University Students Doing Other Activities

Full-time university students spend a lot of time studying. Some say they should do other activities too. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Annotated response

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These days, a large number of university students dedicate most of their time to studying. However, it is believed that they should also spend time participating in other activities. This essay completely agrees with this statement.

Granted, it is essential for students to apply themselves to studying, given the importance of knowledge in their later years. Higher education aims to provide students with laser-focused and specialized knowledge tailored to their future occupations. In order to gain a deep understanding of such knowledge, students need to invest significant time and effort in learning.

Nevertheless, knowledge alone might not help students secure a decent job in the future, as relationships and networking play a very important role in finding employment, and these are often acquired through activities at school. For example, when students take part in certain competitions at their schools, they gain an opportunity to meet and even collaborate with other talented individuals in their field, ranging from peers to professors. Additionally, university students can proactively secure a job position even before graduating, as many companies sponsor these events to identify potential talent for their organizations.

Taking part in extracurricular or volunteering activities also equips students with a wide range of essential skills that help them excel in their careers as well as in life. For instance, when joining a competition or a club, which usually requires students to work in teams, they can learn how to collaborate with others efficiently. These hands-on experiences and real-life collaboration can help them become valuable team members in future working environments.

Not only do students benefit from activities at their schools, but they also gain substantial advantages from having part-time jobs. Working as a part-time employee helps students understand the value of money at an early stage and teaches them how to manage their time more effectively. These benefits are why I believe that university students should allocate their time to other activities in addition to studying. They can schedule their time to participate in one or two activities every semester, which allows them to gain practical experience while still balancing their academic commitments.

In conclusion, while studying diligently is undoubtedly a virtue, I believe that university students should also take part in activities such as school competitions, volunteering projects, and part-time jobs to develop more comprehensively.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response maintains a clear position and develops relevant arguments about networking and practical skills through examples. Logical paragraphing and generally fluent language support the explanation. Some benefits attributed to part-time jobs, such as learning time management, would be stronger with an explanation of how the work develops those abilities.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.5

The response maintains clear agreement and develops relevant arguments about networking, practical skills and part-time employment. The concession about academic study fits that position. Some benefits of part-time work, particularly improved time management, are stated more briefly than the networking and teamwork arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.5

Paragraphing is logical, progression is clear, and cohesive devices are used naturally, with only occasional slightly mechanical linking such as 'Granted' and formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource

7.5

Vocabulary is flexible and precise, with natural collocations like 'secure a decent job' and 'extracurricular or volunteering activities', and only minor instances of less apt phrasing such as 'laser-focused and specialized knowledge'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5

A wide range of structures is used with good control, including inversion and complex subordination, with occasional awkward constructions that do not impede meaning.