Nowadays, it is common to see young teenage boys or girls working as a barista or selling newspapers. It has become popular for most adolescents to have a
year
off between finishing
school
and going to
university
. While there are various advantages and disadvantages of
this
trend, in
this
essay I will outline and discuss the salient features of either attending
university
immediately after
school
or taking a
year
off for pursuing a degree.
Firstly
, there are various advantages of taking a
year
off after
school
. There is a huge demand for young people who are willing to work at meagre wages at cafeterias, public libraries, and restaurants as waiters, and cashiers at a store. While
this
entails good communication skills and customer satisfaction, there is no requirement for a
university
degree to be hired.
In other words
,
for example
, high
school
graduates are taught about the harsh realities of life and how to make ends meet by working towards enrolling in their dream universities.
Furthermore
, they could
also
utilize the time in improving their reading skills and test-taking ability owing to the competitive nature of most public colleges. Once they achieve their target of attending their target
university
, they strive to excel with flying colours and hone the skills required to seek employment in the fields of their interests.
For instance
, they have more time to contemplate and decide on their major at the
university
.
Conversely
,
on the other hand
, taking a
year
off from education may vaporize important ideas, ethics and values taught at
school
from the minds of the individuals and
thus
make them less competitive than their peers who had probably enrolled a
year
ago.
Although
taking a
year
off may help the students financially to fund their own education making them self-dependent, there could be various events unfolding in the
year
which could hinder or even prevent the students from attending college the following
year
.
For instance
, low test scores, unemployment and the loss of a family member may all be factors contributing to stress and depression among adolescents.
Thus
, to conclude
although
it is a smart move to take a
year
off between finishing
school
and attending
university
, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages and the students would be lagging behind and have to play catch up during the time when they attend
university
.