Taking a gap year

It is a common trend that high school graduates nowadays choose to take gap years to travel or work before going to university. While there are certain drawbacks, I strongly believe that the benefits are much greater.

On the one hand, it is disadvantageous for students to follow this trend in several ways. First of all, as a result of the delay, their education takes a longer amount of time to finish. Consequently, they keep relying on family financial support and make it extremely difficult for their parents, particularly in less well-off households. Secondly, it is very likely that even a short period of traveling and working will pass the knowledge they acquired into oblivion. For example, high school graduates in Vietnam are sometimes required to go to military service for 2 years, which makes these people unable to join the workforce when they come back due to a lack of qualification.

On the other hand, there are compelling reasons why I think that this rising trend is more advantageous. A break is undoubtedly necessary for students after a long, frustrating time of studying and sitting intensive exams. Taking a short vacation or traveling to other countries will be better for their mental and physical health to recover. Furthermore, these youngsters can contemplate thoroughly which occupation they want to pursue in the future. Last but not least, as travel broadens our mind, these gap years not only provide young men with real working experience but also opportunities to broaden their network. Soft skills and relationships can be really helpful when people want to find a job or open their own business.

In conclusion, while taking a short break to work or travel before going to college has inevitable drawbacks, I would argue that its benefits are greater.