These Days, More People are Going to University than in the Past - IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

In an IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay, you will be asked to write about both the merits and demerits of a given topic. Hence, you must be conscious that you write both the advantages and disadvantages of the question and not your opinion about the topic in general. 

In order to help you understand this type of essay better, below is a sample essay on the topic, ‘These Days, More People are Going to University than in the Past’, along with a vocabulary section. 

Continue to practise other topics of IELTS advantages/disadvantages essays to help you during your IELTS Writing Task 2 preparation! 

Question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

These days, more people are going to university than in the past. They start work later in life and with higher qualifications. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this situation?

You should write at least 250 words.

Structure Breakdown

Band 8 Sample ‘These Days, More People are Going to University than in the Past'

In recent decades, a larger group of people have chosen to pursue higher education. As a result of this, many of the individuals enter the workforce later in life but with stronger and better academic qualifications. This active trend brings both significant benefits and notable disadvantages.

One major advantage is that higher education equips everyone with an advanced knowledge as well as certain specialised skills. University graduates often tend to be better prepared for professional careers that expect employees to have a great critical thinking and technical expertise, which can lead to higher salaries and better job stability. In addition to this, a more educated workforce can contribute to economic growth as well as innovation, benefiting the society as a whole.

However, there are also certain disadvantages to starting work later. Spending more years in education often means delayed financial independence. Moreover, graduates may face student debt and have fewer years to save for the future while compared to the people who start working earlier. Adding on, some employers value practical experience over a candidate’s academic qualifications, hence highly educated individuals may still struggle to find suitable employment.

To conclude, while attending university and gaining higher qualifications can improve the career prospects of people and support national development, it may also delay personal and financial progress. Overall, the advantages and disadvantages of this trend should be carefully balanced by people when deciding their educational path.

Band 9 Sample ‘These Days, More People are Going to University than in the Past'

In the present times, the percentage of people pursuing further education has witnessed a considerable increase from the past. This has led people to commence working later in life with more advanced education. In the following essay, I will delve into the benefits and drawbacks of this phenomenon.

Firstly, one of the key benefits is that higher education enables people to acquire specialised knowledge about a domain which can enhance their careers. Augmented theoretical understanding of concepts coupled with case studies drawn from real life and tackling arduous assignments would help people meet the demands of work even better. Research has suggested that those graduating with some level of higher education possess insight which is comparable to an employee who has gleaned around five years’ worth of working experience. Another advantage is that a university education allows people the time and energy to explore a variety of opportunities which are not available when working.

However, there are certain impediments to starting one’s career later. To begin with, there are monetary repercussions to consider. Students often take colossal loans to pay for their education which causes them to accrue debt. Regardless, if one starts working early, not only do they gain financial independence and start saving up for their future instead of paying off student loans. Moreover, academia is a rigorous competitive environment which may start to take a toll on people after a while. The passion for one’s subject may fizzle during the course of one’s degree, or one may face the realisation that their degree has not allowed them to gain any marketable skills which can be applied to the job sector.

In conclusion, it can be said that there are both positive and negative sides to the recent phenomenon of pursuing higher education and starting one’s career later in life as compared to the past and it depends on what the individual wants out of their life to decide which the preferable option is.

Vocabulary to Answer the ‘These Days, More People are Going to University than in the Past' Essay

• Augmented

Meaning – To make better or greater
Example – I augment my laptop with a better processor than it had before.

• Witnessed

Meaning – Observe or watch
Example – He witnessed the incident unfold right before his eyes.

• Arduous

Meaning – Challenging or difficult
Example – They decided to help each other to accomplish the arduous task.

• Glean

Meaning – Acquire
Example – The references for her research were gleaned from a number of scientific websites.

• Impediment

Meaning – Hindrance or obstacle
Example – His academic records had become a big impediment to his career.

• Colossal

Meaning – Massive or huge
Example – There stood a colossal statue of the happy prince, covered in gold, overlooking the town.

• Marketable

Meaning – Profitable
Example – It requires a lot of effort to harvest strawberries that are of marketable quality.

• Repercussion

Meaning – Consequence or ramification
Example – The repercussions of the Great Depression cast ripples across the world.

• Commence

Meaning – Start
Example – The new academic session will commence in July.

• Insight

Meaning – Understanding or perception
Example – His book on Indian prehistory offers new insight into the past of this country.

To conclude, as you practice writing an essay for the IELTS Exam, you must first learn how to brainstorm ideas. Even though the sample answers are provided, for the topic “These Days, More People are Going to University than in the Past,” you still need to attempt ideating yourself first before looking at the answers. This will help you to note down areas of improvement and work towards acquiring the skill to boost your IELTS preparation!