The following is a letter I submitted for admission into Central Connecticut State University for my degree in Sociology/Psychology:

“In looking over my application, you may be wondering why I went to so many different schools in the years following high school. The answer is pretty simple: I was not ready. I was not ready to be a full time college student. I was unfocused and unsure of what I wanted to accomplish in my life.

After high school, the expectation from my family was to go to college, enroll in a “money-making” or “secure” major, and then support myself and my family upon graduation. My personal aspirations after I graduated high school however, were to travel and learn more about myself, and I honestly did not know if I was ready for college. In spite of this, with the mounting pressure from my family, I enrolled in college that Fall following graduation anyway. Consequently, but expectedly, I did not do well. I then bounced around to different community colleges, trying to earn some credits, but hoping that within this time, I would figure out what I wanted to do with myself. 

After working in many dead-end jobs, I knew I had to do something more. During this time, I readily enrolled back into school, and eventually earned my Associate’s Degree in Registered Nursing. And since, I’ve been a nurse for almost three years.

This previous September, after saving up enough money, I decided it was finally time to travel like I originally wanted to after high school. After much thought, I decided to travel to Japan for a couple of months. I chose Japan because I wanted to go to a place that was safe and modern, but also where I didn’t know the language, customs, traditions, etc.- to test my mettle and having to truly rely on no one but myself.

This trip alone opened my eyes to a completely different and new world outside of what I know. I met so many incredibly worldly and amazing people who, just by virtue of being themselves, inspired me to go back to school. Not only that, but being in a different country; living, seeing, and experiencing from a “foreigner’s” point of view, really gave me a different perspective on life and people.

I remember right after high school, I took a sociology class in college and found it to be very interesting. In hindsight, that interest compounded with this trip to Japan, both reignited my desire to learn about people and society. While I know that at this point, with a very stable career in hand, I don’t necessarily need to go back to school by many people’s standards. But this time, going back to school is purely personal. I have an intense, new found desire and personal need to go back to school. Now that I have had the benefit of real life experiences: school, work, and travel, I am now finally ready to earn a bachelor’s degree. And now, on my own terms, I’ve never felt more ready.”