College years are supposed to be the happiest of your life. It’s when you embark on your roaring 20’s, and grow from a teenager to a real adult. It is a time of constant learning, free time, and fun, with no responsibilities holding you back from opportunity. From the stories of those older than us, this utopian experience is the reality.
In my experience, for the most part, it is not.
I graduated from high school as the most impassioned and inspired young person I knew. I was driven by a dream of helping people, making a real systematic difference in the world. So my my biggest frustration with college is simply that it has held me back.
Instead of helping refugees and expanding women’s access to education, I am sitting in class learning about management strategies. For years. And sitting in those classes, I am watching my passions wither away.
College is a stressful, expensive, high-stakes experience with an overwhelming lack of support. It is not a coincidence that depression and anxiety have grown so high; college isn’t what it used to be.
I should have taken a gap year before college, but I would have lost my scholarships. The American system is designed for it to not be an option.
But I’ve decided that it’s not too late. Instead of one year before college, I’m going to take ten years after college. This blog is documenting my Gap Decade; how I am going to use my twenties to find creative ways to travel the world, learn languages, and find my passion. Maybe college was a let down, but these are going to the best years of my life.
Welcome to my journey.
Comments