You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

MODEL ANSWER>>>

It is often seen that students in some countries, after their high school, are encouraged to either work or travel for a year prior to the commencement of their university studies. Both positive and negative impacts of this trend on such students are discussed in this essay.

The first major advantage of this trend is experience they are likely to gain from this. For students, who are planning for a formal education at universities, these sorts of experience is a real asset. It is seen that many such students are seen performing better at their studies and they are most likely to assume a reputed job once they finish their respective courses. The second major advantage is that it provides the students a short break, and this gap helps them to rejuvenate their minds. This equips them to study more effectively when at university, where they have more academic works including projects and dissertations.

Turning to the concerns, the first is their vulnerable age. To be precise, most students in this category falls in the adolescent stage, and only when they are properly supervised, they can be developed into responsible individuals in the society. Provided that they are left unattended, they might fall as ‘easy preys’ for the anti-social elements in the society. They second concern is the higher possibility of extending this break. For example, when students at this age travel or work independently, they may feel a sort of independence, which might persuade some to enjoy this freedom for some more time. In rare cases, students would hesitate to pursue their studies.

To conclude, though encouraging students to take a gap between their high school and university seems to be advantageous for them, one should perceive that it is not free from potential dangers.

Word count: 296