INTRODUCTION: Claims/Thesis statement

Some people are in favour of students taking a gap year before university, while others believe such a
break in education is disruptive. I believe that while there are arguments in favour of both views, that
students benefit more from continuing their education straight from secondary to tertiary level.

BODY: Evidence/Pros

a gap year provides opportunities for work experience, personal development and a period of relaxation
away from the stresses of full-time education. High-school students are subjected to enormous pressure
to achieve high grades, particularly in Asia, meaning that leisure time is practically non-existent and
young people have little chance to indulge in hobbies or recreational activities After-school classes,
summer schools and exam preparation courses also prevent many high-school students from engaging
in sports which can develop teamwork and leadership skills, or from travel which allows them to gain
cultural awareness and to develop as individuals.

BODY: Counterargument/Cons

many students returning from a break in academic study find it very difficult to adjust to university life,
give up their ideas of a higher education altogether, or waste their gap year in worthless activities.
Starting a university course after a year's break is difficult. Gap-year students are a year behind their
high-school friends and have forgotten many of the lessons learned in school, or indeed, how to study at
all. Many also miss the income from unskilled gap-year jobs and decide that they would rather have
money now than wait for a better salary later, prompting some to abandon their scholarly ambitions
altogether. In the Philippines, for example, some students are enticed into non-skilled jobs with
attractive salaries, forgetting that what they can earn after graduation will, in the long run, provide far
better financial security. There are also many high school students who start a gap-year with good
intentions, but fail to find work or a worthwhile activity and end up wasting their time - something they
find hard to explain to

future employers.

BODY: Rebuttal/Refutation

A gap year would provide just such opportunities. Furthermore, work experience either in paid
employment or in a voluntary capacity would give students practical skills, a sound work ethic and an
appreciation of the value of money they have earned themselves. Such experiences help students to
become more rounded individuals, enhance their CVs when they apply for scholarships or work after
graduation and provide employers with valuable insight into an individual's aptitude, personality and
ambitions.