So important has a gap year between school and higher education become that young people are encouraged to take it. There are several advantages and disadvantages from this opinion which I will elaborate more below.
Regarding the benefits, first, it is important to highlight the independence and assertiveness that a student will acquire, in areas such as time management and interpersonal skills. It is believed that these skills lead to greater career success later in life, thus canceling out the costs involved. Last, there are many examples of young people using gap years to achieve something significant, whether in voluntary work or in a sector of business that interests them.
Conversely, we should not ignore the various drawbacks that a gap year may bring about. Firstly, there would bee costs involved in areas such as air fares, accommodation and living expenses. All this money has to come from the student’s family, or even from borrowing to be paid later. It might also be said that gap years take a young person’s focus away from studying, and allow them to get involved in distractions such as traveling. This can make it hard to adjust to university life, damaging the student’s performance. Finally, there is a concern over the safety of young people if they are traveling to remote places. Being kidnapped or mugged is a poor start to an academic career, after all.
In conclusion, the positives that may result from this include the development of skills that are invaluable for the future. Meanwhile, the potential for distraction could be such a drawback that should not be forgotten as well.