Some school leavers choose to travel or work for a year before going university. What might be the reasons for this? What are the disadvantages of this practice?

In some countries, it is common for students to take a

year

off after completing secondary school, usually to work or travel, before commencing their studies at

university

.

This

essay will explore the main reasons for taking a gap

year

,

as well as

the potential drawbacks of

this

practice. The reasons for taking a

year

off are multiple. Some take a gap

year

to go travelling, exploring other countries, learning new languages, or volunteering for good causes. Others seek to explore their future career paths through internships and work experience programmes before committing to studying for a certain degree. Whichever way young people choose to spend

this

year

, in my opinion, their greatest motivation is a desire to learn more about themselves, their interests and aspirations. Despite these valid reasons, delaying

university

studies has some downsides. Travelling for a long period of time or working at

this

relatively young age may be stressful. Some individuals may

also

feel left behind when they see all their friends going to

university

and graduating one

year

earlier.

This

emotional stress may be

further

exaggerated by the financial burden of travelling or volunteering without pay for an extra

year

. Eventually, once the gap

year

is over, young people may discover that their study skills have diminished over time and returning to full-time education may be even harder.

To conclude

, some school leavers delay going to

university

in order to discover themselves, explore future career paths and gain useful skills through work or travel.

However

, they are

also

risking encountering more stress and expenses than their peers who progress straight to their bachelor’s programmes.