It is common practice for some students to take a gap year after graduating high school to work and/or travel. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

In many western developed nations, it is very common for students to take a

gap

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year

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after graduating high school.

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many people now see it as dangerous, it still has its faithful supporters. In

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essay, we shall look at both sides of

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coin. Let us start with the pros, and

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and foremost, it allows you to go find your passion, and at the same time, it gives you a bit of finance to back yourself.

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, Jan Sommer is a Danish computer programmer, who had a white-collar

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in Copenhagen, which paid him well, unfortunately, he was not passionate about it. He took a

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year

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and travelled in Bulgaria, and on seeing the desperation of the people's lives, he realised he could contribute, and

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quit his

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back home and moved to Bulgaria, and has started an aid agency there with a mission to educate children.

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, working in a

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year

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abroad is favourably looked upon by many employers.

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, in New Zealand, you are 60% more likely to get a

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if

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experience is under your belt.

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, the most common advantage of taking a

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year

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is the fact that it helps you to become aware and accepting of other cultures,

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equipping you for university life. Now, let us look at the cons. It is no secret, that losing academic momentum, by losing a

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is the greatest disadvantage of taking a

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year

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, especially in

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competitive

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market.

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, depending on where you travel, it is very expensive. The most common concern when travelling is the risk factor involved because

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well you prepare, it does not take much to ruin a well-made plan. In conclusion, I would say that taking a

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gap

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after schooling is one's personal choice and every person needs and desires are different from others. So, it is good to follow one's heart and do what they feel like doing rather than following others.