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 decide to do this .

In many countries young people are often encouraged to take a

year

off, to work or travel for a period between finishing high school and starting academic studies.

This

recent trend,

also

known as “

gap

–

year

” which has its own advantages and disadvantages. The great advantage of having a

gap

year

is that students have the opportunity to discover their favourite career. They often spend time developing their life skills and academic qualifications, and pursuing their hobbies and interest.

As a result

, students can not only gain experience at works, but

also

improve the ability to live and work independently, which makes students hugely impress future employers. Thanks to

this

off-period, students can easily find out the suitable jobs which go with their interest as well as personalities.

For instance

, data from the American

Gap

Association, 2015, pointed out that 94% of students who choose to take a

gap

year

said they had many useful skills to make them better prepared for

university

and future jobs.

In addition

to

this

, taking a

year

off to work helps students in earning money. Working for a period, students often save a sum of money by themselves;

therefore

they can live independently and reduce the financial burden of higher education.

In contrast

to a major plus point, students may face some obstacles if they decide to take a

year

to break between high school graduation and

university

courses. The serious disadvantage is that they risk losing their academic momentum. After taking a

year

off, many students might not be used to studying in the formal education and have difficulty returning into feeling motivated, which makes it harder for them to control their studies at

university

. The other drawback of having a

gap

year

is that some students feel like falling behind from their peers. They might be under control when their friends are moving towards at

university

, which makes them in panic or disorientation. To conclude, taking a

gap

year

has its own good points and bad points. The break of a

year

taken before studying

university

helps students to discover their career interest and

also

have financial preparation for their studies or works.

However

, for some students it can lead to a lack of confidence and motivation.