GRE ESSAY. issue task. PLEASE READ AND GRADE

[Rahema]

All college and university students would benefit from spending at least one semester studying in a foreign country.”

 Education is an important part of our life. Education means gaining knowledge from experience. Learning everyday chores, learning how to keep a pet or even learning how to knit a sweater. These aren’t things you learn in schools/colleges. These are lessons that life and experience teach us .Experience teaches us more about this world than any physics, math or biology book can. 

Students who study abroad are likely to be more independent. The students will grow up to be well rounded and confident people. They attain leadership qualities and learn how to live a life in every situation.You are unlikely to learn how to take care of the pet you just adopted at college. Taking care of a pet helps one achieve a sense of responsibility. Traveling in itself is a big confidence booster. One learns how to deal with people from around the world. If the student wants he can learn the language of the country he is sent to. Any person who is pushed out of their comfort zone at this age will be a little uncomfortable initially, but will learn to adjust. Living alone in a foreign country will teach the students how to fend for themselves. They will learn to live in this big world on their own. 

Living away from your home, family and friends helps you build character. The student will always be alert of his surroundings since he is the only person he can rely on. If a student from America studies in Pakistan then he will be tasting a lot of spicy food. The cuisine is completely different from a typical American meal. He will see new values and traditions. The student can learn the national language spoken throughout the country (urdu). The culture is extremely different. The student will learn about the traditional dress of the country; the way wedding festivities take place. The student will learn to venerate the religion and culture of the people living there. They will learn how life is led in Pakistan. They will adapt to living a comfortable life in a third world country. 

On the contrary, sending every student will be cost effective. In an ideal world it would seem perfect but we don’t live in an ideal world. Some people might have trouble adjusting to the new culture. Some might not be aware of the societal norms such as in Pakistan a boy and girl never hug when they meet. They just shake hands. But that isn’t something one cannot get used to. There is also a language barrier initially, which may fade away once the person learns at least the necessary words spoken in the country.   

Sending students to foreign countries is for the benefit of every student. They learn so much more than they learn in their own protected environment. Since this is the question of our coming generation, why not add tolerance and patient to their list of qualities by sending them to see the different cultures in the world? Letting them see the world for what it actually is than what it is on tv. When it comes to traveling and exploring, there is no dearth of learning.

[hmnshu]

Please make sure posting instructions as well and feel free responding my post and flaws exist in it if any.

The argument claims that All college and university students would benefit from spending at least one semester studying in a foreign country. One semester lasts for only five to six months. Isn't it very short period? Stated in this way the argument fails to mention several key factors, on the basis of which it could be evaluated. The conclusion of the argument relies on assumptions for which there is no clear evidence. Hence, the argument is unconvincing and has several flaws.

First, the argument readily assumes that students travelling abroad will meant to learn trivial tasks such as caring a pet or knitting sweater. Additionally taking care of pet helps achieves sense of responsibility. This statement is a stretch as no would travel this long if they suppose to learn for only learning sense of responsibility towards pet. For example, student effort towards understanding and learning new language and culture demands development for mankind. And if student visiting abroad only meant to surviving with no life in cosmopolitan city not bringing prosperity to lives of other people or at least friends and family than it is no use. Clearly, trivial task and new language learned in six months will fade away in no time if not polished or used after flying back. The argument could have been much clearer if it explicitly stated that there is responsibility of student developing his capabilities towards benefits of mankind.

Second, the argument claims that student living away from your home, family and friends help build character and life in solitude protecting himself rather than building friendship and relationships which can be used further to intellectual development of both the parties. This is again a very weak and unsupported claim as the argument does not demonstrate any correlation between abroad study and growth of humanity. To illustrate, there have been lot of chaos in news about people studying abroad gets miserly. There study suffers and most of their time spends in trivial labour tasks such as cleaning, subway deliveries etc. In fact, it is not at all clear that whether study makes him perfect to grow in his life rather it talks about only culture, language and trivial task expertise. If the argument had provided evidence that some students study has shown tremendous growth in development for both the countries then the argument would have been a lot more convincing.

Finally, will people benefit from this six months travel? is there any growth associated for student? Different elaborate real world example exist if any? Without convincing answers to these questions, one is left with the impression that the claim is more of a wishful thinking rather than substantive evidence.

In summary, the argument is flawed and therefore unconvincing. It could be considerably strengthened if the author clearly mentioned all the relevant facts. In order to assess the merits of a certain situation, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors.