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    Sample Essay 2

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    Sample Essay 2

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    sample essay 2

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    Sample Essay 2

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    of 2

    ESSAY 2

    The Gap Year: A Smart Choice for the Uncertain Graduate


    The path to a successful career isnt as clear as it used to be. Years ago,
    to get a good job, you went to a 4-year college and that was that. Now more
    people seem to be advising against college: They say its gotten way too
    expensive, and if you have good business sense or tech skills, you can make a
    ton of money without ever attending a single college class. Trying to decide if
    college is right for you can be overwhelming, but if you take a gap yeara
    year-long break between high school and collegeit doesnt have to be. A gap
    year will give you time to save money, a clearer sense of what career path you
    want to take, and if you do eventually decide to go to college, youll probably
    get better grades than if youd gone straight there from high school.
    One of the most practical reasons to take a gap year between high
    school and college is saving money. Suppose you got a 40-hour-per-week job
    that paid $10 per hour. Youd make $400 per week, which is about $1,600 per
    month. Over the course of one year, thats a total of $19,200. Now of course,
    youd have to take taxes out of that, and you probably wouldnt save every
    penny of it, but even if you could save half$9,600that could pay for a year
    of in-state tuition at many public 4-year colleges, and it could pay for even
    more if you went to a community college first. Making college more
    affordable definitely makes it a more attractive option, and if you end up not
    going to college, youll still have some good savings, so the time you spend
    saving will not have been wasted.
    A gap year can also help you figure out what you want to do with your
    life. Colleen Conroy, who took a gap year after taking a few college courses,
    describes how her time off helped her discover her true passion. Before her
    gap year, when she traveled through Southeast Asia, she says, I was a rockloving geology major. I still adore volcanoes and glacial fields, but I realized

    Argumentative Writing 2016 Cult of Pedagogy

    62

    ESSAY 2 (Continued)

    halfway down the Mekong that Id way rather write about the people and
    cultures I was encounteringnot the rocks lining the banks. When my
    journey came to its end, I returned to California mentally recharged and
    prepared to take on all the academics necessary. My gap year saved me a year
    of floundering amid wasted loans and missed opportunities (Conroy). Like
    Colleen, many people need more time and life experience to decide what
    career they want to pursue. Instead of starting college right after high school,
    then switching majors several times and possibly wasting tuition money, you
    could use a gap year to determine the right path for you.
    Finally, taking a gap year may actually help you get better grades if you
    do decide to go to college. A study conducted by Sydney University of over
    900 first-year college students found that many of those who took a gap year
    performed better in their first year of college than those who went straight to
    college from high school (Bodkin). If you choose not to go to college, you
    wont be any worse off, but if you do, its likely that youll get more out of it if
    you take a gap year first.
    Going to college doesnt have to be an all-or-nothing thing. By taking a
    gap year, youll save money and get a better idea of what career you want to
    pursue. And when the time comes to go to collegeif thats what you decide
    to doyoull be more successful as a college student. By taking a little extra
    time to make this important decision, youre making the path toward a
    satisfying career much easier to navigate.

    Works Cited
    Bodkin, Peter. Sydney University Study Reveals Students Who Take Gap Year Enjoy
    Better Results." Herald Sun. News Corp, 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
    Conroy, Colleen. Why I Took a Gap Year (And You Should Too)." The LaLa. The Lala
    Media Group, 14 April 2015. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

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    63

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