-High school graduates should take a year off (a gap year) before entering university - Essay Example

I. Essay Topic: High school graduates should take a year off before entering II. Thesis ment: This paper examines the impact of the one year off-period that high school students may have before they join university.III. Body1. a) Studies have shown that high-school graduates who take a year off before joining college, have a higher chance of not dropping out of college within the first two years compared to those who do not. This was attributed to the experiences collected and learned before joining the college.

The break affords the graduates a chance to adapt transition from childhood to adulthood; it is maturing period (White 51).b) This was attributed to the experiences collected and learned before joining the college.2. a) The one year off period offers can opportunity for adventure and exploration for the graduate students. It is an opportunity for the young high school graduates to explore different places and learn new ideas. This makes them appreciate cultural diversity, and as a result, they are able to interact with other students from different cultural backgrounds (Griffith 220)b) Some of the students get a chance to travel to other foreign places which provides them an opportunity to learn different cultures that are different from their own.

The travelling also offers a chance to earn money and learn new languages.3. a) It provides an opportunity to save money. In this economic crisis, the high-school graduates engage in income-generating activities that provide money to pay college tuition and offset other expenses (White 54).b) The students save money in the form of having a clear objective in what courses to take in college. This enables them to avoid four or more years of wasted money and time spent on aimless drifting from one course to another. 4. a) The gap year increases the chance of a student admission to college of choice.

The break-off year gives one a chance to take part in other extra-curricular activities that give leverage to ones admission chances. During college admissions, a lot of factors are considered besides the student’s score and teacher recommendation (White 53).b) The factors may include volunteering for a cause or organization, or learning of a foreign language, for example, for two student applicants with high student’s score and appropriate recommendations from the teachers, the one with extra experience in matters non academic stands a high chance of being admitted compared to his counterpart.

III Conclusion: As I conclude, it is evident that the year gap does more good than harm to a high-school graduate. Students with the experience of a year gap bring a different aspect to classes. Majority of the students who have taken a year gap, are of the opinion, that they learned more during the one year compared to the total time they have spent in a college class. Gap years are essential for healthy academic life of prospective college students. A gap year period enables students to identify themselves and set targets to achieve in life.

The one-year gap gives the high-school graduates a chance to exercise their personal freedom, which in turn is essential for their maturity. Once they are mature, they are able to outline clearly their academic goals and ambitions. These goals and ambitions are influenced by people they look up to as role models. The role models play a vital role in the self-actualization of the young adults.IV Works CitedGriffith, Susan. Your Gap Year: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Year Out the Adventure of a Lifetime.

London: Crimson Publishing, 2008.Print.White, Kristin M. The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Things to Do Between High School and College. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2009.Print.