Going Against The Grain Analysis

The Benefits of Going Against the Grain Many people consider the idea of exploring Tibet. Volunteering with local communities, situated on the mountainsides of the Himalayan Range, sounds like an adventure. Volunteers have the opportunity to grasp the hardships of living in an entirely different atmosphere, and the lessons learned from such a diverse experience could change their perspective on many aspects of life at home. It could potentially change their work ethic, improve their social skills, or give them a standard of living that they wouldn’t have considered beforehand. A determined work ethic goes far with an employer, and to have an idea of how you want to spend your life, influenced by having a diverse background, can impact …show more content…
They all knew what they wanted to major in. Then, after about a month and a half, at least half of them had dropped out, and the rest switched their majors at least once. After making it through 12 years of formal education, many graduates jump into the financial and stressful burden of a potential four more years without a consideration of all the options available to them. Even before the first year of high school, the importance of college is impressed upon students, and whether it is the case or not, they are presented with the thought that success is not possible without a degree. Many parents pass on this assumption as well. This makes the student deduce that there is no point in waiting to make sure that college is the right path for them at that moment in their life. Therefore, they move forward, even if they have a lack of motivation. This presents a problem. Now the student has made an important life decision based off of false pretense, and many people would feel as though they have to follow through with it, especially after paying the tuition. This may be a worthy ideal, but it denies them so many experiences and life lessons that are better to learn at that age, rather than later in life. This doesn’t include the fact that they may not be happy with their supposed lack of choice. Other people may prefer to drop out, causing a potential rift with family or a drop in …show more content…
This is a reasonable assumption, but according to the American Gap Association, “90% of people who take a year off before college, applied for classes within that year, and students who take a gap year are more likely to finish college in four years than those who enroll directly after high school” (“Gap Year Benefits”). Universities and colleges also encourage time off, because it promotes new ways to learn. A study by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson stated, “60% of people who took a year off after high school stated that the time helped them establish their choice of major” (“Gap Year Benefits” para. 12). Then there is the possibility that a person may decide that a college education is not right for them. Given the time, many people realize that they would like to learn in a different environment or in another way. One option is the military. Joining the military offers lessons in discipline, cultural experience, and the development of practical or specialized skills. Plus, many people transfer the skills they learn to civilian jobs when they leave the military. According to Matt