In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for young people who decide to do this ?

In various nations around the world, many people advocate taking a gap year in order to work or travel before beginning one’s tertiary education. While there is clearly a drawback to this, I personally believe that the benefits are more significant. The disadvantage of going on a gap year is that students may end up not returning to their studies. The reason for this is that they may enjoy earning money and becoming financially independent. Therefore, their whole future could be negatively affected as these days it is very important for everyone to graduate with a degree in order to be competitive in the job market. On the other hand, one of the major advantages is that students will be able to expand their horizons if they travel overseas. When students go abroad, they will be exposed to different cultures and customs. For example, westerners visiting a country like Thailand will be able to experience traditional Thai dance like Khon and traditional Thai sport like Muay Thai. As a result, they will gain a deeper understanding of the different places in the world. In addition to that, students who work will be able to learn to appreciate the value of money. This is because they will realize the hard work involved in earning an income. Consequently, they would think more before purchasing anything they desire and may become less impulsive in their spending. In conclusion, the advantages are of greater significance than the disadvantage. Despite the fact that students may not continue on studying at university, they will gain a lot of experience when they travel or learn to better appreciate money when they work. Given this situation, it is recommended that schools should encourage more students to consider taking a gap year.