[精听口译素材] 37.间隔年的利弊

Gap years are now quite common for students in the UK. After they finish college, and before starting university. There are many advantages to taking a gap year, but there are also some disadvantages. Students who take a gap year will either go travelling or work for a year. Some will even do both. Not all gap years are the same, which makes them so interesting. It's a time when many young people get their first proper work or travelling experience. 

One of the benefits of working for a year is that students can save a lot of money before starting university. Although many students will get a loan for university, it is not normally enough to cover all the costs of accommodation, food, or university fees. Also, if you work for a year, you can gain important skills and experience. Work teaches discipline, and many students have not had any work experience by the time they finish school. Although some people like myself had a job at weekends in a shop. 

Many people will choose to go travelling, sometimes for many months. This is an excellent way to see more of the world and gain life experience. If you travel, you will meet different people and see different things. For example, I went to China, Australia and New Zealand, where I met people of all nationalities and visited lots of different cultural sites. A gap year is a good opportunity to challenge yourself and learn many different skills which will be useful at university. It gives you a year to mature, and it's a good way to get real-world experience after being in full-time education. This means when it's time to start university, you are ready to learn. 

However, a gap year is not for everyone, and there are some possible disadvantages. If you travel abroad, especially some more popular gap year destinations like Thailand, Australia or South America, it can be very expensive, which means when you get to university, you may have less financial security. 

Another problem can be if you were the only one of your friends who takes a gap year, then you will be one year behind them. You won't share experiences, you may graduate later, and you may feel left behind. It's hard to motivate yourself when your friends are already free from university. Also, if you take a year out, you could lose some of the study skills that you learned at school. It can be very difficult to remember how to learn and study. This can be very difficult especially if you're going to study a subject like Maths or Chemistry, and you've forgotten useful theories or equations. 

In conclusion, the most important thing to remember is that it's neither a good nor a bad decision to take a gap year, it's up to the individual, and what's right for them. When I did my gap year, I did it so I could work, travel and learn a new language.