Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample | Students Should Take A Gap Year Between High School And University

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

Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample

In certain countries some people think that students who just finished high school should take a year off for travelling or working before they enroll in a university. In my opinion, there are both advantages and disadvantages to taking a gap year.

There are a number of drawbacks to taking a year off to travel or work between high school and university. Firstly, if young people decide to work, they might get used to receiving an income and because of this there is a possibility that they do not want to come back to the student life anymore. Secondly, most of the students are too young to travel by themselves; therefore they could waste this opportunity because of their naivety.  Finally, travelling for a whole year requires a huge amount of money which could be spent on university studies.

On the other hand, there are some benefits to spending a year working or travelling before joining university. To begin with, young people broaden their minds when they travel and this might help them to gain valuable experiences in life. A further positive aspect is that while travelling or working, young people could acquire maturity and this could allow them to perform better once they return to their studies. A final benefit is that young people will probably learn some skills such as speaking a different language. They will also learn to appreciate other countries and cultures.

Overall, there are as many advantages as there are disadvantages to travelling or working between high school and university. In my opinion, it all depends on the students’ intellectual and emotional maturity to face this challenge and take advantage of it.