Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking a Gap Year

Everyone is on a different path in their life. Some may choose to go from one level of education to the next, whereas others may decide to take a gap year before starting university. To take a gap year is a 'growing trend' and it is important for young people to understand the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. It is estimated by Lynch (2020) that, in the UK, an average of 200,000-250,000 young people take a gap year each year - there was a 9.4% increase from 2019 to 2020. This could be due to various reasons.

It is a common choice for young people to take a gap year in order to get a job. They can work as many hours as they want, without the stress of their studies, in order to earn money. It also gives them chance to add value to their resume with skills that can only be learnt from the working world. Research by McWhirter (2016) shows that 80% of young people work in the UK at some point during their gap year. She also states that"this allows young people to raise funds and it also gives them the opportunity to learn how to budget". As well as this, they will gain experience in a working environment and learn practical skills that university may not teach. They will also practice and improve existing skills such as time management and teamwork. In addition, they will become more comfortable with having more independence and will "enter university with more responsibility and maturity" as identified in an article by Fresh Student Living (N.D.). All these skills can be used to help them when they decide to continue with their academic studies.

Nevertheless, one disadvantage of taking a gap year is that it can be very expensive and without proper planning, costs can quickly build up. As found by The Leap (2018), this means that only 10% of young people are able to fully fund their own gap year and research by Lynch (2020) found that "1 in 5 young people rely on the 'bank of Mom and Dad' to be able to fund their gap year". For those who fund their own gap year, Knoll (2012) says it can leave them with an even bigger student debt and this could add to their stress of paying for university. Moreover, for the 20% of young people who get the year funded by their parents, it means that they are likely to lack responsibility, independence and maturity. By relying on parents in this way, it may affect their ability to achieve things through their own hard work. If this is the case, when the gap year is over, those young people will have a lack of motivation. On the other hand, if parents do help to fund their child's gap year, it prevents them from wasting the year and instead, allows them to partake in valuable experiences.

Alternatively, another advantage of taking a gap year is that it gives young people the chance to travel and, as stated by Direct Travel Insurance (2016), find out about new cultures and expand their cultural outlook by living life as a local in a different country. Lynch (2020) notes that 140,000 young people spend their year travelling. It gives them the opportunity to learn, explore the world and meet new people. These experiences play a huge part in helping young people to grow and to find themselves and it is a key time to discover their individuality. It also teaches valuable life lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom setting. Furthermore, having this time away from 'the real world' means they can take a break from academic studies and take time to prepare themselves for university. This is important as, according to The Leap (2018), 66% of gap year students took their academic work more seriously when they returned back to university. This shows that taking a gap year can have a positive effect on young people's attitudes and mindsets, leading them to more of an understanding about the importance of university and how their hard work, and time spent on studying, will determine their future.

In conclusion, although there is some evidence to show that there are disadvantages to taking a gap year, it is proven that young people have a lot more to gain from doing so. It gives them time to enjoy life and experience new things. They will learn important lessons and skills that they can use throughout their life and future studies.