Ielts writing task 2, gap year ?

Some students prefer to take a gap year between high school and university, to work, or to travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Traditionally, high school seniors tend to consider whether pursuing higher education or entering the job market. Nonetheless, in this day and age, delaying tertiary education for one year is gaining traction. I admit that this option has a propitious bearing on students due to a certain extent, however, these benefits can be exceeded by the demerits.

On the other hand, proponents of this school of thought aver that these aforementioned drawbacks pale into insignificance when compared to the plus points. First, the youth can spend their time during the break traveling as well as reading so that their range of knowledge can be broadened. As multitudinous modern youngsters lack soft and practical skills, which are indispensable in their later life. Moreover, they can also gain life experiences that are hardly attainable at tertiary education. Second, high school graduates often have difficulty in choosing their profession or major so they identify a suitable career path during the break. As inadequate career choice may give rise to students’ indifference to studies, hence, they cannot adopt new knowledge or information.

On the one hand, I assert that deferring university enrollment may harm adolescents’ proficiency and mindset. Indeed, many teenagers can struggle to resume their studies because a year-long break is often thought to diminish their knowledge and creative thinking. Therefore, they are likely to perform more badly in comparison with those attending the university immediately. Furthermore, they may not keep pace with a plurality of students, which is a key factor driving them into pressure and stress. Additionally, ineffective use of time may lead to their shortage of knowledge. It is believed that only a minority of adolescents can utilize their time properly, so a multitude of high school graduates is unlikely to take advantage of the gap year to widen their horizon about a specific academic field which is crucial to their success in school results. Moreover, they cannot cultivate relevant job skills to secure job prospects in their later career.

In conclusion, although taking a gap year can enrich teenagers’ practical experiences and appropriate majors, I contend that it is not a worthwhile choice. The given drawbacks can affect learners’ academic performance negatively.