It is becoming increasingly popular to have a year off between finishing school and going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

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These days, an increasing number of
students
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have decided to take
one
Correct determiner usage
a
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year
Correct your spelling
one-year
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gap after their high school graduation. From my perspective,
while
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such
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discontinuity seems disadvantageous, I believe it can be beneficial for pupils in the long run. To commence with,
students
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who take a one-year break before attending college may find it hard when
coming
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come
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back to their studies.
While
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these
students
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are not in school, they may lose touch with academic knowledge acquired beforehand.
Thus
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, when enrolling in college, they may spend a long time getting the hang of the new curriculum and regain a basic understanding of some subjects they have already learned back in high school.
Nevertheless
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,
this
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problem is soluble if
students
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practice self-study and frequently revise what they have learned.
On the other hand
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, one advantage of
this
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idea is that it gives
students
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time to earn some money. As the cost for most colleges is exorbitant,
students
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may end up incurring a huge loan and struggle financially.
However
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, when taking a year gap, they can now join the labour force to get enough budgets to pursue higher levels of education
as well as
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to maintain their survival.
Furthermore
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, during their time at the workplace,
students
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can
also
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gain hands-on experience and enhance their skills including but not limited to negotiations, self-control, and problem-solving, which make them more desirable to the labour market after they graduate. In conclusion,
whereas
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the drawbacks of taking a year gap are evident, the merits it bears far outweigh the demerits as it can help the student's financial condition and enhance their soft skills needed for future jobs.

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task response
Ensure that the essay addresses all aspects of the task question, providing a clear position and a balanced discussion of advantages and disadvantages.
coherence cohesion
The logical structure of the essay is generally effective, but ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and supports the main argument effectively.

Answer the 'Advantages and Disadvantages' topic

IELTS advantages and disadvantages questions normally give you a statement and ask you to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of that statement.

Answer structure for the type of essay

  • Introduction
  • Body paragraph 1 – advantages
  • Body paragraph 2 – disadvantages
  • Conclusion

Examples to start your body paragraph:

  • The main advantage is...
  • The disadvantage of this...
  • The main benefit...
  • Despite these advantages...
  • One possible drawback...

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • gap year
  • work experience
  • internships
  • traveling
  • life experiences
  • personal development
  • independent
  • self-reliant
  • educational progress
  • graduation timeline
  • financial burden
  • academic momentum
  • structured academic environment
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