Taking a gap year after high school is getting more popular among young adults each year. According to the American Gap Year Association (AGA), a gap year is often a year-long break taken between high school and college. AGA stresses that a gap year is a year on, rather than a year off, to oppose the belief that students are taking this time off as a vacation from schooling.

Gap years offer an opportunity for experiential learning. They allow you to leave the classroom and learn new skills and ideas through doing something. You might find yourself in completely new situations that call for special problem-solving skills. Moreover, many students go through twelve years of schooling in the same place with the same group of people. By taking a gap year, they can step out of their comfort zone (区域) and into an entirely new culture. Just like gaining new experiences on a gap year, they can also meet new people of all different ages and walks of life. Finally, a gap year can also be a great way to get yourself recharged (重新充电). Instead of immediately jumping into the next four years of your education, you can take a break from the classroom and focus on your personal interests and passions. Many top universities encourage accepted students to take a gap year before starting college.

However, before you get too excited about the idea of taking a gap year, you should also know about possible drawbacks. If you take a gap year, you could fall a year behind your peers (同伴). To catch up, you have to come up with a plan to graduate in three years. For the most part, studies show that students who take a gap year find themselves more driven when they arrive at college. However, you might find it difficult to return to an educational environment after taking a year away from the classroom.

There is no set time-line for your education, and going straight from high school to college definitely isn't for everyone. For me personally, I still benefit from my gap year experience traveling in European countries. Cap years can take a number of forms, and they require a good deal of intention and planning. So if you have a will-thought-out plan for taking a gap year, then you should feel confident in your decision. Taking a meaningful gap year could be one of the best life experiences you ever have!

The year 2020 is a special one for China, as the Chinese government has set a goal of lifting all the people out of poverty(贫困) by the end of the year. To achieve this goal, one important task is to reduce the education gap(差距) between the poor countryside and the cities.

In recent years, the governments have worked hard to improve the education in poor areas. Schools have put great efforts into improving education in these areas. More new schools have been built, and more money has been used to help students from poor families. Let’s have a look at how the students across the country have benefited(得益) from this.

“Do you like playing football?” asked British teacher Matthew.

“I prefer to play basketball,” answered Wang Qi.

These “dual-teacher classes”(双师课堂) were set up by China Daily. Through an online video talk, the foreign teachers are teaching students from the poor areas. The goal is to bring better English education to poor areas.

He Jiao is a student from Dafang, Guizhou. In 2015, when she was admitted(录取)to Tsinghua University, her family were nervous about her tuition fees. Her father made no more than 1,000 yuan a month.

Thanks to a project started by the local government. He Jiao received a scholarship(奖学金)of 100,000 yuan, and her university dream came true.