It is common practice for some students to take a gap year between high school and university in order to do charitable work abroad in underdeveloped countries. What are the advantages and disadvantages for young people of doing volunteer work?

 


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Working for a charity that helps underprivileged people is considered as a noble and selfless act. Nowadays, it is a common practice among young people to take a break between secondary and tertiary education to get involved in some voluntary work in developing countries. Though this phenomenon has numerous benefits, it also comes with a few drawbacks. In this essay we shall discuss both the merits and demerits of this recent trend.

Firstly, going abroad and doing things other than studying gives the youngsters an opportunity to break free from their usual workload and stress and therefore helps them to relax. It is a great opportunity to gather work experience that will definitely be helpful in later life. Furthermore, this first-hand experience of working with the underprivileged helps them see the picture of the world outside of their own comfortable life. Also they get to face real world challenges which help them develop empathy and become mature and responsible adults.
In addition to that, the positive experience of working for people in need and making a positive change in their life boosts their confidence. All of these factors help them become a better and successful person in future.

Regarding the disadvantages, the first challenge that these adolescents face after coming back from the break is to adjust with the old routine and to concentrate on studies. The new experience usually affects their mind and changes their outlook towards life which in turn makes it harder for them to follow the regular university schedule or pursue higher studies. For example, a survey done by the university of Pompeu Fabre in Spain shows that 10% of the students who took one year break after high school never joined university. The rate is even higher among the students who took a longer break. To mitigate this problem, the university has appointed a special counselor for these kids.

In conclusion, we can say that although the practice of taking a temporary break and getting involved in charitable work has a few demerits, it has it has largely a positive impact on a person’s life and hence we should encourage this.

McBrown