In Some Countries Young People Are Encouraged To Work Or Travel For A Year Between Finishing High School And Starting University | Band 8.5 IELTS Essay Sample

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.

Here is a band 8.5 IELTS essay on this topic. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 8.5 IELTS essay sample

In some countries, it is common for young people to take a break after high school so that they can find a job or travel the world before starting university. In spite of the fact that this practice enables students to gain valuable work experience and earn some money, it can offtrack them and hurt their career prospects. This essay will discuss the pros and cons of taking a gap year.

Firstly, taking a break after high school for traveling or working is beneficial. Working will enable young people to discover their true interests and thus help them choose the right majors at university. Secondly, post high school a job helps students coming from poor families to earn and save money so that they can enroll themselves for university studies. Many poor students are academically brilliant but lack the financial means to earn a university degree. Hence, if they choose to work for a year after school, they will be able to save some money which they can use to fund their university education. Those who choose to travel during this gap year also benefit from the exposure they get. Traveling forces a person to get out of their comfort zone and explore the world using whatever resources available to them. For many people, this is an experience that changes their world view and aspirations in life.

On the flip side, despite the aforementioned advantages, I believe there are serious disadvantages to this practice. Any break in the continuity of studies is not good as it leads to demotivation and distraction from studies. Youngsters who choose to work after high school may start showing more interest in earning money than in pursuing higher studies. Consequently / as a result, they may never go to university. Moreover, the job market is highly competitive and it is not possible for students who do not have a university degree to find a good job and hence students who drop out will have to be content with jobs beneath their capabilities. And if they never go back to university, their career will take a massive hit.

In conclusion, taking a break from studies can be advantageous only if students return to university with renewed focus and enthusiasm. Those who drop out in all likelihood will destroy their career.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.