Of all the choices that a school leaver has to make, perhaps the most important is about whether to take a gap year or to attend university education. Although taking a break from education seems risky, I still believe that this choice is beneficial to high school graduates as long as the year is judiciously planned.
Admittedly, several underlying reasons account for why taking a year off after high school graduation is not a good idea. Chief of these is that in order to travel somewhere during their year off, they have to cover the costs in areas such as air fares, accommodation and living expenses. This either presents their family with a financial burden or forces these school leavers to borrow money or to work while traveling. In addition, since gap years take a young person’s focus away from studying, this can make it hard to adjust to university life. This can be seen in the way many “gappers” ended up not returning to university.
Conversely, some people put forth more compelling reasons to believe that it is better for school leavers to defer pursuing higher education, and I would personally side with them. The key reason is that after working or living on their own for a while, young people’s independence and assertiveness can be bolstered. They will have better time management and interpersonal skills, which will stand them in good stead when they enter the workplace. Furthermore, attending higher education right away may not be a wise choice because young people tend not to know what their passions are. If they spend a year doing different kinds of work or traveling, they may have a clearer idea of what they want to do in the future, helping them avoid wasting time learning things that they may otherwise are not interested in.
In conclusion, despite the justification for both sides of the argument, I subscribe to the view that a year off can indeed be a wise decision to take, provided that the year is planned carefully and used for something genuinely worthwhile. Some of the reasons why I hold such a view include the invaluable experience gained during the year and a clearer view of what their future endeavors should be.