In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decided to do this.

Over the past 30-40 years, we have seen an increasing global trend where high school graduates have been encouraged by parents and educators to make the most of a

gap

year option whereby, they can work or travel before taking up higher education or entering the workforce. I shall lay out a few of the obvious pros and cons. It is a self-evident benefit for any young person to gain as much

life

experience as is practical. There are a number of reasons for

this

, ranging from building self-awareness of being able to offer more in the

next

stages of

life

, whether at

university

or in the workplace.

Besides

that, there should be the chance to crystallise their

life

objectives at

such

a crucial stage in anyone’s

life

so as to make better decisions and choices: work versus study; which subject; or which

university

. It goes without saying that there are drawbacks to be considered regarding

gap

years. If a teenager puts off

university

study in order to travel or work, there is a clear danger of losing the habits that underpin successful study, or simply losing the will to go back to being a student. The attractions of overseas places or entertaining workplaces, all of which probably require little responsibility, will make the serious effort of reading papers and writing long essay pall

by comparison

. One genuine worry, especially for parents, is that those who do not progress directly to

university

or apprenticeship courses could lose out to the learners who keep going and take the opportunity to get ahead. The former classmates become rivals who have already staked out their places and they will not have lost any time through readjusting back into the drudgery and routine needed to get going in one’s career. There may be a price to pay later for that

gap

year. Experience has demonstrated that a significant proportion of youngsters who take a break, do not return to their original plans because the flow of events has been disrupted. Things happen along the way, like love, marriage and children! Perhaps even more often it is the sheer delight and thrills obtained through new places and new relationships that seduce people into new adventures and preventing anyone from going back.

In other words

–

life

happens! In conclusion, various negatives do exist, but the popularity of the

gap

year confirms that most agree that its advantages hugely outweigh the risks.