In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

In contemporary society, taking a gap

year

after matriculating has become increasingly prominent. Hereby, some nations encourage adolescents to see the world so that they can discover themselves,

while

some argue that the job market is too competitive not to get a degree immediately. Personally, I strongly advocate the latter.

Although

,

this

essay aims to explore the benefits and drawbacks of

this

phenomenon. One notable benefit is the unparalleled convenience it offers various aspects of self-discovery.

For example

, psychologist Martin Johnson found that a person cannot truly understand which career path to choose at the age of 18, as the mental brain is not fully developed at

this

stage.

Moreover

, it is vital to learn adequate life skills, interpersonal desires, and self-interests before deciding on a career path; all

which

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of which

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can be obtained from travelling or working for a

year

after high school.

Therefore

, it is essential to acknowledge that

this

trend could be beneficial. Despite

this

, I believe it is paramount to get the upper hand in modern society's competitive workforce.

For instance

, a study at Harvard University found that only 55% of people actually

decides

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decide

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to enrol at a university after a gap

year

.

Thus

, individuals who

decides

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decide

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to postpone enrolments can often find themselves in a conundrum after a

year

when alternative options might have opened up in the meantime.

Hence

, taking a

year

off after school requires self-control and might result in unemployment when older. In conclusion, it is evident that taking a

year

to learn about yourself is advantageous,

however

, I believe it is imperative to start focusing on a career path as soon as possible to ensure job security in the future. If more students decide to get a degree later in life,

then

they might find themselves in a situation where they never actually get a degree or proper job in the foreseeable future.