Writing Assignment 3 -Persuasive Essay

Running head: THERE SHOULD BE A GAP AFTER HIGH SCHOOL 1

THERE SHOULD BE A GAP AFTER HIGH SCHOOL 6

There should be a Gap after High School

Name of Student

Institutional Affiliation

There Should be a Gap After High School

I believe there should be a gap after high-school as it provides the students with several options that when utilized maximally may be beneficial. We have gap years being adopted in various countries. Even influential people are embracing the gap year since the merits associated it are quite promising. The issue of gap year has always raised debate among different scholars. The gap year may not necessarily mean that a time to be lazy but can be transformed into an active year to serve its purpose. There is a lot of engagement a student can participate in after high school (Joseph, 2011).

One of the main reason for taking a break is getting to taking advantage of the world of possibilities (Sue, 2007). There is a lot of knowledge in the world that is yet to be acquired. We are only as knowledgeable as the kind of information surrounding us. Visiting new places subjects us to new experiences and opens our mind to the world of information. There is a lot to learn for high school students before joining the university. The world offers you a better picture of various careers in different world regions hence one has maximized the options that exist in regards to a particular job that may be specialized at the college. Each nation will always have something new or unique from another country or nations. Another benefit that comes with traveling is getting a better understanding of ourselves (Andrew, 2011). The millennial is a fragile generation that can easily be influenced either positively or negatively. The gap year, when used for traveling the world and visiting new places, helps in freeing the minds of this particular generation.

The gap year offers a chance of preparedness for college life. Research in various places, Australia to be specific, have confirmed that students who take a gap year before embarking on college life tend to perform better and end up choosing careers that are satisfying to their taste (Andrew, 2010). The students have a break to take all in and evaluate everything in a step-by-step process. A student has no pressure and can make informed decisions. A student has enough time frame to prepare for what he/she is going to do at the college. A student will be able to join college ready for everything the higher learning has to offer. Students who join university immediately have a hard time trying to adapt to the abrupt lifestyle of college. Peer pressure and parents constant pushing contribute to devastated students who pursue careers that do not favor them. We read a lot of stories concerning university graduates who decide to follow their dreams after wasting a lifetime pursuing a wrong major at the university. Lack of efficient preparation results in poor decisions made by students before joining college and afterward. The gap year helps a student put to focus on what he/she should aim at, and it becomes easy to know what will be favorable and what will not. Going to college knowing exactly what clubs or social communities to involve oneself in will be an added advantage.

The gap year offers enough time for a disabled student who may require space to master specific skills to be on an equal platform as an average student at the college. Following the Americans with Disable Act of 1991, it provided for proceeding in learning for disabled students who are qualified for post-school. It will be a bit unfair to some of these individual students who want to attend traditional colleges or universities and expected to register the same kind of performance as a typical student. The year gap will ensure the student has enough time to comprehend what will be required of him/her and work on perfecting essential skills. Disable students may view this gap as a golden opportunity for them to make necessary adjustments (Lynn, 2007). Learning should not be all about career but be able to instill specific skills to students and graduates at the end of the process. For learning to be transformational, it needs to accommodate almost everyone interested without stressing some of the students. Recent research has predicted that a few years to come, the population of disabling workforce in the market will be eliminated if specific measures are not followed to the later. One of the solutions to this problem is having a gap year for disabled students to feel appreciated (Stephen & Ian, 2009).

References

1. Andrew, K. (2011). “Minding the gap? Young people’s accounts of taking a Gap Year as a form of identity work in higher education.” Journal of Youth Studies. Vol 14, Issue 3. Pages 341-357

2. Andrew, M. (2010). “Should students have a gap year? Motivation and performance factors relevant to time out after completing school.” Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol 102, Issue 3. Pp. 561.

Summary

In Andrew’s articles; 2010 & 2011, we have countries like Australia being on the forefront to the adoption of gap years. The gap year has increased from 4% to 9% marking an incredible percentage from the year 1974 to 2004. We have students who are prepared to be self-direct and ready for adulthood with the gap year being considered.

3. Joseph, O. (2011). “Delaying the academy: A gap year education.” Journal of Teaching in Higher Education. Vol 16, Issue 3. Pages 565-577.

4. Lynn, A. (2007). “Bridging the Transition Gap from High School to College; Preparing Students with Disabilities for a Successful Postsecondary Experience.” Teaching Exceptional Children. Vol 40, Issue 2. Pp. 12-15.

Summary

Lynn in his article of 2007 regards the gap year as an academic adjustment period where disabled students are offered a chance bridge the gap existing between them and an everyday average student. The playing field of the academic will be considered level without such a year in place. Sue highlights an essential piece of knowledge that cannot be ignored, which is the world full of knowledge awaiting our exploration of it. A lot of information and insight is stored in the world that acts as one supernatural library.

5. Sue, H. (2007). "Widening the gap: pre-university gap years and the ‘economy of experience.'" British Journal of Sociology of Education. Vol 28, Issue 1. Pages 89-103.

6. Stephen, W, Ian, H. (2009). "Transition from school for youths with a disability: issues and challenges." Journal of Disability and Society. Vol 24, Issue 1. Pp. 103-115