Why Students Should Take a Gap Year? - Argumentative Essay

Paper Type:  Argumentative essay
Pages:  5
Wordcount:  1167 Words
Date:  2022-05-21
Categories: 

Introduction

In the recent years, a higher number of students have been observed to take a gap year once they finish high school and before joining college. The reasons for the step has been associated with positive and negative views. On one hand, it has been depicted that a gap year allows one to refresh while on the other, it has been described to be too costly. As such, it is vital to evaluate both sides of the situation and comprehend the benefits and shortcomings. The essay will explore the idea of students taking a gap year versus not taking it as well.

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Benefits of Taking a Gap Year

Better performance in college has been associated with one taking a gap year. Reports from various schools have depicted that students who take a gap year usually have higher GPAs and participate more in campus activities as compared to the rest. On the other hand, when one considers a gap year, they have adequate time to decide what they want to study. Joining college immediately after high school makes most students committing to one area of study and later realizing that it is not what they wanted. In most cases, they end up swapping with another different major, and this may occur two or even three times. However, by taking a gap year, one avoids such a situation and thus, cut down on coursework, tuition bills and the stress associated with switching majors (Strutner).

A gap year gives one an opportunity to integrate into a new society, friends, languages or cultural norms. Therefore, one becomes an expert in adjusting to new places. In college, one usually needs the same adaptation skills, and through the gap year, they will be quite ready to handle all the pressure associated with it since they will have previously shifted societies. Students may discover a new passion in the course of their gap year. They may enhance their universal proficiency and even learn more about entrepreneurialism. Additionally, their capability to communicate may improve and thus acclimatize quickly in the midst of encounters. Partaking in a gap year exhibits the qualities most employers may be seeking in an outlook. The conditions may range from curiosity, courage, teamwork, open-mindedness, and disposition to participate in something new (Martin 561). As such, during the gap year, students may improve their prospects.

Drawbacks of Taking a Gap Year

On the other hand, taking a gap year has been associated with specific adverse effects. There is the issue of high expenses. It has been demonstrated that a gap year leads to high financial costs for the family. Besides, a gap year has been shown to improve the prospects of a student. However, it may also have an adverse effect on the school prospects of a learner. Lack of purpose for taking the gap year will be waste to the learner especially when they have not indicated any areas of interests (Gerwels). Therefore, instead of improving their prospects, learners may end up engaging in harmful activities such as drug abuse especially when they get involved with the wrong company.

Loss of momentum for learners has further bee linked with taking a gap year. By learners not going to college directly after high school, there is a higher chance that they may never attend. Most of them may end up being easily distracted or struggle with concentration and even making a follow-through of their studies. Moreover, a gap year has been demonstrated to be an excellent choice for learners who have not decided what they will study or the career path they will take as well. However, for students who already have an idea of what they are going to pursue, a gap year may not be useful for them and may, in fact, be harmful (Jordan, Ann and Crews 188).

Challenges and Personal Development during a Gap Year

A gap year has been observed to provide an opportunity for personal development. However, one will have to deal with challenges alone. When one chooses to travel, they may have to be away from their family and friends and struggle to adapt to a new culture. Besides, they may end up feeling like they are one year behind their peers who joined college immediately after high school (O'Shea, 14). In the end, they may be stressed and uncertain of whether they made the right choice.

Conclusion

The essay has explored the positive and negative aspects of students taking a gap year. It has been depicted that a gap year gives students have a chance to be integrated into a new society. Also, they can enhance their communication thus adapting quickly when facing challenges. A gap year has further been linked with better performance in college and making the right choices when selecting their career path. On the other hand, a gap year may be associated with loss of momentum whereby a student may end up never attending college. When one takes a gap year without a purpose, they may also end up engaging in harmful activities such as drug abuse. Taking a gap year is a prevalent practice, but it is essential for one to consider all the merits and demerits. Before one takes a gap year, it is fundamental for them to have a plan and further establish goals to ensure they do not waste time.

Works Cited

Gerwels, Mary Claire. "Don'T Get Caught Up In The Glamor Of The Gap Year". UT News | The University Of Texas At Austin, 2016, https://news.utexas.edu/2016/05/09/don-t-get-caught-up-in-the-glamor-of-the-gap-year. Accessed 8 May 2018.

Jordan, Ann K, and Tena B. Crews. Investigating Your Career. Mason, Ohio: South-Western, 2012, pp. 188.

Martin, Andrew J. "Should students have a gap year? Motivation and performance factors relevant to time out after completing school." Journal of Educational Psychology 102.3 (2010): 561.

O'Shea, Joseph. Gap Year: How Delaying College Changes People in Ways the World Needs. , 2014, pp. 13-15.

Strutner, Suzy. "10 Reasons You Should Take A Gap Year". Huffpost UK, 2016, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/05/01/gap-year_n_4325969.html. Accessed 8 May 2018.

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Why Students Should Take a Gap Year? - Argumentative Essay. (2022, May 21). Retrieved from https://proessays.net/essays/why-students-should-take-a-gap-year-argumentative-essay

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