Some people do not go directly to college but travel or work for a short time. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

An increasing number of youngsters chose to travel or find a temporary job instead of enrolling in the university straightly. From my perspective, albeit having potential benefits, the drawbacks of this option surpass the plus points.

On the one hand, taking a gap year in order to journey or to work can be advantageous by virtue of the factual knowledge that people can accumulate. This is because different from theoretical teaching methodology at college, students will be trained after encountering realistic circumstances at the workplace or while traveling, thereby acquiring more pragmatic skills which can apply for further research in any educational institution. This has been proved by Bill Gates, one of the most successful people thanks to experiencing the real world. He broaden his horizons by himself and started up successfully due to his wealth of practical familiarity with the economy. Likewise, youths will also have a better understanding after observing the world.

On the other hand, the decision of taking a year off to travel or to labor can have adverse effect on the development of students. First and foremost, normally, fledglings who have not finished tertiary level education are still too green, immature, and gullible, moreover, there is no one standby to remind them to keep on track, no one to instruct and educate, as a result, the young generation can easily lose track of life owing to the alluring and thrilling world. With no qualification nor orientation, some students were tricked into illegal work. In a recent survey conducted by the New York Times, in the USA, there is a significant upward trend of young citizens who was lured into the path of crime during a gap year. In addition, it is often the case that students struggle to adapt to life at college or deal with academic thesis consequent to a long absence from school, this will directly affect their own future.

In conclusion, being an employee or traveler to enhance factual understanding prior to being a university student can be helpful, however, the merits of this phenomenon is overshadowed by the aforementioned disadvantages. Therefore, students had better complete their studies and lay a solid foundation before stepping into the outside world.