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argumentative writing

About the gap year for German students.

Gap year – a practical alternative for German students? This is a question many students ask themselves after leaving school. ‘A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving’, told us once Lao Tzu, a famous philosopher from china. But is this a good advice for young and naïve people? Everybody has another opinion to this. While some are independent and have a good knowledge about countries and the world, other are just reckless. In this draft you will read arguments for and against a gap year for German students.

A very popular and discussed question is the cost-question. Many students do not have much money or even a job. And typical for parents: they are against this trip. What are you doing now? This is normally the first step for a gap year, the sourcing, and when you are already failing this, then you do not have a chance to make the trip. So without a gap year you can conserve much money and with this money you can buy for instance a car or you can invest it in your study.

And then, there is this pressure by your family, you should go to university, learn and of course you should get a very good paid job. A gap year is just lost time. On the one hand, there are many counter-arguments. But on the other hand there are also many arguments, which are for a gap year.

In this long year, you can think about your future. Maybe you will change your mind and you do not want to be a judge anymore but a doctor. This time could be a very useful year, for thinking about your job, your ambition and about your life so far.

A very good aspect is also, that you could collect new and exciting experience. To be in another country means to be independent: you will meet new people and new cultures. You will learn something from them and their habit and this experience will be beloved.

And the best thing on doing a gap year is that you can do good by volunteering in poor countries. For example you can teach children how to read and write or you can help to build a school for young kids, who want to learn something new. You will come back home with a good, no, wonderful feeling and you will remember this time forever.

If I should choose between doing a gap year and not doing, I will probably do it. Maybe not for so long, because I think my study will be very important for me and I would never lose sight for it. But I also think that doing a gap year would never be a mistake, because the experience you will do, nobody can give you. It is the perfect chance to think about your future and to make decisions. When you really want to do it, then do anything for it, because you should follow your gut feeling!

xx barbara