Friday, June 09, 2006

Pros and Cons of a Gap Year

Teacher's corrections are in red.

Pros and Cons of a Gap Year

A gap year, otherwise known as a year out is a break from study or a welcome break for many students, but can also be frustrating to others. It may indeed be a way to recharge your battery, or to explore activities near home or afar that you never had time to experience before. Most people tend to take a gap year following their secondary school after A levels and before going to university. The year out can involve time abroad to work or travel either independently or with one of the many organizations, who cater for 'gappers'. A gap year does not necessarily mean spending time abroad only. It also lets many students to stay put and work or travel nearer to home.

Research shows that gap years have given strong points to students who take a well-planned, structured year out. First of all they are more likely to be satisfied with their choice of cource, and even better, more likely to complete it. A year out can provide the time and space needed to analyse and develop their skills, self-confidence and maturity, and decide which university and course will allow them to reach their full potential. Moreover, a year out shows independence, strength of character, and the ability to plan ahead for the gappers in the future. They also have the opportunity to earn and save money to cover some costs of university fees and life. A year away from study allows you to explore a totally new way of life, and lets you gain some valuable work experience. //New paragraph There are also some possible disadvantages or weak points in taking a year off. It may allow you to decide not to further your education for the reason that you may already enjoy earning money for financial support. Students may also find it hard to get back into working/studying routine, or may lose the habit of studying. There will also be difficulty to apply to colleges especially if you are in another country. Finally, not all gap years are spent productively, either you succeed for using it wisely, or lose your plans.

In conclusion, I strongly believe/agree that taking a gap year is really advantageous to students. It provides a lot of benefits in terms of helping parents with financial support, improve their whole being to be knowledgeable about many things, learn to be independent and mature in thinking as well as their behaviour. Finally, students who had a gap year have a different outlook on life by the time they get to university.

Verma G. Briones
IELTS Preparation

Student's writing preparation:

Where and when did you write this: Office, 30th May 2006
Time spent on the first draft: 120 minutes
Time spent on the final draft: 45 minutes
Did you use a dictionary?: no
Did anybody help you?: no
How did you find it?: quite hard
Additional comments: It needs a lot of research and reading about the topic in order to come off with a good essay in addition to what we percieve on the topic.


Additional comments from teacher:
Handwriting must not be in all capital letters. (student presented the written work in all capitals).
Advantages and disadvantages must be written in separate paragraphs.

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