Some students prefer to take a gap year between high school and university,

to work or travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Taking a year-long break from formal education, between high school and post-secondary
studies, has been gaining traction in recent years. For many, this trend is an optimal use of time
to enrich one’s knowledge about their career path. While there are admittedly several benefits, I
believe taking a gap year can be a potential struggle for a majority of students.
On the one hand, high school graduates can be offered a range of developmental benefits during
their one-year break. Students are given more time and opportunities to shift attention to other
relevant facets of life, which are often neglected due to constant schooling. For example, a future
bachelor’s degree holder could gain valuable job experience through many vocational training
courses and internships available for them during that one year away from education. Another
compelling reason why many favors taking a gap year lies in the fact that it is a powerful tool to
enhance one’s relaxation. As a norm, students are often exposed to a great amount of pressure,
prompted by arduous hours of studies and parental expectations. With the help of gap year,
however, they can allocate more of their time to resting, exercising and gain a work-life balance
as a result.
On the other hand, it would be unwise to dismiss gap year as a potential threat. While peer
pressure and constant deadlines at school are the drives for most students to study in earnest, a
year away from formal education might act as a complete disincentive for them to apply
themselves. Not only does this result in a deteriorating performance but also affects their career
trajectories, which are likely to be associated with misguided directions. At the same time, a
majority of students, often young job seekers, may fail to balance their earnings and spending as
they enter the job market with a goal of economic stability.  
In conclusion, taking a gap year can be either beneficial or damaging to one’s academic journey.
As long as students make good use of their available time, I believe it would be feasible for them
to far outweigh any other peers, even the most outstanding ones.