Band 6+: In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.

The idea of whether young individuals are encouraged to experience professional careers or have a trip for a year right after they finish high school and when they begin studying in college remains a source of controversy in several countries. While some argue that school-fresh graduates should only focus on the early phase of university, many people believe that taking other activities outside the classroom, such as working or traveling, could enrich young people’s experiences.

There are some reasons why younger generations are encouraged to seek either professional or travel experiences after finishing high school. First, I think everyone should have opportunities to gain as much experience as they can. Unfortunately, some people may not be allowed to take advantage of various opportunities as they get older. So, if young people are given such opportunities to explore extracurricular activities other than the academic necessities, they may receive various insights for their future endeavors that they probably cannot get from inside the classrooms.

In spite of these arguments, there must be drawbacks for certain students due to the decision on having extra activities at their university. For those who are still unable to pick what kind of activities they like, they might be struggling even to settle on their passion in their academic pursuits. In my opinion, rather than needing to break their concentration by adding additional activities, it would be better for those types of young individuals to build a strong interest in the university program they have decided on. Moreover, by setting academic plans as their priorities at the beginning of university, it will not make them lack future hopes.

In summary, apart from providing choices for high school graduates to spend their time working or traveling before entering university, it is dependable on each individual’s ability to control their time management to obtain further knowledge and how to set their life priorities, since they are the only ones who know their capabilities and what they want to achieve in life.