It is becoming more common for people to take a gap year between finishing school and starting university. While there are some benefits, it also has some drawbacks depending on an individual’s situation.
One advantage of taking time off before university is that people can use this time to explore and evaluate what future career they want to pursue. They can explore through shadowing or an internship in a specific field to find more information and gain some work experience. Having work experience can strengthen students’ applications, and it can make them stand out from other candidates. Moreover, many university courses prefer that applicants have some form of experience; taking a gap year to discover different fields can improve the chances of acceptance. Furthermore, not only can students identify desired jobs, but they can also use the time off to save money. For instance, higher education institutions in the United States have high tuition fees. Many potential students are unable to afford the fees; hence, they take time off to work and earn for tuition.
However, not everyone has the time to take a gap year before joining university. There are some university courses, namely law and medicine, that are highly competitive. Many students feel that taking a year off could harm their chances of getting accepted into their desired university. Hence, they will instead make an application right after finishing school. In addition, some students have families who are no longer able to work and thus are unable to support them financially. Joining a university as soon as possible can ensure that they can obtain a degree and join the workforce immediately to support their families.
In conclusion, there are various benefits in taking time off before starting university, specifically to gain valuable experience, to firmly decide which career to focus on, and to save money for tuition. Nevertheless, there are a few drawbacks, as some need to start working to support their families, or some degrees are highly competitive and taking time off could jeopardise the chances of acceptance.