Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year

Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year

Cons Of Taking A Gap Year

query_builder April 1, 2014

Many high school graduates mull over taking a break from school, commonly known as a gap year. Gap years are becoming more and more popular. If you are considering taking a year off before college, you must be aware of all advantages and disadvantages associated with it.

Pros of Taking a Year Off before College

• It is a chance to recharge. After12 years of school most students feel stressed out. In this case, proceeding to college right after graduation from school is not a good idea. You should use the year off to relax, spend time with your friends and family and decide what career you want to pursue.
• It provides a great opportunity to travel and discover other cultures. And it doesn’t really matter whether you manage to travel the world or visit two or three countries only. Exposure to new environment will give you new impressions and stories you’ll remember forever.
• There are students who use their gap year to work. This allows you to save some cash for future education or purchases and obtain some valuable skills and experience in your chosen field, which will definitely add to your resume.
• Taking a gap year is a perfect way to become more self-reliant, acquire the feeling of responsibility and develop good time management skills.

Cons of Taking a Gap Year

• You may easily lose your focus on your objectives in life. The sense of freedom that a break from studying provides can make you forget about you future goals.
• You may not be aware of the reason why you’re taking a year off. If you end up just lazing around every day and partying every other night, it will do you more harm than good.
• It is also easy to lose momentum. Since you won’t be exposed to classroom environment for the whole year, you might forget basic study skills. This will make it rather difficult to return to studies later. However, for those who struggle with their academic assignments there is a great way out.

To sum it up, a gap year is a rather wise undertaking – provided that it is well planned and thought out. It is important to consider each and every detail before you make your final decision.