It is becoming increasing popular to have a year off between finishing school and going to university.
What are the advantages and disadvantages for this?
Nowadays it is quite a popular trend to take a year’s gap between completing school and pursuing higher studies. It has various benefits and drawbacks which will be discussed in the upcoming crumb of my writing.
On the brighter side, taking some time off before going to college or university has many pros. First of all, students get temporary relief and break from study after passing out from school. They get to enjoy some leisure time and do things which help them to feel refreshed. Moreover, they can pursue their hobbies and explore their hidden talents and creativity as during the study phase, academic subjects, exams and assignments keep them occupied. As studies are exam-oriented and also there is a cutthroat competition in schools and universities, students do not get many chances or have much time to practice any form of art, travel or take up part-time jobs. By taking a gap after schooling learners not only get to travel to different places and enhance their knowledge, they also become more confident and mature by coming across diverse people and situations. Pupils can also do some part-time jobs for a few months to save some money to sponsor their own study or to fulfill any of their other dreams. By taking up short-term employment during the year off before starting further studies, they get to realise the value of money, learn financial management and also become disciplined.
On the darker side, the study gap also may have some disadvantages for the students as they lag behind in studies than those pupils who did not take a year off. In addition, students may not want to return to college or university if they begin earning by taking up some job during the gap year. They feel that they are earning and have become self-reliant already and there is no need to study anymore. This may create a hindrance in their academic growth and they may end up doing odd jobs the entire life and may never explore their real caliber or actual worth. It may distract them from their path to success and they may never be able to find out or become what they actually could. Last but not the least, travelling during the gap year also may be quite pricey, depending on where and for how long the student chooses to travel.
To sum up, by taking a break between school and university, students dare to step off the beaten track. They take the first step towards steering their ship in the direction they choose but this study gap should be confined to a certain amount of time and should not be very long.
