Taking a Gap Year Is Magnificent

張貼日期：Jun 25, 2018 9:14:58 AM

Zoe Lin

Conventionally, the majority of students will go to have a further study in colleges directly after graduating from high schools. In recent years, thousands of students in western countries decide to take a gap year to do the things they fancy before entering colleges. Whether high school students should take a gap year or not has become a hot issue discussed by people. Some individuals are against and some for it. The opponents believe that a gap year is a waste of time and money-consuming. However, the proponents deem it a good idea for high school students to improve themselves. Personally, I am a supporter of the standpoint that taking a gap year is magnificent.

To start with, taking a gap year is kind of refreshing. In the preceding years of studying, some high school graduates are likely to feel tiresome or depressive owing to the humdrum learning pattern or the fixed learning environment. A gap year makes them meet something fire-new and go to see a little about the world firsthand. When they take a gap year, they can expose themselves to diverse cultures around the world and receive some fresh ideas from other peoples. It is a process of obtaining out-of-school knowledge, enriching their insight and refreshing their mind. Thus, they will be more capable of pondering over things from different angles.

In the second place, having a gap year is beneficial to help students develop and grasp precious life skills. It must be mentioned that a gap year is an education itself which is related to the reality and living. Students will become more independent in the course of having a gap year. If one person travels or works alone in a new place, he may try every effort to deal with basic living problems on his own since he can just depend on himself. It is also an effective way to cultivate one’s ability of handling emergencies and overcoming obstacles. Furthermore, students will learn how to communicate and cooperate with others when they take part in community services.

Most importantly, a gap year offers students a valuable chance to realize their occupational interests and personal goals. A gap year doesn’t mean going to travel to have fun. Working in a field they are interested in is fine and meaningful. One of my friends worked as a Chinese teacher in the aid-education project in Thailand as she took a gap year. She told me that she wanted to know more about the job as a teacher and whether she really liked it or not, and she found she had a passion for the job. Therefore, she was determined to become a Chinese teacher. Now, she is majoring in pedagogy in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature. Taking a gap year is a way for students to find what is suitable for them. As a result, they will be more conscious of their occupational interests and personal goals. After entering universities, they will have a clear objective and strive hard for it.

In brief, a gap year is a time during which students can refresh themselves, obtain life skills and recognize their occupational interests and personal goals. It is an enjoyable way to enrich their experience and make their life colorful and meaningful, so why not take a gap year?