# Studying abroad: advantages vs disadvantages: IELTS Writing Task 2 samples Writing Task 2 - Education An increasing number of students choose to go to university in another country. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo. ## Band 6 sample Nowadays, more and more students are going to study in university in other country. Some people think this is a good trend but other people think it has many problems. In my opinion, the advantages of studying abroad are more than the disadvantages. Firstly, studying abroad has many advantages. The first advantage is that students can improve their English or other language very quickly, because they need to use it every day in the class and in the shop. For example, my cousin went to Australia for study business, and after one year his English was much more better than before. The second advantage is that students become more independent. They have to cook, pay bills and solve problems by themself without help from parents. Also, a degree from famous foreign university can help them to find a good job. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages too. The biggest problem is the cost. The tuition fee and the living cost in countries like UK or USA is very expensive, so many family have to borrow money. Another problem is that students feel homesick and lonely, especially in the first months. Moreover, some students do not come back to their country after they graduate, and this is bad for their country because it lose talented people. In conclusion, although studying abroad is expensive and students can feel lonely, I believe the advantages are bigger than the disadvantages. Students get a good education, learn a new language and become more mature. However, the students should think carefully about the money before they decide to go to abroad. **Examiner notes.** This Band 6 essay gives a clear position in the introduction and repeats it in the conclusion, and the cousin in Australia is a relevant example. However, the essay lists advantages and disadvantages without weighing them, so the claim that the advantages are "bigger" is asserted rather than argued. Errors such as "much more better", "by themself" and "it lose talented people" are noticeable but do not block meaning. For Band 7, the writer would explain why the benefits matter more than the costs and use linking beyond "Firstly" and "On the other hand". ## Band 7 sample In recent decades, it has become increasingly common for young people to leave their home country in order to attend university. While this trend has certain drawbacks, both for students and for the countries they leave behind, I believe that its benefits are considerably greater. The most obvious advantage is personal development. Living alone in an unfamiliar country forces students to manage their own finances, cook for themselves and deal with official paperwork, so they usually return far more mature and self-reliant than they would have been at home. In addition, international students become fluent in another language through daily use rather than classroom drills, and they gain an understanding of other cultures by studying alongside classmates from many different backgrounds. These skills are highly valued by employers, particularly in companies which operates internationally. Nevertheless, studying overseas has some clear disadvantages. The expense is the most serious one: tuition fees for international students are often much higher than those for local students, and living costs in major university cities can be high, which means that this option is mainly available to wealthier families. Some students also struggle with homesickness and culture shock, which can affect their grades. From a national perspective, there is a risk of a "brain drain" if graduates decide to settle in the country where they studied rather than returning home. However, these problems can be reduced. Scholarships make overseas study accessible to talented students from poorer backgrounds, and many universities offer support services for new arrivals. Moreover, graduates who stay abroad can still help their home country through business and professional links. In conclusion, although studying abroad is costly and can be emotionally difficult, the independence, language skills and international outlook that it develops make it, in my view, a largely positive trend. **Examiner notes.** This Band 7 essay keeps a clear position throughout and, unlike the Band 6 answer, responds to the disadvantages by arguing that they "can be reduced". Vocabulary such as "self-reliant", "culture shock" and "brain drain" is used accurately. However, the fourth paragraph is thin: the point about graduates helping through "business and professional links" is asserted without explanation, and there is a minor slip in "companies which operates". A Band 8 essay would develop the counter-argument fully and illustrate it with a specific example. The Band 8 and 9 samples are free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-2/studying-abroad). ## Common questions ### How many words should I write? At least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2. Writing a little more is fine; an answer under the minimum loses marks. ### Can I use these sample answers in my test? No. Memorised material is marked down and you will not get this exact question. Use the samples to see what each band does with the same task.