You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Some people believe that a gap year between school and university is a good idea, while others disagree strongly. Consider both sides of this debate and present your own opinion. You should give reasons for your answer, and include ideas and examples from your own knowledge and experience. Write at least 250 words

While

gap

years

are increasingly popular, they continue to be rather controversial because the benefits are hard to quantify exactly. There are valid opinions on both sides, which I will discuss them now. On the one hand, opponents of

gap

years

point to the cost involved in areas

such

as

air fares

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airfares

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, accommodation and living expenses. All

this

money has to come from the student’s family, or even from borrowing to be paid later;

thus

, not everyone is financially able to go on exciting adventures and explore different cultures and parts of the world.

Secondly

, it is often said that gay

years

take a young person’s focus away from studying

,

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and allows them to get involved in distractions

such

as travelling.

Finally

, there is a concern over the safety of young people if they are travelling to remote places. Being kidnapped or mugged is a poor start to an academic career, after all.

On the other hand

, supporters of

gap

years

say that the skills learned

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to

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outweigh the disadvantages. They highlight the independence and assertiveness that a student will acquire, in areas

such

as time management and interpersonal skills. They

also

say that these skills not only leads to building a well-rounded student profile but

also

to greater career success later in life;

thus

, cancelling out the costs involved.

Furthermore

, there are many examples of young people using

gap

years

to achieve something significant, whether in humanitarian work or in a sector of business that interest them. In conclusion, I feel that

although

gap

years

may seem like a good way to gain life experience,

but

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without a plan, they can be a setback not only in your education but

also

financially.

This

outweighs the possible advantages.