Pro: Gap Years Provide Better Life Experiences and Education for Students
Done the right way, a gap year can help a young adult find their path in life and gain experiences that would never be possible otherwise.
A gap year can help immerse one in a completely different and new culture, and will thus create an integral understanding of other people that crafts a more empathetic individual. Additionally, gap years give young adults the proper amount of time to gain work experience and discover what they want to do with the rest of their lives.
A gap year can help one achieve understanding that can only be gained through experience. A gap year can be a tough decision, but the answer is clear when considering the joy and success that come from this time off.
Con: Gap Years Create More Problems for Students in the Long Run
While gap years may seem beneficial on the surface, there are many negative consequences to this seemingly harmless post-secondary plan. Gap years seem like an easy way to take a break from the stressors of education. However, by stepping away academically for an entire year, your performance rate could decrease when you decide to enroll in school. We see what happens when we go on summer vacation for 3 months; now imagine having to relearn everything after an entire year.
Taking a gap year can also trap someone in a cycle of unproductivity. While it may seem appealing on the surface, a gap year is simply not the ideal approach to having free time between your educational plans.
