The Gap Year Project: annieteev

These past two weeks have been some of the most stressful I have ever experienced. As you may or may not know, I am headed off to college in just a few short days. And these past weeks have been filled highly stressful financial debates and lectures.

See for me, college was something I never really wanted (until now). Hence one reason why I took a gap year. At the end of senior year when I told UVM I was coming fall 2013, I felt as though I had just jumped out the way of a moving train. During the whole college process, my heart was never really in it. I couldn't get as excited and passionate about that wonderful chemistry program as such and so university. The only time I ever got excited was hearing about a schools exchange program or available outdoors clubs. Adventure and traveling was all I really wanted. During my gap year, I got just that.

Then after orientation it slowly started to set in that this was all really going to happen. "I'm going to UVM" weren't just words anymore. They actually meant something.

About two weeks ago the bill for the first semester came in. As we all knew it was going to. Going into it I knew that the ticket price for UVM out-of-state is $50,000. But throughout the college selection process, as I said, college never seemed like something that would ever become real for me. So neither did the money. However these past two weeks, the reality stuck. Hard. After all grants, scholarships and government loans, there was still a $28,000 gap to pay for freshman year. Just take a second to think about that. It's crazy. And the sort of loans you'd have to take out to bridge that gap are even crazier.

The idea that my first year would cost that much increased my stress about 100 fold. It raised the stakes. It wasn't just worrying if I didn't like it or if I didn't like my roommate. It was knowing by going there, I was committing myself and my parents for 15 years worth of loan repayment. For ONE year. That idea of course stressed me out even more because it cost too much to worry about small things.

Anyway, we kicked around the idea of just sucking it up and doing the 14 grand for the first semester (seeing as how I was all signed up) and then transerfing somewhere cheaper later. Which raised problems (and stress) as well. Ohio University, Lewis& Clark, University of Maine, University of Iceland...it was like the college search had started all over again.

To keep a long story of emotional woe short(er), yesterday we finally had a break through with this whole debate.

My dad and I decided to give Green Mountain College a call. A school that I had applied and been accepted to way back when during that whole process. I was always genuinely interested in GMC, but ended up saying yes to UVM because I had to choose something, and hey, they were in Vermont and the school is pretty well known. Anyway, we called them up and explained the situation and by noon they had put together a fantastic financial aid package. And we could actually get someone on the phone. AND they remembered me from when I applied. So throughout the course of Tuesday and Wednesday I accepted the package from GMC and officially withdrew from UVM. I have a campus visit tomorrow!

Honestly, I feel so incredibly relieved. And not just because I saved my self from a life of paying back $200,000 in student loans (you're welcome post college me), but also because GMC is smaller. I am actually more excited now then I was when I was heading off to UVM. So UVM, thanks for it all, but you're too damn expensive.

This all has been so last minute and insane...but it all worked at so very well. So keep faith my friends. Good things do happen.

This morning I got up at my leisure and after breakfast I headed up to the bus stop to catch the 11:21 bus towards St.Andrews. There was an old man waiting too, and he started to tell me that he was going to St.Andrews to go boot shopping. Or at least that is what I thought he was saying... until he said he wanted to buy boots about ghosts. Then I realized he was going book shopping...not boot shopping. The way he said it made it very hard to understand. This is the second time that I have not understood someone because of a heavy accent. But anyway, it was really funny to see how cheerful he was about his "booook" shopping.

The bus stop, where I met my new pal. :P

The bus worked it's way through Pittweem and Anstruther before cutting up into the country side. About a half an hour of whizzing by emerald fields and old stone farm buildings and then the ocean became visible again. During the first 20 minutes of the ride, my water bottle was leaking into my lap, so it looked like I had peed myself. Luckily I noticed it before we arrived so it had time to dry. Real smooth...

As we approached, the town of St.Andrews cropped up. Right away I could see the spires of the university and cathedral, rising high about the rest of the town. I was flooded with excitement. I had applied to the university, I had looked at pictures and examined the area on Google maps. And here I was...only minutes away from actually being there.

Then the bus pulled into the station and I got off and found my way to Market Street; the "main drag" if you will. It is littered will all sorts of shops, ranging from Starbucks to fancy restaurants, to golf stores. Lots and lots of golf shops.

I walked all the way down to the end of Market Street, deciding to explore/sight see before any shopping. The coolest thing about today was how well I blended in to my surroundings. I had on my backpack and headphones my in, just like almost every other student in the town. It was so awesome...so I just pretended to walk with purpose and the effect was complete. Other tourists and students alike couldn't tell I was a visitor and I had no idea where I was going... it was brilliant.

Anyway, I found myself at the St.Andrews Cathedral. Photo time.

I wandered around there for quite some time before finding my way to the castle and harbor.

St.Andrews castle.

Down to the harbor.

Love the color of the water.

I sat on the beach and had my- yup, you guessed it- nutella sandwich. Then I looped around, following a road that I do not know the name of until I came back to the town center. From there I went past the castle again and down the Scores. This street is lined with all sorts of buildings from the university. Each one architecturally cooler than the next.

Coolest college town ever... ruined castle in view all the time.

At the end of the Scores, the sidewalk was suddenly mobbed with golfers. The old course was just ahead as well at the golfing museum. So I got out of there as quickly as I could. It's not that I don't like golf... I am Switzerland. Couldn't care one way or the other..but it was too crowded, so I continued on my walk about. I then went down North Street, where the main campus of the university it located. It is so pretty. The buildings are gorgeous... and it is such a great size. And they have a street called Butts Wynd on campus... Amazing.

Also, did you know that the university is the third oldest in the English speaking world? And that they were the first to allow women to study in the UK. Very cool.

hahaha...I almost tripped a whole group when I stopped to get this picture. I just had to...

Then after walking down North street and all the university stuff, I did a bit of shopping on North Street. I had to consciously think about stopping myself from grinning as I walked around the streets. It felt so amazing to be there, it was all I wanted to do. I then went into a book store and the university store. And a coffee place. I have an addiction I think...

"Unusual items purchased for cash" umm...okay...haha

Some fancy latte thing!

Some dorms.

This is my "oh snap now I really want to go to University of St.Andrews" face.

View through bus window to St.Andrews.

When I got back to the cottage, I was totally buzzing. I don't know if it was the coffee (probably) or the excitement of my time in St.Andrews, but I felt awesome. I was so proud of myself. Mostly because, for the first time, as I roamed the streets around the university, I wanted to go to college. I actually felt excited at the prospect. I realize this may sounds silly... but for so long, the idea of college scared me more than anything else. But not so much anymore. So I was absolutely brimming with self confidence and pride on my walk to the cottage.

Anyway, I then went for a quick walk along the beach before coming inside and making dinner. Here come the photos: