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?

Many people of the younger generation nowadays choose to take a
gap
year
before starting university. One of the big advantages of
this
is taking
time
out to think wisely about what they would like to study.
However
, taking a
year
between high
school
and university has a drawback, namely losing
motivation
to start their
studies
.
To begin
with, it is important for college
students
to make the right
choice
of where to finish their
studies
.
This
means that
students
need more
time
to check different universities, programs and international possibilities.
Due to
the amount of
time
this
will cost, it is easier for
students
to take a
gap
year
to make their
choice
. In the Netherlands,
for instance
, approximately 25% of high
school
graduates took a
gap
year
in 2022, because they were unable to make a
choice
in which major they would like to enrol in.
Furthermore
, many graduates did apply to their dream
school
but got rejected.
Therefore
,
this
group prefers to redo the entrance test in the following
year
instead
of wasting money and
time
on another major.
Nevertheless
, there are disadvantages to taking a
gap
year
because
students
may not get into their dream
school
again and lose their
motivation
to pursue it.
Moreover
, graduates choose to start a job so they can manage the financial challenges that colleges bring. After that, they find it easier to stay working rather than studying.
Studies
have shown that losing
motivation
during a
gap
year
is a common negative effect among
this
group and
therefore
, a big threat to them pursuing college. In conclusion, it is of paramount importance to be aware of both the advantages and the disadvantages of a
gap
year
. Making the right
choice
of college is necessary, but it should not end with the younger generation not following their
studies
due to
lack of
motivation
.
Submitted by ouazilhakima010 on

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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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