focuses less on history and dates and more on ideas and theories. It is a subject that affects people’s past and present, but also shapes the future. That is the best part; it is a course that will be useful beyond the classroom.

Taking sociology alone has shaped my life in more ways than one. It inspired me, of course, to choose the discipline as my major. Most importantly, however, I grew with it. Sociology taught me a lot about my own life; it allowed me to use the adversities in my home as an advantage. It also humbled me. Of course, everyone has their own experiences unique to themselves. While studying completely new material is great in the curriculum, adding sociology–a course that allows students to learn from their own experiences–would be a great addition.