Many university students nowadays live away from home and their parents because of their university location, while others live with their families. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each situation?
Sample Response
In today’s society, many university students face the decision of whether to live away from home or live with their families depending on their university's locationreside with their families due to the location of their university. While moving out of the family homemoving out of family home offers advantages includinghas many advantages such as independence and improved academic performance, it also comes with significant disadvantagessome serious disadvantages such as a lack of social support and financial difficultiessuch as the lack of social support, and financial implications.
Living away from home offers several advantages. In particularMost importantly, it provides an opportunity for students to develop a sense of independence and self-reliance. By managing their own accommodation, finances, and daily routines, students can cultivate essential life skills, including budgeting, time management, and problem-solving. Living independently can also foster personal growth and maturity as students navigate the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood. Moreover, living away from home can contribute to academic success. Students often have access to a conducive environmentStudents are often exposed to a conducive environment for studying, free from distractions and familial obligations.
On the other hand, living with family has its own advantages. It provides a supportive network of familyfamilial relationships, which can contribute to emotional well-being and mental health, which is often lacking for students who study away from home. The financial burden of housing, meals, and other expenses is reduced for studentsdoesn’t apply to students who are living with family and relying on parental support. Established routines, home-cooked meals, and familiar surroundingsFamiliar routines, home-cooked meals, and familiar environments can provide a comforting and nurturing atmosphere, reducing stress and aiding in the adjustment process, allowing for a more seamless transition from high school to university life.
In conclusion, the decision about whether to live away from homethe decision whether to live away from home or with family during university studies carries advantages and disadvantages. Living away from home fosters independence, self-reliance, and academic focus, while living with family provides emotional support, financial stability, and a familiar environment. The choice ultimately depends on the individual’s priorities, personality, and familial circumstances. Nonetheless, it is crucial for students to weigh these factors carefully and consider the potential impact on their personal, academic, and social development.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is fluent, well organised, and develops several convincing benefits of both living arrangements with strong vocabulary and grammatical control. However, it only briefly mentions drawbacks of living away and does not explain disadvantages of living with family, so a central part of the task remains unanswered. The highest-priority improvement is to organise the essay around explicit advantages and disadvantages for each situation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Relevant advantages of both arrangements are well developed, but the disadvantages of each situation are not adequately addressed, especially those of living with family.
Include and develop at least one clear disadvantage for each living arrangement rather than relying on implied contrasts.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically sequenced in focused paragraphs, with clear progression and generally natural use of cohesive devices.
Align the paragraph structure more directly with all four requested dimensions so the organisation visibly reflects the task.
Lexical Resource
A wide range of topic-appropriate vocabulary is used flexibly, with only occasional awkward collocations and unnecessary repetition.
Refine less natural phrases and vary repeated words such as familiar to make the expression more precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a wide variety of complex structures with strong control, and the few errors do not impede communication.
Edit long multi-clause sentences for cleaner reference and remove minor article and punctuation slips.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Many university students nowadays live away from home and their parents because of their university location, while others live with their families. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each situation?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.