Many students choose to take a gap year before starting university, to travel or gain work experience. Do you think this is a good idea or a waste of time?

In various nations around the world, many people advocate taking a gap year in order to
work
or travel before beginning one’s tertiary education.
While
this
offers a few advantages, there are
also
some disadvantages which are worth considering. There are two main benefits to
students
travelling or working before their university education.
Firstly
, through travelling, they will be able to expand their horizons. When
students
go overseas, they will be exposed to different cultures and customs.
As a result
, they will gain a deeper understanding of the world.
In addition
,
students
who
work
will learn to appreciate the value of
money
.
This
is because they will realize the hard
work
involved in earning
money
.
Consequently
, they would think more before purchasing anything they desire and may become less impulsive in their spending.
On the other hand
, various drawbacks may be noted. In the first place, travelling could cause people to feel homesick. Many
students
have not been apart from their family and friends before so when they travel, they may miss these people. In extreme circumstances,
students
may even become depressed.
Additionally
,
students
who
work
may not want to return to their studies. The reason for
this
is that they may enjoy earning
money
and becoming financially independent.
Therefore
, their whole future could be negatively affected as these days it is very important for everyone to graduate with a degree in order to be competitive in the job market. In conclusion, if
students
take a gap year, they could gain invaluable experience and learn to become more independent in relation to
money
.
However
, they may
also
become homesick and end up not continuing their studies.
Therefore
, it is necessary to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks carefully before coming to a decision as to whether
students
should go on
such
an adventure.
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Structure your answers in logical paragraphs

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A strong argument essay structure can be split up into 4 paragraphs, each containing 4 sentences (except the conclusion paragraph, which only contains 3 sentences).

Stick to this essay structure:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

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