Yes and no. It depends….

I don’t think there is inevitably a problem with taking a gap year.

For a start it broadens people’s mental horizons and will require them to develop both social and problem solving skills that will serve them well in both their personal and professional lives.

Furthermore, although there are problems with jobs and employment, opportunities are growing exponentially and it has never been easier to start your own business or businesses.

Perhaps the writer of this article is feeling a little insecure and needs to be in a formal institutional structure..?

A year of relevant work (usually a year out between years of degree) can really help people learn more about the subject and put the learning into focus. But at the same time, people with potential don’t have a duty to fulfill that potential.

I work with straight-A students at Southampton (my google alerts are how I found this article). Some very bright students actually have the problem that school was too easy and getting an A didn’t require much effort for them. After that a good degree course can be a culture shock as we want it to be challenging even to the brightest and hardest workers. I’m proud of the reputation engineering graduates from Southampton have and my small contribution to that.

How can they afford it, my grandchildren certainly can’t

Hello Guillermo,

I have to say I find your article quite saddening. I work for an organisation that sends young people away on volunteering placements and I have to say the vast majority are actually motivated to achieve more, they are more worldly, have more confidence and are generally more proactive. Many people also leave university with academic skills yes, but little real world / transferable skills that will help them get that first job. Things such as initiative, teamwork, leadership, self starting and in many cases learning a language too.

From my personal experience as a student, those that took gap years actually were more inclined to study and concentrate in their first year at uni, those that hadn’t were generally drunk on freedom of being away from parents and were frequently very drunk

I understand your comments and if a year off is not utilized productively then yes, you have a point, but many people do productive things with their gap year and so benefit from it, through university and beyond!

“opportunities are growing exponentially”

Which country is that again Christopher? If there were exponential opportunites there would not be record unemployment.

Fred, opportunities are everywhere these days thanks to a 30 year old invention we call the internet…

As to unemployment, its recent increase in Spain and some other countries has no relevance to the fact that opportunities are increasing for those who are able or willing to see and take them.

C.R.: Go on then, what are they? Or is it a secret? “Unemployment is irrelevant” Ye Gods.

Stefanjo, I didn’t say that “unemployment is irrelevant”, so your reaction is misplaced.

If you don’t see any opportunities, then maybe that is a failure of your imagination, because there are so many little business ideas just waiting to be implemented.

I can’t tell you what you should do, all I can tell you is that I haven’t had a job this century, nor do I want one. I don’t come from a privileged background either; it wasn’t so long ago that I was literally penniless.