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.

Students in certain countries are suggested to take a year off after completing high school to work, travel and, more importantly, to gain practical experience before kicking off being a freshman at university. This trend comprises of both positive and negative aspects. This essay will discuss the merits and demerits for the young people who decide on it. On the one hand, that youngsters spend time working and experiencing real life prior to entering the higher education is believed to be beneficial in terms of the development of social and practical skills. Firstly, adolescents who have been exposed to diverse cultural traditions and a variety of people can broaden their horizons. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that they stand a higher chance of being employed and moving up the ladder compared to those who merely sit behind the desk and gain only theoretical knowledge. Secondly, taking a part-time job is also a great chance to lessen the family financial burden. Specifically, they can afford the accommodation by themselves without family’s help. On the other hand, despite the aforementioned benefits, it is worth considering that taking a gap year is quite disadvantageous somehow. In some circumstances, the temptation of money may appeal to school-leavers who have yet to be able to determine which is more important to their life, earning a living or studying. As a result, they tend to contribute most of their time to making money, which probably leads to bad results at school or even drop out of schools. In further consideration, it is the problem of not only the poor studying performance, but also harmful habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and so on due to a sudden increase in their purchasing power. In conclusion, having a break is a considerable encouragement to those before starting university life, but there are pros and cons of a gap year.