Many people believe that the young should take a gap year before going to university. This essay attempts to shed light on both the merits and demerits of this choice before concluding that the former is more significant.
On the one hand, the option to get a job or travel right after high school is disadvantageous to some extent. The main shortcoming is that this choice could cause a number of graduating students to start their professional careers later than their fellows. As a result, they are very likely to get promoted later, which could cause them to suffer from peer pressure and reduce their academic performance. In addition, travel costs them a great deal of money. Specifically, if they go for a trip right after graduating from high school, they would have to ask their parents for the traveling expenses, such as accommodation, flight tickets, and food, which could put a financial burden on their family.
On the other hand, there are a host of compelling reasons as to why I am convinced that high school seniors should choose to postpone higher education. One reason is that this decision could give young students countless opportunities to gain valuable experiences. For instance, numerous Vietnamese students choose to have a year-long break to travel overseas, which could help them enrich their life experiences and develop the ability to live independently. Another reason is that working or traveling could help young graduates clarify their future career ladder. This is because of the fact that taking a gap year to look for job opportunities or attend vocational training would empower them to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, which could enable them to define a suitable career path. This is something that would be hardly attainable if school graduates immediately attend college and become occupied with their intense study schedules.
In conclusion, while it is irrefutable that delaying tertiary education for one year could have some downsides, I would contend that the upsides which it offers are significantly more noteworthy.