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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Full-time university students often spend the majority of their time on academic studies, but there is ongoing debate about whether they should engage in other activities as well. While there is reason to prioritize scholastic work, I strongly agree that students should balance their studies with extracurricular activities to develop a well-rounded skill set and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Opponents of this view may argue that academic success should be a student's foremost focus. This might be true, especially considering the competitive nature of the job market. By dedicating most of one's time to learning, a student can increase the likelihood of achieving high grades and securing better career opportunities after graduation. Furthermore, some students may struggle to balance extracurricular commitments with their academic workload if they are involved in other activities. This would potentially lead to poor performance at school, as too much time is spent on non-academic pursuits. Stories of students dropping out due to unsatisfactory performance, having been unable to juggle their learning and entrepreneurial activities, are not exactly uncommon in this day and age.

However, having extracurricular pursuits is going to remain beneficial for university students. Firstly, participating in such activities allows them to . By doing sports, for example, students can improve their fitness, or by being involved in volunteering, they can hone soft skills such as teamwork and communication. Many of these aforementioned abilities can translate into employable skills, which help graduates find jobs the same way academic achievements enable them to. Doing extracurricular activities, moreover, is a terrific way for university students to discover new passions. As a result, these young people may be able to escape the tedium of academia , and find other purposes in life, which improves their mental well-being.

In conclusion, while academic success is undoubtedly important, students should also engage in other activities to develop vital life skills and maintain a healthy balance. Universities should encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities, as this will contribute to their well-rounded development.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response presents a clear, consistent position with well-developed arguments and a balanced counterargument, showing strong task coverage and logical progression. Its main limitation is that the language, while accurate and flexible, remains somewhat conventional rather than fully natural or precise in places.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.5

The response fully addresses the question with a clear, consistent position, well-developed main ideas, and relevant supporting explanation and examples throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically across clear paragraphs with a range of cohesive devices, though some linking is slightly mechanical and one counterargument feels under-extended.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible with some precise and less common items, but occasional phrasing such as 'going to remain beneficial' and 'terrific' is informal or slightly awkward.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5

A wide range of structures, including complex and conditional forms, is used with good flexibility and generally strong accuracy, with only minor errors.