Nowadays, many students choose to take a gap year before starting university. During that time, they travel
around the world, having new adventures, discovering themselves or starting a work experience.
Personally, I think that is a good thing because it reduces anxiety for the future, and it allows them to know
what to do in the next years. When students finish school, they have a lot of doubts and fears about who
they will become. This is very stressful, and it creates physical and psychological issues. So, why not? A gap
year would be a great opportunity to design their future and recharge their energies. For example, in this
period they could start a photograph course, cooking course or improve a foreign language. The key word
should be “broaden their horizons”. Another reason why I support this idea is the increment of soft skills. At
school students have acquired hard skills, but the world of work requires also soft skills: for example,
teamworking, teambuilding and time management. These skills are very important to become a
professional and students should learn or improve them through new experience such as part-time job, or
volunteering.
On the other hand, taking a gap year might be a problem for two reasons. First of all, it could be a deadlock:
students, in fact, might lose their way and drop out of school. To be honest, the real life sometimes is more
attractive than university and it could be a reason to plan a daring escape. Really, sometimes attending
lectures and seminars is very boring. Secondly, in my opinion, university does not prepare students for their
life, and it could be a big deal. For example, attending lectures and seminars is not enough and honestly,
there is a lot to work with.
Overall, I think that a gap year is a wonderful opportunity to become a young conscious adult. Fear of the
future is a silent killer and impedes the performance of the students. For this important reason, deferring
for a year is a safety net.
