Taking a Gap Year
by George G.
Taking a gap year before moving on to important kinds of education, like university or college, has become a widely spread choice among the youth for various reasons, depending on the individual’s point of view, whether they want to explore the world by travelling or take advantage of their time and gain work experience.
To begin with, taking a gap year gives the individual time to travel abroad, visit other countries they are interested in, get a chance to explore their culture, history, cuisine, enrich their knowledge and broaden their horizons. What’s more, they can meet the residents and gain insights into their habits and way of life. All these can be fundamental factors towards defeating racism and stereotypes.
Additionally, a good alternative including traveling abroad is voluntourism, which is a combination of travelling and at the same moment, volunteering in the particular country. Others see gapping as a chance to relax, take a break from the tiring school routine and in the meanwhile look for a part-time job to get a first idea of how it is to be in the job market.
However, there are significant disadvantages when it comes to gapping. There is a danger that one might not wish to continue their education when the year is over, due to the fact that they may have found a job to support themselves and consider college/university a waste of time. What’s more, they will have probably forgot the basic knowledge to continue to more advanced levels of education after all that time. Furthermore, potential employees might reject them if they learn that they travel the world instead of carrying on with their education.
All in all, although gapping can be beneficial to our calmness and relaxation, sometimes it deprives us of great work chances and experience.
Katherine Reilly 