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Your Study Abroad Essay Made Easy

by Danielle DeSimone - Last updated on July 3, 2017

• Before You Go

How to write a unique study abroad essay

Sometimes, the process of studying abroad can feel almost as difficult as applying for college. You have to choose the country you want to study in, compare and contrast programs (hint: MyGoAbroad ), collect your transcripts and references and, inevitably, you will have to write a personal statement and study abroad essay for your application. 

When applying for a study abroad program —especially a competitive one—your personal statement and/or study abroad essay can make or break your application. After all, your program wants to know who it is exactly that will be representing their program in another country! They want to know exactly why you’ve decided to make the life-changing decision to spend a summer, semester, or even a year abroad.

Sound intimidating? Don’t you fret. We’re here to give you 10 study abroad essay tips so you can WOW your study abroad program with your application.

10 awesome study abroad application tips

1. brainstorm .

Most study abroad applications will ask you something along the lines of, “Tell us about yourself,” and “Why do you want to study abroad?” Simple questions, right?

Actually, these can be pretty tough, when you consider how many ideas you need to narrow down to fit into a 500 word response. Remember that writing is a process. And, the best first step to streamline your study abroad essay-writing process is to just scribble some ideas down and do some good ol’ fashioned brainstorming.  

[ Read 5 More Ways to Ace Your Study Abroad Application ]

Write down the things you’re excited to see, do, eat while abroad. Think about what intimidates you or what will be challenging in a new country. Doodle some of your goals for your summer/semester/year abroad, and really think about what it is that has made studying abroad so important to you .

Is it the idea of finally exploring that country you’ve been reading about since you were seven? Is it because this will be your first time living independently and far away from home? Are you just over the moon to be learning about your favorite subject in a place that is relevant to your studies? Whatever it is, write it, draw it, sing it— but get those ideas out there, so you can plan out the best essay you can possibly write. 

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Take some time to brainstorm and jot a few things down.

2. Outlines, Outlines, Outlines

Yeah, yeah, we know: since day one, your teachers and professors have pushed the idea of an essay outline. You’ve done about a billion of them, but breaking down your study abroad essay and knowing exactly where you’re going to go in your writing can help you have a more concise argument as to why your chosen study abroad program should choose you. We repeat: writing. Is. A. Process. 

3. First Impressions Matter

You always want to have that eye-grabbing introduction: who are you as a student, a person, and a traveler? In just one to two sentences, try to summarize and explain exactly who you are and why you want to study abroad (easy-peasy, right?). Don’t be afraid to get personal and really let your true colors fly — this is how you’ll stand out to the admissions counselors who are reading hundreds of personal statements and essays!

For example: “My grandparents emigrated from Argentina at the ripe, young age of 20 years-old, and throughout my entire life, I have been taught to love a country I have never met. My passion for studying the Spanish language, and gaining a deeper understanding of where my family comes from, has inspired me to apply to ______ study abroad program in Buenos Aires, Argentina .”

Don’t forget to sprinkle in your sparkling personality.

4. Supporting Statements

Up next in our study abroad essay tips: support your statement on why you want to study abroad by expanding on the ideas you presented in your introduction.

This is where your brainstorming comes in! What has brought you to this point? What subjects studied, projects completed, or passions followed have made you choose to not only study abroad, but study abroad with this particular program?

Be honest and sincere. It’s okay if the main reason why you want to study literature in England is because you spent your childhood reading Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia . It’s perfectly acceptable if your love of the ocean comes from an obsession with sea turtles, which is why you’ve decided to study marine conservation in Costa Rica . 

Maybe you want to study in Germany because you’ve always had the goal of working in international business! These are the things that make you a unique and interesting prospective study abroad student! Just be sure to always tie your passions, goals, and dreams back to how this study abroad experience will help you expand on these things and carry them with you through the rest of your life.

5. Get Detailed

Organize your outline and start on Draft 1!

When you’re describing the who, what, when, and why of your decision to study abroad, be sure to state your goals clearly .

Passion is one thing, but your study abroad program also wants to know what it is exactly that you plan on gaining from this experience. How will this summer , semester , or year abroad bring you closer to your academic or career goals in the future?

Example: “Through this study abroad program in Israel , I will expand my worldview and understanding of Middle Eastern cultures, which will, in turn, prepare me for my plans to pursue a graduate degree in Global Peace and Conflict Studies. With this, I hope to eventually utilize my experience and passion to work for the United Nations. Studying abroad will help me achieve these goals.” 

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6. be yourself.

In the world of academia, being formal and professional is key, but in the world of study abroad, it’s all about making those human connections beyond the borders of your own country! That’s why it’s so important to be yourself when writing your study abroad essay.

Of course, always put in the time and effort so that your writing sounds smart, but don’t be afraid to add a little pizzaz and let your personality shine through! This will set you apart from other study abroad applications, and will give your study abroad program a much clearer sense of who you are as a student and a person.

Always related your study abroad essay back to your long-term #GOALS and how this program will help you reach them.

7. A Two-Way Street

Ask not what you can do for your study abroad program, but what your study abroad program can do for you! Studying abroad isn’t just about what your study abroad program can provide you — you also need to prove your worth to the program’s officials .

After all, you’ll be serving as an ambassador of your home country and this program in a completely different country. They want to be sure that they’re accepting dedicated and deserving students into their program, so that years from now, when you’re a famous scientist or a world-leading politician, they can point to you and say: “See that person? They studied abroad on our program!” 

A study abroad program’s reputation is dependent not only on the opportunities they build for their students, but also on the caliber of students that they bring in. So when writing your personal essay, be sure to highlight what you bring to the table and how you look forward to continuing your study abroad program’s mission.

Example: “As a participant in this program, I know that I could expand my worldview and continue <Insert Study Abroad Program Provider’s Namer>’s mission of creating global citizens by creating bridges between myself and other cultures.” 

No need to go totally analog when writing your study abroad essay. Stay in the 21st century!

8. A Solid Sprint to the Finish Line

As you conclude your study abroad essay, be sure to nail the point home and finish with a strong conclusion . You’ll have to tie together your original introduction, the reasons for studying abroad, and your goals for the future all together in a nice, clean, concluding two to three sentences.

Don’t repeat yourself, but be sure that these final sentences pack a punch, and leave your study abroad program admissions officers ready to buy you your plane ticket outta here.

9. Edits & Revisions

Never hit submit without first revising and editing your essay two or three times! You might notice typos or awkward sentences at second glance, and you might also think of an exciting new idea you want to add in after your third look-over! It’s also always a good idea to have someone else to look at your essay (or maybe even write it for you ...), to get a fresh pair of eyes on your writing.

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10. submit (on time).

Once you’ve cleaned up your essay, upload that application and click submit! But, don’t forget to pay attention to all of the application deadlines, and be sure to get all of your relevant documents to the study abroad program on time! There’s no worse feeling in the world than having spent weeks perfecting an essay and application, only to have missed the deadline. 

A Pulitzer Prize-Winning study abroad essay

With all of these study abroad essay tips, you might as well start packing! You’re well on your way to your grand adventure abroad, and by investing so much time and effort into your writing, your chosen study abroad program will be sure to accept you! Applying to study abroad can seem like a lot of work, but the minute you step off that plane and into your new home, you’ll realize that it was all worth it. 

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Our 10 best tips for writing the perfect study abroad essay.

We’re so excited for you to study abroad ! Whether you’re going for a semester or year through your institution or with an external program, or direct enrolling at a university overseas, chances are that you will need to write an essay to get in. This essay could be for admission or for scholarship opportunities. 

This is a chance for you to shine! Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn abroad, and had your eye on a specific country. Perhaps you have taken a language for a few years, and are ready to experience living and speaking in that country. Or, maybe there’s a study abroad program within your degree program that perfectly complements your interests, job prospects, and passions.

Whatever the case, we’re here for you to help you succeed.

Here are our ten best tips for writing the perfect study abroad essay from the experts we interviewed:

1. follow the instructions.

Before you get into “what” to write, research carefully the “how” aspect of your custom study abroad essay. Typically, each educational institution or scholarship program is trying to make sure that only the best candidates will attend their program, university, or win a scholarship. If you already know the details of what you need to write, but aren’t sure how to follow them correctly, just ask for the help of a professional academic writer from an online essay service like AdvancedWriters.com . The company specializes in academic writing, and they provide assistance with solving tricky puzzles, such as study abroad essays. With this as a start, you can be sure to craft a compelling, interesting essay.

2. Answer the very important question, “Why our program?” 

After you review the requirements, think over the hidden questions about your own reasons to study abroad. Create a logical connection between your motivation and studying ambitions and resources, academic specialization of the university or program, and what professors you will be studying with. Connect these points precisely, as studying abroad is not about just collecting experiences. 

Too often, we’ve seen students fall into applying for opportunities without thinking the reasons through...maybe their best friend is going, or they heard it was a good thing and are just starting to think about it. Having a deeper reflection as to why you want to go—and why you want to go on this program or directly enroll in this university overseas—is key to writing a successful admissions or scholarship essay. The same is true for your success in the program, obviously.

3. Show an interest in the local culture

You might think that it’s not an important point, but your home university wants you to feel comfortable in the local culture. Incorporate information that you have gleaned from current or past study abroad students, the program details, and location. Don’t shortcut this information by visiting some restaurants from the top-10 list on a review site. Dive deeper into the local experiences you can get while studying abroad, and showcase WHY you’re so interested in studying at that location. 

4. Describe your experience

Writing only about how you sincerely want to study abroad won’t make a good impression—everyone that is applying is in the same situation. You should describe what value you bring with your previous global experiences and interests, your skill set, and your achievements. These things will impress the admissions office, program administrators, or scholarship committee much more than a simple statement of fact that you want to be their student. 

5. Look to the future

This is a fascinating trick that helps to demonstrate your vision of studying abroad. All study abroad essays are quite narrowly specialized in getting into an educational institution or study abroad program, or being rewarded the scholarship. But your life won’t end with this event! Think about how your life is going to change if you study abroad. While you can have no idea of the actual impact of study abroad, you know that it WILL change you, and you will emerge from the experience a much broader, more culturally aware person . Perhaps include details of how studying abroad greatly improves your career prospects, lifetime financial earnings, and global worldview.

6. Follow the guidelines

We can’t say this enough—answer the questions asked, and in the format required. Even the deepest motivation to study abroad won’t make any impact on admissions committees or scholarship readers if this doesn’t happen. Each character matters in that 500-word essay. Without proper headlining, abundant vocabulary, logically intertwined paragraphs, and well-considered points, your essay might stay only a bunch of messy notes. Make each line work to the general goal of the essay...and be sure to submit it on time!

7. Never submit your first try of an admission or scholarship essay...ever

Whatever level of self-respect and admiration you feel for yourself because of the first writing of your study abroad essay, just don’t submit it. Ever. To avoid the fate of Icarus, you should find someone who’ll give your masterpiece a look. If you don’t have a professional writer or editor in the family or as a friend, hire someone. Every published book and article has gone through rounds of editing to make it the best possible product. Do the same for your essay.

8. Respect the deadlines

Time is always running out; we never have enough time to do everything we want. An essay submitted after the deadline speaks for itself. No beautiful words, deep motivation, and life goals will work if you haven’t managed to finish it in time. Here’s a cool tip from us: try to trick yourself and give yourself an earlier deadline. You’ll have some time to review and edit it before submission, which is always a good thing.

9. Have a professional email address and email

No “mylittlekitten @ yahoo.com”, no “please, choose me, I’m your most talented Pokemon!” in the subject line. Be serious, even if you’ve never been before. It’s worth creating a new email address if your personal one is not professional. If you are using your university email address, that’s even better.

10. Don’t give up 

You know the old adage, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”? If you didn’t get in to your dream university abroad, study abroad program, or scholarship, don’t give up! Try again, whether with a different program or university, or the next available opportunity to do so. Persistence is an important life trait!

Soon you’ll be on your way to new beginnings. Congratulations!

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Crafting the Perfect Study Abroad Essay

Follow these tips to make your study abroad essay stand out.

• Applying to Study Abroad

Whether you just want to do a semester or an entire program abroad, it’s likely a study abroad essay will be required. Students are beginning to realize what a great opportunity it is to take their studies abroad. Not only is it a great way to make new friends, practice your language skills, and travel while studying, it’s also great to put on a resume . So, it’s no wonder students are lining up to pick their top destinations and programs to study abroad.

To make sure they pick students who are ready and serious about studying abroad , most schools will, therefore, require a study abroad essay. The essay is a chance to make a great first impression and show the university administration that you’re ready to make the commitment to take your education even further by going abroad.

Consider some of the following tips to really make your study abroad essay stand out!

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1) Explain Why Study Abroad Will Make a Difference for Your Studies

A lot of students want to study abroad just for the experience and the excitement of living and learning abroad. These are important aspects, of course; however, school administration wants to know why going to your top study abroad destination will make a difference to your education.

Be specific! Explain the impact studying abroad will have on your personal and professional growth. Don’t just highlight how you think you will learn a lot. What do you expect to get from the program specifically? Is there a reason you picked one country over another to study in?

The more specific you are the better. It shows the university that you have given serious thought to your studies and that you are ready for the commitment!

2) Let Them Know Why You Picked Where You Want to Study

Instead of just saying you will study anywhere, as long as it’s abroad, tell the university why you picked your top study abroad destination. Write with enthusiasm and let admissions know what you are excited to see and do in your new home.

Make sure you do the research in advance! Name some museums you would be interested in exploring or some monument you would be interested in seeing. It’s in your favor if you can also tie these back to your study program!

This will show your school that you will not take your study abroad experience for granted, and that you already have things to do to integrate into your new home easier.

3) Describe Why You’re Qualified

Whether you've recently entered college or are ready to graduate, your experience says a lot about what you will accomplish on your study abroad. If you want to make your study abroad essay stand out, make sure to make mention of your previous experience.

Mention major academic accomplishments, work experience, or skills that you might find useful abroad, such as knowledge of a second language.

The university knows you will learn a lot during your time abroad, but the more you can bring to the program, the better!

4) Show Your Personality

The best study abroad essays are the ones with a little bit of personality! Your essay should still sound professional, but don’t be afraid to let yourself shine through as well. Studying abroad comes with challenges, and if the university gets a sense you are ready for them, you will move to the top of the list.

Add a personal story about something relevant to living and studying abroad. Describe a time you traveled somewhere new or met a friend from a different country. A well-rounded individual with some experience is the perfect candidate for studying abroad.

Showing some enthusiasm while also keeping your expectations realistic is the right way to show the admissions team that you have thought long and hard about your decision to study abroad, and that you are ready to pack up and move abroad.

5) Follow Instructions

It might sound simple, but if you don’t want your study abroad essay to be immediately tossed aside, make sure to read and follow all the instructions given. Some universities will ask specific questions or ask students to format their essays in a particular way.

Don’t ignore these instructions! It’s the first step to making a great impression.

If the essay is open-ended — great! Follow our tips to get inspired. But, if there are specific questions, make sure you answer them clearly and concisely. There might not be any right or wrong answers, but your school will still be looking for students who are able to express themselves and get their point across.

The Perfect Study Abroad Essay

If you followed our advice so far, you’ll be looking at the study abroad essay that’s going to get you into the program of your choice at the study abroad destination of your dreams!

Don't forget to proofread before handing in your essay. If possible, it's great to have someone take a look over it as well, especially if it's a professor or someone who has written a study abroad essay before.

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The Keystone Team is comprised of experienced educators and advisors dedicated to providing valuable resources and advice to students all over the world.

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How to Write an Outstanding Study Abroad Application Essay

The study abroad application essay is an important part of the college application process.It is a great opportunity to provide valuable information about yourself and your career interests. The content is significant because it gives insight on why you should be selected for a program or school.It provides why you want to participate in the program and why you are the best candidate.Completing the assignment is easy when planning ahead. Here are the basics to help you get started.

Collect Ideas via Brainstorming

How can I write my essay online and get the help I need for my paper? Start by reviewing guidelines and instructions for the paper. Based on the topic information they provide start coming up with ideas for writing.Think about the course or school you are applying. Consider the atmosphere and your career goals and personal interests. Use these aspirations to create original topics for writing.Think about the importance of studying abroad and why it is significant to your learning needs and experience.Narrow down the list of ideas until you find something you can write in full detail.

Develop an Outline

An outline is essential for writing and it breaks up the task into easier segments. Your paper will have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Your outline will have each of these sections but you can mention significant points to discuss. You can focus on developing each one at a time. Your intro will mention your thesis statement. The body will mention three points each having its own paragraph. The conclusion is last summarizing main and supporting points discussed throughout your paper. Essay help through writing tools such as an outline is beneficial for any form of writing.

Explore Supporting Details

As you work on your outline your attention will turn toward supporting statements for your main idea or thesis statement .You'll brainstorm information to support your idea.You will discuss why you want to study abroad and mention experiences or things you have learned contributing to your decision.What you are passionate about should be connected to your main and supporting points to give insight about your educational intentions. Spend time developing a solid thesis statement and supporting details to help your paper come together.

Be Comfortable with Yourself

As you provide information about your career goals, be true to who you are and what you aspire to be.It is important to be professional and formal with your content, but don't lose the essence of who you are. Let your personality come through your words.It will help distinguish your application from the others.Sharing who you are lets the school know why you are a match. Be creative to make a connection but at the same time be you.

Provide Proof You Are a Fit

Give a clear reason why you should be considered for the school or program.Detail your self-worth and show why you are deserving of the opportunity.The program wants to make sure they have the best students for what they have to offer. They want assurance whoever they choose will complete the program successfully.Use this essay to highlight your abilities by discussing what you have to offer and how it fits in with the school or program mission. An essay writing service can assist if needed.

Finish Your Paper Strong

Your conclusion will provide a summary of what you discussed earlier in the paper.It is your last chance to make a good impression and bring your paper to a strong close.You should have a few sentences that are solid, clean, and clear about you are and why you qualify.Make these last few words stand out. Use this time to connect the main idea (thesis statement) with supporting points (body paragraphs) to complete your personal statement.

Revise and Edit

Did you know it is recommended to review your work at least two or three times before you submit it? Much time and effort was spent developing content for your essay. It deserves to be reviewed for typos and errors.Make necessary changes to improve chances of approval.Take a break after writing your draft and come back to it for review. How can I get help with my essay writing ? Hire an editor to do it for you if don't have time. Whatever you do, don't submit without reviewing it first.

In conclusion, planning your work is easy when familiar with essential steps of the writing process.Brainstorming, outline creation, developing discussion points, and revising your work are all important steps to complete for your study abroad application. The time spent planning and writing will be worth it. Make sure to submit your work on time by the deadline.

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How to Write Your Study Abroad Essay?

A study abroad essay portrays your intent and expectations from your trip to a foreign country, either for a semester or a couple of years. To write a really impressive study abroad essay, you need to be absolutely clear about your reasons for studying abroad. This is one of the most crucial points and it will reflect in your essay. 

Studying abroad is the beginning of a new and potentially life-changing journey. By delivering a good and impactful essay, you get an edge over your contemporaries and ensure that you get selected for the study abroad program of your university. Here are few tips for you to follow to write a captivating study abroad essay:

Start by writing down all of your expectations for studying abroad.

This is just to get an idea of what you want your essay to be about primarily. Imagine yourself in the country you want to visit. What would you do there? How do you plan to adapt to their culture?

Write about how you plan to make the most of your experience while staying there and what you wish to gain from your experience of studying abroad.

Write a good introduction

A good introduction sets the direction of the essay. If it is engaging, then the reader will proceed to read the rest of the essay in a good mood.

Start with the reasons behind your decision of going abroad for studying. Write about what inspired you to opt for a study abroad program and what drove you to reach this decision. Describe how you can benefit from studying in a place that is completely different from your current learning atmosphere.

Expand your expectations in the body of the essay

Now use the rough notes you created in the beginning as a guide to write the body of your essay. Elaborate on each point. Present all of your intentions in an organized manner.

This is where you would state your reason for choosing the particular country and university to study abroad. Mention your reasons for choosing them.

Highlight the defining characteristics of the country and the university and how you wish to benefit from it. Being really specific with your intentions will give an impression to the reader that you know exactly what you want and that you deserve to be selected for the program.

Expand on how you will benefit from interacting with students from different backgrounds.

You can even add your personal reasons for choosing that location as well. It will enable the reader to connect with you in a better way.

Show how you can be an asset to the study abroad program

Your program wants to be represented by the best candidate. Make them believe that it is you. Write about your strengths and how you will harness them during the course of your stay abroad.

If you can make it absolutely clear about what is it that you seek to derive from this opportunity and how you can deliver a good performance, you have a higher chance of being selected.

Conclude your essay on a good note

In the end, correlate and summarize all the main points. And make sure you write the essay in a way that captures the real you. You are a unique individual with a unique personality and you have something worthwhile to share with the world. Stay true to yourself and your ideas. Be sincere and honest with all of your points and the essay will definitely reflect your true personality.

When you are done writing the essay, leave it for a couple of hours or even overnight. Come back and proofread with a fresh mind.

Finally, you can you get someone else to read your complete essay. Get other people’s opinion and make suitable changes but stick to your original ideas.

The process of writing the essay itself marks the beginning of a new and special journey of your life. Remember to relax and enjoy the process of writing the essay. Staying calm will allow you to put forward your ideas in a more accurate and efficient way.

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Disclaimer: This paper has been submitted by a student. This is not a sample of the work written by professional academic writers.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of StudySaurus.

1) A Study of the Performance of International Students in American Schools

Each year, universities in America accept a number of international students from various countries. Attending a school in a different country is more than simply acquiring an education in a new part of the world. It also involves adapting to the language, people, and society throughout the process of receiving that education. American students and international students will have their own experiences in learning based on their familiarity or unfamiliarity with American culture and society. Domestic students, those that have been raised in America, are much more comfortable due to the familiarity they have with their culture whereas international students raise their focus and efforts in order to assimilate and become “American.” Compared to domestic students, the new conditions to which international students are unaccustomed drive them to rise to the occasion and maintain a relentless focus, resulting in better performance.

Education is one of the most valuable resources in this world. Students will travel around the world, often to America, to receive a college education. In 2012-2013, an astounding 819,644 undergraduate and graduate international students arrived in America to receive a college education. (Haynie, 2013). Integrating into the American culture is a difficult decision due to many factors such as cost of education and cultural differences. International students often try new things, to meet more people, make more connections, and actively make the most of their education. These students have a very strong drive to learn. They are making the conscious choice to study in America, whereas domestic students often feel they have to follow a set track. Whether or not there is an interest, it is expected of the domestic students that they undertake high school immediately followed by college. At times, this opportunity is taken for granted. Furthermore, these domestic students are familiar with the cultural norms and have developed close social interactions with their peers.

[unfinished essay]

2) Foreign Students in America: What Attract Young Students to Study in America

Worldwide Experience

Study in an American university is much more than a student experience. It is as life learning, an experience that will teach you how to live. According to a news survey, in 2012, 764,496 students came to study in the USA that year, and the numbers continue to rise.

Why America attract so many foreign students? Probably because of the quality of the learning, the high level of acceptation in the economy market, or maybe there, they have a chance to be educated. Sometimes move to another country is a hard journey, new language, new people, new culture, a new way to learn. Knowing this, the purpose of this text is to guide international students in an American college, demonstrating the most important points, helping them succeed in their academic life.

The lessons, like, biology, math, kinesiology are pretty different, in the USA you have to be a dedicated student, you have to participate, and also it is a way to grade you, effort on it. Do your best in every class and take notes about the most important points. Copy what is written in the blackboard, also add your own information, what you understand about the topic, write the speech of the teacher. In addition of this, make sure that you have English proficiency, after all, in a university, is necessary every single day interact with people and talk with professors, solving your doubts, asking for advices. Have the ability to write and interpret texts are important as well, because as a student, many papers will be required, and know how to write them is important. In the other hand, interpret texts is necessary too, otherwise, you will not be able to read books required for some class, or even understand a text in a test.

One of the most important points to know is university resources. Resources like math lab, writing lab, international office and your advisor office are …. [unfinished essay]

3) The Evolution of the International Students in American Universities

International students always worry about cultural differences and surprised when they find that there are more important aspects to worry about. They find that there are many problems besides adapting to American culture to overcome. Moreover, there are more than 800.000 international students enroll in American universities, despite the number of international students in the United Kingdom are 436,585 students. American Universities become target for most international students. Therefore, the huge numbers of international students in American universities are making a big different aspect of responsibility to its students because the students are part of their classes and campus’ community. In fact, American researchers investigate on international problems to help them master their difficulties. Some of the researchers articles have interviewed the students and some of them collect the data through the survey. Also, in their article they provide some suggestions for the university stuff’s members and for the students themselves to overcome the difficulties. In fact, we need more researches in international students difficulties. Furthermore, American universities understand the culture differences among international students, in particular, they should consider the differences in teaching methods, language difficulties, and intellectual property as active area to search in.

American universities show their attention for international students by doing researches on the students adjusting to the new environment. Hartshorne & Baucom (2007) state that on their study they found that one of the students culture is similar to American culture. However, the other student has adjustment difficulty because his culture is different from American culture (83). At this point, we can infer that we need to do more research on the students’ difficulties. In fact, culture background is significant problem, but the students have more significant problems. In addition, Kim (2010) indicates that international students do not have a problem with English only, yet they have problem understanding American culture too. Now, we can realize that international students face a number of problems besides culture differences. Furthermore, American universities are considered the cultural background as an important part, but there are more significant problems stand on the students …. [unfinished essay]

4) Study Abroad Application Essay

An Introduction to the Many Reasons for Studying Abroad. What I Hope to Gain through Studying Abroad

I am interested in how people from different cultures and societies interact and live. I was born and raised my entire life in the Bay Area of California. I want to live, learn and experience what life is like in another country.

Studying abroad seems to offer a new perspective of education. It provides a foreign environment in which students can engage themselves both academically and socially. Such first-hand experiences are what I believe to be the key elements of true learning, as they allow one to attain knowledge based on personal experience and understanding.

Through studying and living in another country, I hope to expand my knowledge and perspective of others. I plan to do as much traveling as possible during my study abroad. I am excited to meet new people from diverse backgrounds along the way. I hope to engage in a mutually beneficial exchange of viewpoints with these people.

Since I have always lived in one central area, I feel that my overall perception of the world is somewhat shallow. I want to see how the world appears to others through their own eyes, thus developing a broader spectrum of values and ideologies. I believe this experience will enable me to be a more productive and empathetic world citizen.

5) Study Abroad Scholarship Essay The Advantages of Studying Abroad

International Study Abroad Scholarship Essay: Why study abroad?

Does globalization ring a bell? The reality of today world is our interdependence on one another both economically and socially. As time passes, we find that no country can be economically independent or socially exclusive, especially here in the United States where there is a plethora of cultural identities. Countries have discovered that they are not self-sufficient. Perhaps in the past, it would not have been so necessary to learn the skills required to deal with cultural and language differences, but today globalization has changed that fact. Nowadays, the business workforce needs to be trained in dealing with cultural and language differences in the world. I, as an international trade major, believe that going to France would provide me with these essential skills in order to be more valuable to my employer.

If somebody wants to be a successful businessperson, that person must be able to communicate efficiently in the language of that country. We have to remember that we are living in a world that is changing from independent to interdependent. Languages are becoming as important as any other subject in school. Cultural understanding is also important. Business people know that every country has a different mechanism to do business. In my country, Venezuela, we do not like to do business with somebody that we just met. In order for any business person to have a successful business in my country, they have to meet several times until they are familiar with the person that they are doing business with. In addition, some cultures are more resistant to change than others. In France, there was a big controversy about the McDonalds opened in Paris. French resisted to it because it was very different from their customs. They thought that France was going to be Americanized, and they wanted to keep their culture intact. Businesspeople are faced with the task to smooth these differences to do business successfully. In order to be able to do business in a foreign country, we not only have to know the language, but we must also be able to understand the culture of that country. Going to France will provide me with the experience of having already interacted with the French. I will be able to improve my conversational skills as well as understanding how they think, which will benefit me significantly in the future.

At the present time, the business world has a very competitive workforce. In order to be successful, one must learn as many productive skills as possible. Going to France will open the doors for me to a thirsty business world looking for professionals who can deal with the different countries around the globe. I believe that the best way to learn another culture is going to that country and living in it. This new experience will provide me with the knowledge necessary to be a successful businesswoman in the future.

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Why Do You Want to Study Abroad? 6 Tips to Inspire Your Essay

APPLYING to study abroad is a tricky thing, especially when it comes to answering that all-important essay question: why do you want to study abroad?

It sounds like a simple enough query, but try to write an answer and you’ll quickly realise how difficult it is. You may want to study abroad so you can ‘broaden your horizons’ and ‘see the world’, but with so many millennials yearning to travel, these have become clichés. In this article, we’re going to give you some tips on how to write your personal statement, and cogently explain exactly why you want to study abroad to your new university.

1. Jot down ideas – and be honest

Write down every genuine reason you can think of as to why you are studying abroad – no matter how silly or generic they sound. Is it because you want to travel and have fun, to work in a city connected with your industry, or simply because you want to escape? Maybe you want to re-discover a culture or family roots, or study with a world-renowned academic. The reasons can be professional or personal, big or small. It’s important to know your motivations before you begin, even if you end up dressing them up a bit in the actual essay. If you really don’t know your reasons, it might be worth re-thinking things before you apply – studying abroad is serious business.

2. Root out the most important

Have you ever read something that seemed to be trying to make too many points, or discuss too many topics, at once? It can be confusing to read, and by the end, it doesn’t really feel like you’ve gotten very far. For this reason, it’s a good idea to open your answer with one main reason you have for studying abroad – the thing that really gets you feeling excited and driven – and let this be the thread that ties your whole answer together. If no one reason jumps out at you, try looking at your notes and see if any of them have similar themes: professional success, personal growth, academic discovery, feeling ‘at home’ in a particular culture, wanting to make a difference.

3. Get specific

By now, you’re hopefully feeling passionate about your answer – now it’s time to flesh it out.

Admissions officers already know students like to travel, experience new things and further their careers; they hear this all the time. What they really want to know is what makes this relevant to them. What’s the connection between your desires and their university? Answering this question well will help you stand out from the rest, which is important for popular courses.

For example, many fashion students would love to study in Paris, for obvious reasons. But if your ambition is to become a knitwear designer, and the Parisian university you’re applying for is renowned for its expertise in this area, you can make a specific connection between your ambitions and this unique opportunity. It highlights that you’ll be a good match for the university, and furthermore, that you’ve done your research.

Where you come from can be just as important as where you're going when making these links. For example, our contributor Monserrat draws a comparison between the chaotic cities of her home country, Mexico, and the well-designed cities of the Netherlands, both of which inspired her to study Urban Management & Development in Rotterdam. Again, this demonstrates a specific connection between her ambitions, the course she chose, and the location.

4. Show off

Admissions teams like details – they also like evidence. A student might say they are a knitwear enthusiast, but it’s even more impressive if they have work experience or achievements to back this up. If you have some of these, great! Make a list of any relevant accomplishments so you can weave them in (no pun intended) for added impact. This could include competitions, academic scores, grades, participation in events or exhibitions, work experience, volunteering, special training or even personal milestones. You don’t need to mention every achievement you’ve ever had, but if it reinforces a point you’re making, it makes sense to use it.

5. Put it into paragraphs

Writing your answer in clear, coherent and not-too-long paragraphs is very important. Nobody likes reading dense walls of text, or long-winded essays that take too long to get to the point. Start your essay strongly with a compelling 1-2 sentence introduction that goes straight for the topic in hand: the main reason why you want to study abroad . Then, explain and build your case in the following paragraphs using the notes and ideas you’ve gathered so far.

There is no one way of doing this, but one good piece of advice I’ve learned is this: you don’t have to write things in the right order. If you can’t think of an original opening line straight away, or are having trouble with a paragraph, just come back to it later. By then, you may have a better idea of what you want to say.

6. Draft, re-draft, and proofread!

Hopefully you know by now that it is usually a bad idea to submit a first draft of anything ; this definitely applies to your study abroad application. Unless you are a literary prodigy, you will most likely need to re-draft your essay at least once. Get as many people to read it as you can – parents, teachers, friends you trust – and heed their advice. If you’re writing it in a language other than your own, try getting a native speaker to look it over too. And, whatever you do, make 100% sure there are no mistakes at all in your writing. In the age of spellcheck, there really is no excuse.

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An Introduction to Study Abroad

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Alexandra Johnson in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

The academic benefits of studying abroad, how to find a study abroad program, financial aid for studying abroad.

Studying abroad is an enriching experience to add to an undergraduate education. This article will give you some tips on what to look for in a study abroad program.

Studying abroad not only offers a new country to learn from everyday but also unique academic opportunities. The classes you take at a university abroad will satisfy some of your major requirements, but will offer you a different learning experience than your home university. For instance, a student majoring in Public Policy could take classes related to immigration and refugees while studying abroad at the University of Lille, which is near the migrant camps of Calais. 

Educational experiences such as this are one of the main benefits of studying abroad, so be sure to look into the class offerings that each study abroad program could make available to you. 

Another major benefit of studying abroad is language and cultural immersion. Each program will offer different degrees of immersion — some programs will enroll you directly into the same classes that domestic students in your host country take, while others will allow you to take classes taught in English that are specifically designed for study abroad students. Keep these differences in mind as you choose between programs.

Your college’s study abroad office will be your most important resource for finding study abroad programs. The study abroad office is there to listen to your goals for your study abroad experience and match you with the right program. 

For example, let’s say that you are a first year student who studied Chinese in high school. You might approach the study abroad office and ask if they have any study abroad opportunities in a Chinese-speaking country. They will use their expertise and connections to international partners to find the best study abroad options for you. The office will then put you in touch with the right people in your school’s administration and universities abroad to make your study abroad dreams a reality.

Many schools offer financial aid and scholarships to students who are looking to study abroad.  Yale, for example, offers students who receive financial aid the International Summer Award — this provides funding to cover study abroad expenses. 

The financial aid policies for studying abroad will be specific to your school. The amount of funding available, the eligibility requirements, and the application process will all take on different forms at different schools. Your school’s study abroad coordinators and financial aid office will guide you through the details.

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Studying Abroad - IELTS Essay

Many students now have the opportunity to study in other countries. Studying abroad may bring some benefits to some students, but it also has a significant number of disadvantages. Discuss both sides of the argument and give your own opinion. Studying abroad has become an extremely popular study option amongst university students. While studying abroad is extremely expensive, it exposes students to a wide range of people, cultures and experiences that will reward them later on in their careers. In my opinion, students are far better off studying abroad even though it might be a bit costly. One of the greatest advantages of studying in a foreign country is that it exposes students to essential life experiences that will develop them professionally, impossible if they have studied only in their own country. Being in another country forces people to pop and come out of their bubble of comfort, opening them to a plethora of opportunities, which can help them advance in their careers. For example, when I went to study in the UK as an eighteen-year-old, I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and become self-reliant, making me much more mentally and emotionally mature. These ultra-challenging experiences are what develops a person. A negative aspect of studying overseas is that it is extremely expensive. It is not just high university fees that drive up the expenses; it includes stationery and study material expenses, travelling costs, rent, money spent on food, and other miscellaneous expenses. For example, I had to take an education loan of 30000 pounds to fund my tuition fees. Moreover, during my stay in the UK, I had to take up a job as a part-time waiter to earn enough to pay my monthly rent and meet a part of my monthly expenses. An increasing number of students are opting to study overseas. Although studying abroad can make a hole in your pocket, it will test and challenge you mentally and emotionally, helping your overall personal and professional development. In my opinion, long-term professional and personal gains from overseas studies justify every penny spent on it.

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The Positive and Negative Aspects of Studying Abroad Essay

Introduction, works cited.

Parents, particularly the wealthy ones, usually find it difficult to decide the best institution of higher learning for their children. Most of them have a tendency of choosing the option of studying abroad. In this regard, it is vital to evaluate the merits and demerits of studying abroad with respect to what the children gain from learning in a different nation. Definitely, cachet and quality education is obtainable in the home nation.

Nevertheless, the general viewpoint of the excellence in education makes it appear as though studying abroad is better. Moreover, experts from other countries who have studied in universities in the United States or the United Kingdom are greatly valued in their nations. Do the negative impacts of studying abroad outweigh the positive ones? When it comes to studying abroad, children are separated from their parents, other relatives, and friends for a long duration (Llanes and Muñoz 63-90). On the contrary, studying abroad offers high positive sentiments, a remarkable experience, and the notion of superiority.

One of the negative impacts of studying abroad is that it makes parents worried about the condition of their children in a far foreign country (Lee, Therriault, and Linderholm 768-778). Mostly the parents develop the misconception that their children might lose control and end up in bad habits. In some instances, the students fail to adapt to the new environment suitably. This is at times accompanied by distress for both the parents and the learners, which could even result in failure in education.

Irrespective of the number of new friends that students who study abroad make, they get strong feelings of loneliness at some point. At some stage, they miss their family members and friends in the home country, which could interfere with the concentration in their studies. Failure to understand the foreign language makes the student studying abroad feel alone because of the impossibility of unrestricted interactions and support from family members and friends. Moreover, when a relative or friend is struggling or in danger, the student studying abroad is not in a position of supporting them in any way.

While studying abroad, students are compelled to adapt to new conditions, lifestyles, and demands, which could be tricky (McLeod et al. 30-38). The difficulties of adjusting to the new ways and norms may make the students be at a loss.

Going to the foreign nation, settling there, and trying to acclimatize to the routines is not an easy undertaking. Students who go to study abroad are compelled to comprehend the new standards and stipulations, facilitate their learning proficiencies, and accomplish the educational backlog, which might turn overwhelming. Studying abroad may require a student to learn a foreign language. If a student decides to study in Germany with no knowledge of the German language, it may lead to further learning endeavors that may divert the learner from the major course of study.

The major negative impact of studying abroad is that it is costly, a fact that bars learners from low-income families (Anderson, Hubbard, and Lawton 39-52). The cost of a single year at a foreign university might be greater than a five years’ outlay in a foreign university. Regardless of the performance or desire of a learner from a low-income family and his parents, monetary outlays required to hinder them from benefiting. Since the majority of countries do not permit foreign learners to study and work at the same time, the parents are usually necessitated to back their children for the entire academic period.

Moreover, due to such things as transport costs, students from low-income families may find it challenging to return home devoid of any necessitating reason. The moment such persons eventually returns home after a long time, they might find it impossible to trace their old friends and may have to begin their lives all over again.

Amid the positive aspects of studying abroad is that the students learn essential concerns in life and turn out to be more independent (Young, Natrajan-Tyagi, and Platt 175-188). Children learn to do all things such as cooking and completing assignments on their own. Eventually, the learners become acclimatized to unfamiliar settings. The initial challenges result in enhanced coping with hardships in life. It is evident that residing and interrelating with fellow learners make the foreign students more responsible and carefully instill discipline while assisting them to endure hardships that may occur in later life. The continuous supervision and assistance of the educators ensure that the students are not left by themselves.

Apart from knowledge and proficiencies, interrelating with individuals from dissimilar cultures, backgrounds, dialects, and approaches to mention a few extends the horizon of the students who study abroad (Chang 583-591). Interacting with dissimilar individuals with varying cultures and customs may enrich learners’ proficiencies of handling other people when they return home. Moreover, if the learners use the chance of studying abroad wisely, they make lasting friends and widen their connections for future gains and employment opportunities.

There are numerous chances and opportunities for students who have studied abroad as they may be employed in their home nation or the foreign country. This is because, unlike the students who have studied in their home country, such learners are cognizant of the demands of working both locally and abroad. This signifies that it is beneficial for learners to study abroad as it gives them international experience at the workplace (Chang 583-591). In an unfamiliar environment, the students easily establish and make a comparison of the working conditions both locally and abroad, which acts as a privilege over the learners who study locally. Furthermore, studying abroad polishes up the resume; this acts as a competitive benefit.

Studying abroad offers an exceptional opportunity for learning a foreign language and distinctive ways of life. Certainly, there are numerous chances of studying foreign languages even in the home country. Nevertheless, the best approach to learning a foreign language is when the learner resides in a nation where such a language is widely or nationally used. To understand a foreign language excellently, it does not call for the learner to enroll and just commit to a learning program.

The student needs to boost the class learning of the language to a lot of speaking practice (Chang 583-591). Since most of the people in the foreign nation are native speakers of the language being learned, it becomes simpler to excel in it when compared to learning it in the home country. In this regard, living in a place where a foreign language is widely spoken presents the most excellent chance of becoming fluent. Understanding a foreign language offers additional benefits for employment seekers.

In conclusion, it is apparent that studying abroad presents numerous negative impacts such as worry to parents, the compulsion to adapt to new lifestyles, and hindrances to low-income friends. Nevertheless, studying abroad makes students gain new knowledge, expertise, and proficiencies. It is evident that the positive impacts of studying abroad outshine the negative ones.

Anderson, Philip, Ann Hubbard, and Leigh Lawton. “Student motivation to study abroad and their intercultural development.” Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad 26.1 (2015): 39-52.

Chang, Dian-Fu. “College students’ perceptions of studying abroad and their readiness.” Asia Pacific Education Review 13.4 (2012): 583-591.

Lee, Christine, David Therriault, and Tracy Linderholm. “On the cognitive benefits of cultural experience: Exploring the relationship between studying abroad and creative thinking.” Applied Cognitive Psychology 26.5 (2012): 768-778.

Llanes, Àngels, and Carmen Muñoz. “Age effects in a study abroad context: Children and adults studying abroad and at home.” Language Learning 63.1 (2013): 63-90.

McLeod, Mark, Vince Carter, Steve Nowicki, Dana Tottenham, Philip Wainwright, and Dana Wyner. “Evaluating the study abroad experience using the framework of Rotter’s social learning theory.” Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad 26.1 (2015): 30-38.

Young, Jennifer, Rajeswari Natrajan-Tyagi, and Jason Platt. “Identity in flux negotiating identity while studying abroad.” Journal of Experiential Education 38.2 (2015): 175-188.

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What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad? IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay

The IELTS writing task 2 requires an individual to present their views on a topic that has been assigned to them. They are required to go through the topic and present their side of the argument. One such example of it could be: “What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad?”

So, whenever you are presented with such topics, all you are required to do is present your side of the argument. There is no right or wrong in these answers – all an individual is required to do is to let the examiner know their understanding of the topic that they are provided with.

So, let’s move forward to learn a little about this topic and present an amazing essay answer afterwards to let you know how it’s done.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad? 

The decision to study abroad depends solely on the different advantages and disadvantages of that thing.

So, let’s move forward to know all about them.

What are the Advantages of Studying in a Foreign Country? 

Studying abroad has today become the new normal, every other child wishes to move out of their resident country to enjoy among a bunch of completely new people to study between them and to gain as much knowledge as possible with the help of this.

Given below are a few advantages of studying abroad:

#1. Improved Language 

The greatest benefit of studying abroad is that it helps you to improve your language skills to a great extent. you get to learn some new words each day and among a bunch of people who speak this language on a regular basis, you get to enjoy the benefits of learning a language completely.

Talking to your friends on a daily basis in the same language helps you to have that fluency in the language which you were not able to achieve before.

#2. New Friends and Career Opportunities

Another benefit that one gets to enjoy after studying abroad is that it really helps an individual to expand his/her network and have some really good friends which can also turn into friends for life. One gets to enjoy their time with people they have not known before and have a great time in their company.

It also helps one to expand their network for some great business or job opportunities overseas. A wider network helps one to connect to some really amazing people and have the benefits of so many new opportunities in life.

#3. Confidence Booster

When you enjoy time among people from a different country and culture altogether, you get to learn so many new things from them on a regular basis. Along with this, it helps one to practice the language on a daily basis which helps in boosting their confidence.

With a great and built-up confidence level, it’s easy to then achieve the heights that you want to.

Also Read: Important Points to Keep in Mind while Answering IELTS Writing Task 2

#4. Explore the World

Moving out of your resident country provides you with an opportunity to live in a new city altogether which also comes with the benefit of exploring a new city and a place never seen before.

When you live in a completely new place, you get to enjoy the scenic beauty of that place, the unexplored yet the most famous places at the same time which serves as an amazing experience.

Now, let’s move forward to learn some of the disadvantages of studying abroad.

What are the Disadvantages of Studying Abroad?

Everything that has some advantages comes with some disadvantages too. So, while there are many advantages of studying abroad, there are many disadvantages of the same too.

So, let’s check them out.

#1. Highly-Priced

Studying abroad might look fascinating to you but it is extremely expensive. Bearing all the expenses of studying abroad for an individual can be quite expensive and tiring at the same time.

The expenses of studying abroad depend solely on the place that you have chosen for yourself and the university that you’re going to get your degree from. The more advanced the country, the higher the expenses.

Also Read: Guide to Ace The Advantages & Disadvantages Essay Questions in IELTS Writing Task 2

#2.   Language as a Barrier

One of the biggest problems that many students face while studying abroad is the language that they are not fluent in. It is extremely important for one to learn the official language of the country that you have decided to move to in order to enjoy the benefits of having meaningful conversations.

Many times students have a lot of difficulty in speaking the native language or even understanding it. There are many cases in which teachers prefer to teach the entire lessons in the local language of the city. Therefore, it’s extremely important to have a good grasp of the language.

#3.   You’re Dependent on Your Own

Living in a foreign country means you are completely on your own. All the work that you need to do, right from washing your clothes to doing all the household chores, all need to be done by yourself.

There are many students who have never lived out of their home for a long period of time and studying abroad requires them to have such experiences for the first time. While this may have a lot of benefits like you learn so many new things, it can also have some serious demerits too. Many times it has been noticed that students who live alone tend to suffer from loneliness or in some cases, even depression.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Model Essay 

So, let’s move ahead to discuss one such advantage disadvantage essay in order to know how to present an answer while in the examination hall.

The question for today is: With more and more people moving out of their own country to study abroad, it has been a trend these days. What do you think are the advantages or disadvantages of the same? Share your opinions with us.

Also Read: Want Band 9? Check These Previous IELTS Writing Task 2 Exam Questions and Answers

Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad – IELTS Model Essay

With changing times, more and more students wish to move out of their native country to a completely new place where they can study among a bunch of students who are new to them. And this has certainly given a rise to the number of students moving abroad to study among them. While the idea of going out seems fun, is it actually true in real scenarios?

Elaborate – IELTS Model Essay Answer

There are many benefits of studying abroad but according to me, I believe the number of demerits of studying abroad is more than its advantages. Starting with knowing about its benefits, it feels great to study abroad. When one starts studying abroad, they become more independent as a person. This is because everything, right from all the household chores to outdoor things needs to be done on one’s own and this helps an individual to become a better version of himself/herself. They learn to be better and dependent on themselves. Living abroad allows an individual to learn different foreign languages in order to converse with their peers and fellow classmates. This further helps them to broaden their horizon, that by learning new languages and living for a period of 2-3 years in a foreign country, they tend to learn new cultures and how things are done differently in their country. They learn about their customs, traditions, and values.

Talk about the Disadvantages

But despite having so many advantages, the number of disadvantages succeed them. Though it is true that students get to learn new languages while living in a foreign country, with that comes the possibility of isolation and loneliness. There are many students who face difficulty while speaking in languages other than their native ones and while learning these languages, there are times when they are not able to converse fluently and swiftly as other students. And this leads to the different language barriers that arise among them. Thus, these children tend to spend most of their time alone without anyone’s company which can further lead to failure in examination and also depression.

Move towards Conclusion of the IELTS Essay Model Answer

Another demerit of studying abroad is that one has to do all of their work on their own which can be quite tiring at times and can lead to fatigue. This can also affect the students psychologically and they can suffer from various mental illnesses. Further, living abroad for a long time alone without being with anyone from your family or loved one can lead to homesickness and even lead to depression among many students. Along with this, studying abroad can be extremely expensive as compared to the cost one bears when he/she decided to study in their native country.

In conclusion, I believe it’s always better to study in one’s own country while being in the company of your loved ones and it should be encouraged more than moving out to study.

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Studying Abroad: Pros and Cons (Essay Example)

Studying abroad essay: introduction, benefits of studying abroad: essay body paragraphs, challenges of studying abroad: essay body, pros and cons of studying abroad: essay conclusion.

On the outside, it may seem extraordinarily strange that some individuals choose to journey hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles to study abroad when they could just easily register for a similar course in their home country. But on the inside, there are many valid reasons why individuals may choose to cross borders in the pursuit of a degree, diploma or certificate program that is readily available at home.

In the 21st century, many students are convinced that it is seldom enough to graduate from any learning institution. Rather, students want to study in internationally recognized institutions, which offer better opportunities and exposure towards preparing them for future career undertakings. However, there exists a myriad of challenges and problems associated with studying abroad. This paper purposes to look at the pros and cons of studying abroad.

As already mentioned, the advantages of studying abroad are many. First, international institutions offer a wide variety of courses, some of which may not be available at home. The wide variety gives the students an upper hand in selecting courses that are tailored to meet their preferences and the needs of the market.

Indeed, many students from less developed countries choose to study abroad since many of the courses offered at home have become irrelevant to the needs and requirements of the job market. In this respective, students who study abroad are assured of having a competitive advantage over their counterparts who wish to study at home since they will have a chance to select courses that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the job market.

Second, the exposure one gets while studying abroad goes a long way to assist individuals in the social and work life later on in life. By studying abroad, students get to experience and feel life in a foreign country that may be practicing different values and way of living from their home countries.

The knowledge and experience received from interacting with individuals from diverse ethnic and cultural orientations make an individual develop balanced perceptions regarding other people.

This is especially important in the job market as multinational corporations, the main employers, are always on the lookout for dynamic employees who can fit in any ethnic or cultural group. What’s more, the experience received from interacting with diverse cultures while studying abroad assist individuals to gain a well-informed perspective of how the world works.

Studying abroad also comes with many opportunities that may be hard to find in home countries. Students are offered the opportunity to learn new and exiting languages while studying in modern institutions equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories, contemporary library services and best computer facilities one could think of. This may be a tall order to request from local institutions of learning.

These opportunities assure the students of excelling in life due to the simple yet weighty reason for studying in accredited learning institutions. It is imperative to note that knowledge of different kinds of languages is an important asset in the job market.

Students in countries such as the UK, Japan, and the US have the opportunity to work during the course of their study. Such an opportunity may be severely limited in many other countries where graduates struggle to find cleaning jobs — as such, studying abroad may also come with a good prospect of finding a job.

There exist several disadvantages of studying abroad. One of the most challenging disadvantages relates to culture shock. Some students find it extremely hard to adopt or get assimilated to the cultures of foreign countries. As such, their stay in such countries is full of difficulties.

For instance, some forms of foodstuffs that are viewed as delicacies in foreign counties may be a taboo to eat in local countries. Some religious and cultural dogmas also worsen the problem of culture shock. Culture shock is a leading cause of suicide among students studying abroad.

Apart from culture shock, many students suffer from acute spasms of homesickness while studying abroad. This actively serves to deter them from achieving their long-held dreams since many are unable to cope or adjust to the fast pace of life in foreign countries. Difficulties in communication have also been mentioned as a disadvantage in studying abroad.

Students will be inarguably faced with the problem of contact if they cannot speak the official language of the host country. What’s more, studying abroad is thought to be a very expensive affair due to high tuition fees and other charges related to air travel and upkeep. As such, it is seen as beyond the reach of many students who would otherwise want to study abroad.

All in all, there exist many more pros and cons of studying abroad. However, the bottom line is that students wishing to study abroad must prepare themselves thoroughly before jumping into the next plane to take them abroad. As discussed in the essay, studying abroad brings immense opportunities that may be unachievable locally.

However, some of the consequences of studying abroad may be potentially fatal if adequate preparation is not factored in. Students wishing to study abroad must, therefore, do their best to collect information relating to a broad spectrum of issues practiced in host countries. There are established agencies that can assist the students in knowing a thing or two about countries they may wish to visit for study purposes.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Study Abroad Essay in Points

This is the complete essay for students about the advantages and disadvantages of study abroad in points. Studying in ages like nowadays is as essential as say water and food because in one way or another it leads you to improve your lifestyle and so is you’re sitting with people.

Some people prefer studying in their homeland while others seek it going abroad. Here we are going to discuss some of the advantages, benefits and disadvantages of study abroad.

Advantages of Studying Abroad

There are a lot of advantages of studying abroad when a person goes for study abroad. We, however, are going to concise it as much as possible in the following points.

You Get to Learn Advanced Learning Techniques

Who would not want to learn some new and advanced techniques? Studying abroad would make you a whole new person. There are a lot of countries that offer new techniques for students. If you are one of the lucky persons you would learn a whole lot of new experiences.

Develop an Independent Style

When you keep yourself away from your family you expose yourself to some hardships and trouble and that is why studying abroad develops your personality, your way of talking to others and many more things. If you get to study in your hometown you can never understand what it is like to live independently and do every work on your own. Well, abroad you can experience that.

Exposure to Different Culture

Studying abroad would also make you expose yourself to the culture of the country you are currently in. For example if you are studying in the United States of America, you get to learn their cultures, learn about their daily routines, the nature of American and much more. Living in your homeland and studying there would get you to lack yourself from experiences like that.

Better Job Opportunities

Of course studying abroad would make a huge impact on your resume and can improve you a lot as a person. You can identify yourself, the purpose of you being anywhere and can create and awesome environment for you to do better jobs and make a living out of it.

Change in your Mindset

Studying abroad would make you an honest yet smart person. You would see for yourself a sudden change in your mindset and after some time a new person in yourself. You would see new waves of energy in yourself, more activeness and what not.

Better Communications

This is probably one of the most important advantages of studying abroad because better communication skills are what you need at every moment of life. It will give you advancement over other people. You would be preferred everywhere you go because of the skills you have developed. It is this communication skill that gets you to solve your conflict with people if you have some.

Learn New Language

You also get to learn a new language (or languages) when you are studying abroad. At first you will feel some hardships not just in learning the language but in communication as well. Slowly and gradually you start to flow in the forward direction with them against the tides and your new learned language starts to get better and better over the days. Learning new languages gives you an absolute edge and priority over people who speak only their mother tongue. Who are you going to prefer we are asking you, one language speaker or bi-lingual?

Good Value in Home-Town

Who does not want to be valued by others? You would be given more importance in your hometown when you study abroad. After you get home people will value your thoughts, share their problems with you for seeking valuable advice. You would be considered some sort of a leader in your town. This is what experience can bring you.

Catch Some Attention to run a Business

If you have studied abroad and now you are in your hometown there is more chances that if you start a business people will come to you in a very great number so that they can be hired. This is because they are sure they you will provide them security for their job they are looking for quite a time.

Create some Connections

If you study abroad you would also have some of your foreigner friends then. Studying abroad would broaden your connections. You can use these connections to pull some strings and make some of your work, if necessary, easy for you.

Disadvantages of Study Abroad

If you look at something you must have to look at each angle to understand it better. This is why with advantages of study abroad it would be injustice to not bring forth the disadvantages of study abroad .

Studying Abroad is Expensive

Studying abroad is not a piece of cake and you have to spend thousands of dollars to make it happen. From the travel expenses, to living there to the annual fee of college. It is quite impossible for some people to study abroad even if they wanted to.

Communications Difficulty with Family

The only way to communicate with your family when you study abroad is to make it happen through mobile or internet or else there is no other way. Sometimes you have to deliver something important to your family and that also cannot get quicker as you think.

Exposure to Non-Ethical Things

If you study abroad you have to come up with their culture. We know it is a fact that this world has two kinds of culture statistically speaking. One is eastern culture the other is western culture and sometimes it is unethical to mix up yourself deviating from your own culture.

Racism Issues

Since the beginning of humanity racism has been a problem to all of the humans around the globe. If you are studying abroad you probably can relate to this yourself. Many of the students who study abroad complain about racism and that they are bullied by a certain group of people. This is an issue that needs to be addressed but unfortunately it still exists.

Loneliness and Home-Sickening

If you are thousands of miles away from your home, you sometimes feel lonely and worried sick for home. This is one of the main disadvantages of going abroad thousands of miles away from your home. You do not get to see any of your family members and that’s why you feel sad.

Too Many Expectations

When you study abroad your family feels proud of you but at the same time they expect a lot from you. This creates a serious problem for you and sometimes you feel a little pressurized. If you do not meet the expectation of which your family is expecting from you your reputations suddenly lowers the graph.

University Credit Problem

The university at which you are currently studying abroad might not be recognized at your homeland and that is why you have to pass a second test for it. This also creates some extra problems for you. That’s why it is always recommended to study abroad at a reputable school.

Settling Abroad

If you want to study abroad and study effectively your first step is to settle yourself. This way you would not face any problem while studying but if you are emotionally connected to your hometown still you want to study abroad this would become a blunder for you. Because at the end you would not end up doing better.

Help You Require Gets Limited

If you are in your country and you put yourself in some sort of danger, your family is there for you and so are your friends. But if the same thing happens to you while you are abroad you do not get the help you require at the time. Some people even are financially okay for studying abroad but when they put this issue in front they hesitate and stop themselves.

Attention you need Lacks

While studying abroad the attention you need lacks sometimes. If we co-relate this matter with the ongoing coronavirus. We get to see that the students who were studying abroad in China were not getting attention from their respective governments. That is why they were stuck for weeks there in China and no one was able to help them.

That was the end of our topic “Advantages and Disadvantages of Study Abroad” . There are pros and cons to almost every matter in the world if you look at it unbiased and so is the study abroad. Some people look at the pros and go for studying abroad while others keep in mind the cons and stay in their homeland. Which one of the above people are you? Do not forget to tell us in the comment section about benefits and drawbacks.

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15 Benefits of Studying Abroad Essay Tips

This blog post discusses the benefits of studying abroad essay which you can use as a guide or tip for constructing your own essay on the same subject matter or generally learn about the advantages of studying abroad.

Studying outside of your country in a distant land has to be the most adventurous thing you may ever do in life. Going to a place where everything is new and different, the food, culture, language, etc. are new and different from what you’re used to. It is challenging, truthfully, but after a while, you get used to it and it starts to become fun, exciting, and adventurous.

You get to learn new customs and languages, meet new people, taste new foods, see beautiful places, and most of all, gain quality education and degrees. The main reason why a lot of people decide to study abroad is for educational purposes, as in most cases, the abroad education is better than the one in their home country.

Knowledge can be acquired in numerous ways and studying abroad is one of the possibilities. Students get significant experience by studying abroad. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to come into direct contact with a different culture in their daily lives and return home with many fond memories.

For example, students can travel to a place with four seasons and experience four seasons there, which will be the most memorable moments for students who have never experienced the seasons before. There are several advantaged to studying abroad and they are outlined and discussed in this essay.

Benefits of Studying Abroad Essay

Improve your language skills, enjoy top quality education, career opportunities, experience a different style of teaching, it will look nice on your resume, enhance your network, become truly independent, see the world, get ready for an international workplace, discover other cultures and viewpoints, employers will be impressed, you will get motivated, creating life time experiences.

On our list of benefits of studying abroad essay, improving your language skills comes first. Studying in another part of the world or another country offers you the opportunity to hone and develop your language skills. Learning a new language and adding it to other languages you already know how to speak will take you farther in life, especially career-wise.

Having a second language will make your CV or resume stand out and become a key candidate for a highly competitive role such as a diplomat or ambassador. If you are looking to enter into the international or global workforce, a second language will serve as a catalyst as well.

One of the major reasons students travel abroad is to gain top-quality education and degrees that will be recognized internationally. There is no doubt that some schools are better than some and provide internationally recognized degrees while some do not and for this reason, many students live the comfort of their home and abandon the traditional teachings of their local schools to go to another country and pursue a degree that every HR or employee anywhere in the world will recognize and accept.

As an international student, you can broaden your option greatly and for the top choice countries, you may want to consider the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom as they provide top-quality degrees.

Studying abroad will provide you with better career opportunities, no doubt, international universities will provide you with quality education which is highly sought after by employees back at home. With a degree from a university or college abroad you’ve automatically gotten ahead of the workforce competition compared to people who got a local education.

Studying in a new country exposes you to increased career opportunities, depending on your field of study.

If you completed your bachelor’s in your country and decided to complete graduate studies abroad, you’d note the difference in teaching style almost immediately. There are different teaching styles and studying abroad will help you experience them and help you expand your academic horizon and develop your ability to adapt to the different educational settings.

The benefit here will also help you be more versatile in the workplace and you are can easily adjust to different management styles.

It is common knowledge that employers value international experience since it demonstrates that you have dealt with individuals from many cultures and have a greater level of adaptability. If you can travel to a new nation while learning a new skill to land a decent graduation job, that is really impressive.

Employers value individuals with international studies and stand ahead of the workforce competition to add it to your CV.

Enhancing your network is also one of the benefits of studying abroad essay. Studying abroad you must make new friends and build relationships with people from other parts of the world. These relationships will later go on to become a broad network of connections who will come to your aid when needed and you also provide aid to them when required.

Some of these connections can even lead to career opportunities, job offers, business partners, and life-long friends. Universities usually have varieties of students from all walks of life and the community has offered an opportunity for you to meet them, create, and enhance your network.

Attending a local university or a university in your own country, you are still not completely independent because you’ve got your friends and family who could always drive down to your school to visit you. But when you travel out of the country to study, you are very far away from your friends and family, and coming all the way to see you will be a daunting task.

This will surely come as a challenge at first but it will shape you to become an independent, adventurous adult ready to succeed in your future career.

Traveling can be very fun especially when you travel out of your country to another and in this case, you’re acquiring a degree at the same time, talk about taking down two birds with a single stone. Studying abroad allows you to see the world and travel to new places you would otherwise not have visited.

This can be adventurous and exciting as you also get to visit many attractions in the country.

Another benefit of studying abroad is that it opens students to new knowledge and expertise when they study overseas and that knowledge is frequently more easily relevant and adaptable to situations that require international engagement; as a result, in today’s globalized world, one might expect to be more competitive.

While you can always return home at the end of your abroad education, many students opt to stay and apply for a work visa. Even if you decide to return home or look for a job elsewhere, employers are likely to value the foreign experience gained via studying abroad.

This is one of the benefits of a study abroad essay and here studying abroad will expose you to a different culture allowing you to broaden your horizons. You will get new ideas and build cross-cultural awareness by studying overseas.

In your future career, for example, you might have to collaborate with people from other countries. You will be more comfortable with people from other backgrounds, value their unique experiences, and develop a better bond with them if you study abroad.

Our cultural heritage has a significant impact on how we react to certain situations. Getting a diversity of viewpoints can help you see things in a fresh light. You will meet people from all walks of life if you study abroad and have the opportunity to witness a completely new way of life.

This is another benefit of studying abroad and the advantage that comes with this is that it can help you kick start your career and make you more marketable. It allows you to demonstrate potential and present to employers that you have the flexibility, resourcefulness, and ambition to adjust to a new situation. Graduates with foreign experience are in high demand by many employers.

Regardless of where you study, the most essential benefit of studying abroad is that it will continually inspire you on your life’s journey. Immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a new city, nation, or culture is a great way to stretch your mind and learn new things.

Visit art institutions, historic sites, learn a new language, try a new cuisine – the opportunities to broaden your horizons are endless. Long after your studies are through, you will reflect gratefully on all of the fresh memories and lessons you have gained.

On this list of benefits of studying abroad essay, this is the one that crowns it all. Taking classes, staying in a homestay, making new friends, and traveling around a whole other country are all experiences that you will never forget. When it is all said and done, you will be able to recall practically every detail of that time you went white water rafting in Brazil.

You will have a once-in-lifetime experience and make memories that will last a lifetime and the advantages of studying abroad will also last a long time. You can’t put a price on the memories, friendships, and experiences you will bring back from your trip overseas.

These are the benefits of studying abroad essay which should further help you consider studying abroad.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Studying Abroad — The Positive Effects of Studying Abroad for Students

The Positive Effects of Studying Abroad for Students

• Categories: Studying Abroad

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Words: 484 |

Published: Mar 1, 2019

Words: 484 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Reasons for Studying Abroad

Works cited.

• Byram, M. (2018). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Routledge.
• Chieffo, L., & Griffiths, L. (2004). Bridging the divide: student perspectives of international study. Journal of Studies in International Education, 8(1), 32-47.
• Hadisaputro, R., & Utomo, Y. K. (2020). International Students’ Perceptions of Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Academic Performance in Indonesia. Journal of International Students, 10(2), 323-340.
• Li, M., & Bray, M. (2007). Cross-cultural perspectives on international students. International Education Journal, 8(2), 395-408.
• Mazzarol, T., Soutar, G. N., & Seng, M. S. (2003). The third wave: Future trends in international education. International Journal of Educational Management.
• Mitchell, K. E., & Latcheva, R. (2019). International Student Migration: Mapping the Field and New Research Agenda. Population, Space and Place, 25(1), e2193.
• Olt, M. R., & Yucesoylu, R. (2017). International student recruitment and enrollment strategies in higher education. Journal of International Students, 7(3), 587-603.
• Rienties, B., & Nolan, E. M. (2014). Understanding friendship and learning networks of international and host students using longitudinal social network analysis. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 41, 165-180.
• Stebleton, M. J., Soria, K. M., & Cherney, B. (2013). Experiences of international graduate students from Saudi Arabia: Factors that facilitate and hinder adjustment. Journal of College Student Development , 54(6), 617-634.
• Williams, E. A. (2005). Overseas students and intercultural adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), 689-711.

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What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Dec 19, 2023

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Achieving proficiency in the Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing module poses a difficulty for numerous test-takers. Hence, it is essential to enhance your essay writing abilities before undertaking the IELTS to ensure success.

The  IELTS Writing Task 2  is a crucial part of both the General Training and Academic versions of the IELTS exam. It assesses your ability to write a well-structured and cohesive essay in response to a given topic.

This is an Advantages and Disadvantages essay that assesses a writer’s ability to evaluate both the positive and negative aspects of a particular issue. To effectively prepare for the IELTS Writing Task 2, it is highly recommended to practice with a variety of sample essays. IELTSMaterial.com offers a comprehensive collection of  IELTS writing task 2 practice tests , that can help you hone your essay writing skills and achieve a high score in the exam.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

Structure Breakdown

Band 7 sample answer for advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad – writing task 2.

Introduction:

Studying abroad has become much more prevalent in this current day and age than it was before. Today, nearly every student considers studying abroad for higher education, especially for their Master’s degree. Since travelling to a foreign country has become relatively straightforward, people are availing themselves of the best of opportunities. However, there are both pros and cons to studying abroad, making it a challenging decision to take. In the following paragraphs, I will go through the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad.

Body Paragraph 1:

The present-day economy is known to be competitive and demanding. Today, if an individual is not decorated with impressive degrees and accolades, they are bound to miss out on various profitable opportunities. Amidst such relentless competition, an individual will inevitably choose to be educated at a reputable academic institution. Since the quality of education is often not superlative in developing countries, people from such nations tend to move abroad for better alternatives. Also, the amount of time a student spends studying abroad and adapting to the foreign environment significantly increases their interpersonal skills and facilitates their overall development.

Body Paragraph 2:

On the contrary, there are numerous limitations to choosing a foreign university for higher education. First and foremost, we must acknowledge that studying and living abroad is an exceedingly costly affair. Most students have to give up on their ambition of studying abroad due to financial hindrances. Moreover, staying away from one’s family and native place is an onerous ordeal. There are also several cases of discrimination and social exclusion against non-native students, which makes it difficult for such individuals to adopt the lifestyle of the host country.

Conclusion:

Finally, I would like to end by saying that, like any other course of action, studying abroad has both benefits and drawbacks. It is upon the individual who needs to weigh their options and make a prudent decision.

Band 7 Vocabulary

Meaning: widespread in a particular area or at a particular time.

Example: There are many social obstacles still prevalent in today’s society.

• Challenging

Meaning: testing one’s abilities; demanding.

Example : The journey was lengthy and challenging.

Meaning: make (something) look more attractive by adding extra items or images to it.

Example: The building was decorated with lights during Diwali.

Meaning: an award or privilege granted as a special honour or as an acknowledgement of merit.

Example: The army officer was presented with numerous accolades.

Meaning: unceasingly intense.

Example: His relentless efforts finally resulted in his success.

• Superlative

Meaning: of the highest quality or degree.

Example : She possessed a superlative skill in dancing.

• Exceedingly

Meaning: extremely.

Example: The Taj Mahal is an exceedingly beautiful monument.

Meaning: a thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone.

Example: There were many hindrances during the execution of the plan.

Meaning: (of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty.

Example: The duty of raising a child is an onerous task.

Meaning: acting with or showing care and thought for the future.

Example: He made a prudent decision in the end.

Practice & Prepare with  IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Sample Questions and Answers

Band 8 Sample Answer for Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad – Writing Task 2

Studying abroad has become increasingly popular in recent years, with students from all over the world opting to pursue their higher education in foreign countries. There are many advantages to studying abroad, including a better learning experience, international exposure, and enhanced employment opportunities. However, there are also some disadvantages to consider, such as the high cost of living and education, the challenges of adapting to a new culture, and the potential for homesickness.

One of the biggest advantages of studying abroad is that it provides students with a better learning experience. Foreign universities often offer more specialized programs and cutting-edge research facilities than their domestic counterparts. Additionally, students are able to learn from world-renowned professors and interact with classmates from diverse backgrounds. This can lead to a more well-rounded education and a deeper understanding of the world.

For example, students who study engineering at a top university in Germany may have access to state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, as well as the opportunity to work on research projects with leading experts in the field. Similarly, students who study business at a prestigious university in the United States may have the chance to learn from experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Another advantage of studying abroad is that it exposes students to new cultures and perspectives. This can help them to become more open-minded and tolerant individuals. It can also give them a competitive edge in the global job market, as employers increasingly value candidates with international experience.

For example, a student who studies abroad in Japan may learn about Japanese culture and values, such as the importance of hard work and respect for elders. This knowledge can be invaluable when applying for jobs in Japanese companies. Similarly, a student who studies abroad in France may learn about French business culture and etiquette. This can be helpful when working with French clients or colleagues.

Body Paragraph 3:

Finally, studying abroad can enhance students’ employment opportunities. Many employers are looking for candidates with international experience and intercultural skills. Students who have studied abroad can demonstrate these skills through their resumes, cover letters, and job interviews.

For example, a student who has studied abroad in China may have the opportunity to work for a Chinese multinational company. A student who has studied abroad in India may be able to land a job in a tech company in Bangalore. In both cases, the student’s international experience will give them an advantage over other candidates.

Overall, the advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages. While the cost of studying abroad can be high, there are many scholarships and financial aid options available. Additionally, the challenges of adapting to a new culture can be overcome with careful planning and preparation. For students who are willing to put in the effort, studying abroad can be a life-changing experience.

Band 8 Vocabulary

• Opting (verb)

Meaning: choosing, selecting.

Example : Students from various countries are opting to study abroad for a more comprehensive educational experience.

• Cutting-edge (adjective)

Meaning: innovative, advanced.

Example : Foreign universities often provide students with access to cutting-edge technology and research facilities.

• Well-rounded (adjective)

Meaning: comprehensive, balanced.

Example : Interacting with diverse classmates contributes to a student’s well-rounded educational experience.

• Invaluable (adjective)

Meaning: extremely useful or valuable.

Example : The knowledge of local culture and customs can be invaluable for students seeking employment in foreign countries.

• Etiquette (noun)

Meaning : the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

Example : Understanding French business etiquette can be crucial for effective communication in a professional setting.

• Overcome (verb)

Meaning: succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty.

Example : With proper preparation, students can overcome the challenges of adjusting to a new culture.

• Comprehensive (adjective)

Meaning: complete, including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something.

Example : The comprehensive educational experience provided by foreign universities benefits students in various ways.

• Multinational (adjective)

Meaning: involving or operating in several nations or countries.

Example : Students with international experience have an edge when applying to multinational companies.

• Tolerant (adjective)

Meaning: showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behaviors that one does not necessarily agree with.

Example : Exposure to different cultures fosters a tolerant attitude among students studying abroad.

• Life-changing (adjective)

Meaning: having such a strong effect that it changes one’s life.

Example : For many students, the experience of studying abroad is truly life-changing, shaping their perspectives and future opportunities.

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Band 9 Sample Answer for Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad – Writing Task 2

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The landscape of international education has expanded significantly, attracting a growing number of students pursuing higher degrees abroad. While studying abroad offers diverse cultural exposure and personal development, it comes with financial and socio-cultural challenges. This essay contends that the advantages, such as enhanced career prospects and personal growth, are balanced by significant disadvantages, including financial burdens and potential difficulties in adapting to new environments.

One major advantage of studying abroad is the unparalleled exposure to superior educational opportunities. As competition intensifies globally, students seek admission to prestigious institutions, aiming for degrees from renowned universities. This exposure not only broadens their academic horizons but also positions them for better career opportunities. For instance, students often lack access to state-of-the-art facilities in their home countries, compelling them to explore education abroad.

Conversely, a noteworthy disadvantage is the financial strain associated with studying overseas. The costs involved, encompassing tuition fees and travel expenditures, pose a significant barrier for many students. Consequently, dreams and aspirations may be surrendered due to the inability to manage these expenses. The financial burden extends to the challenges of relocating far from home, creating additional hurdles for those unfamiliar with such separation.

In conclusion, the decision to study abroad entails a careful consideration of its advantages and disadvantages. While the exposure to diverse cultures and superior education is advantageous, the financial and socio-cultural challenges cannot be overlooked. Prospective students must weigh these factors diligently to make informed decisions aligned with their academic and personal goals. Ultimately, the benefits and drawbacks are intrinsic to the pursuit of international education, demanding thoughtful reflection before embarking on this transformative journey.

Band 9 Vocabulary

• Consequential (adjective):

Meaning: Resulting from or having important consequences.

Example : The decision to study abroad is consequential, impacting both academic and personal aspects of a student’s life.

• Landscape (noun):

Meaning : The overall look or view of a particular subject or situation.

Example : The educational landscape has evolved, with more students considering international studies.

• Prestigious (adjective):

Meaning: Having a high reputation or honor.

Example : Students aspire to gain admission to prestigious institutions for a quality education.

• Horizons (noun):

Meaning: The range of one’s knowledge, experience, or interest.

Example : Studying abroad broadens students’ academic horizons, exposing them to diverse subjects and cultures.

• Intrinsic (adjective):

Meaning: Belonging naturally; essential.

Example : The benefits and drawbacks are intrinsic to the pursuit of international education.

• Conducive (adjective):

Meaning : Making a certain situation or outcome likely or possible.

Example : The exposure to diverse cultures is conducive to personal development.

• Diligently (adverb):

Meaning: With careful and conscientious effort.

Example : Prospective students must diligently weigh the advantages and disadvantages before deciding to study abroad.

• Encompass (verb):

Meaning: To include or contain something.

Example : The costs of studying abroad encompass tuition fees, travel expenses, and living costs.

• Harbor (verb):

Meaning: To shelter or provide a home for.

Example : Students may harbor concerns about adapting to new environments when studying abroad.

• Reiterate (verb):

Meaning : To say or do something again, usually for emphasis.

Example : In the conclusion, the essay reiterates the importance of weighing the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision.

Connectors Used in the Above Sample Answers

Connectors, also known as connectives or transition words, are words or phrases that link ideas or parts of a sentence or paragraph together. Here are some of the connectors used in the above sample answers:

• For instance
• Consequently
• In conclusion
• For example
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Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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Middle East Crisis Airstrike in Damascus Kills Several Top Iranian Commanders, Iran Says

• Share full article
• The site of a strike in Damascus, Syria, that killed a top Iranian commander. Reuters
• Protesters in Tehran after an Israeli strike on an Iranian Embassy complex in Syria. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times
• Damaged buildings at Al-Shifa Hospital complex seen in Gaza City during a media tour by the Israeli Army on Sunday. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times
• A Palestinian woman sitting amid destruction at Al-Shifa Hospital. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• Destruction at Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza City. World Health Organization via Reuters
• Israeli police dispersing ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem protesting against mandatory military service. Abir Sultan/EPA, via Shutterstock
• Palestinians amid the rubble of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital after two weeks of fighting. Obtained by Reuters
• Scorched beds and medical equipment inside Al-Shifa Hospital. By Reuters
• Aid airdropped over northern Gaza. Abdel Kareem Hana/Associated Press
• Protesters camping outside the Knesset, the Parliament building, in Jerusalem. Associated Press
• An Israeli soldier at the site of a music festival in Israel where people were killed and kidnapped during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack. Hannah Mckay/Reuters
• The destruction surrounding Al-Shifa Hospital. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

At least seven Iranian officers were killed in the strike.

At least seven officers overseeing Iran’s covert operations in the Middle East were killed in Damascus on Monday, when Israeli warplanes struck part of the Iranian Embassy complex in the Syrian Capital, according to a statement by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The strike killed three generals in Iran’s Quds Force, the external military and intelligence service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and four other officers, the Corps said, making it one of the deadliest attacks of the yearslong shadow war between Israel and Iran.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the strike, but four Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, acknowledged that Israel had carried out the attack.

The covert war has previously included Israel’s targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists, and Iran’s use of foreign proxies to strike Israeli interests. Now it is increasingly being fought out in open as tensions between the countries have intensified since Israel and Hamas, an Iranian-backed militia in the Gaza Strip, went to war in October.

The attack in Damascus killed Mohamad Reza Zahedi, 65, a senior commander in the Quds Force. General Zahedi, Iranian officials said, oversaw the Quds Force’s covert military operations in Syria and Lebanon.

Also killed in the strike were Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi, a deputy commander of Quds Forces in Lebanon and Syria and second in command to General Zahedi, and Gen. Hossein Aman Allahi, responsible for the Quds Force’s military operations in the region, according to Iranian media and an official statement from the Guards.

“For years, Israel and Iran have been engaged in what’s usually called a ‘shadow war,’” Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group, said Monday in a social media post. “Today’s strike underscores the fact that this is increasingly a misnomer, as tensions increase on multiple fronts.”

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said Iran was still investigating the scope of the attack but threatened that there would be consequences for Israel. “Iran, in addition to having the right to retaliate in kind,” Mr. Kanaani said, “will decide on how to respond and punish the aggressor.”

Syrian and Iranian state news agencies reported that at least seven people were killed in the strikes on Monday and aired video footage of the ruined building, the remnants of burned cars, shattered glass and debris covering the ground.

The strike, two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said, targeted a secret meeting in which Iranian intelligence officials and Palestinian militants gathered to discuss the war in Gaza. Among them were leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a group armed and funded by Iran.

Israel and Iran differed in their descriptions of the building that was hit. Iran described it as part of its diplomatic mission in Syria, but Israel said it was being used by the Revolutionary Guards, making it a legitimate military target.

“This is no consulate and this is no embassy,” the Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told CNN. “This is a military building of Quds Forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus.”

Mr. Vaez, the analyst, said, “Targeting a diplomatic facility is akin to targeting Iran on its own soil.” Failure to retaliate would undermine Iran’s military presence in Syria, he said, but “If they do respond they would fall into the trap that they think Israel has laid for them to get into a direct war.”

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, strongly condemned the attack in a statement and said he had spoken to his Syrian counterpart about the “Zionist regime’s attack on the consulate section of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Damascus.”

Syria’s defense ministry said the strikes happened around 5 p.m. local time when Israeli fighter jets entered Syria from the Golan Heights.

Iran’s ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, said in a statement released to state media that the consulate’s building came under attack by two F-35 fighter jets. Mr. Akbari said among those killed were several Iranian military advisers deployed to Syria.

“This attack will have our fierce response,” he said, according to Iranian media.

The attack rattled supporters of Iran’s government who took to social media to question, once again, how Israel knew of the secret meeting and whether Iran’s security apparatus had been infiltrated by informants.

Peyman Syed Taheri, a conservative analyst close to the government, said in an interview from Tehran that Israel’s attack in Damascus had shaken Iranians who fear that the government’s approach to the standoff with Israel had failed.

“Our national security has been violated. Either Iran must respond so Israel doesn’t attack us in Tehran or if it doesn’t want to respond then it has to rethink and moderate its regional policies and military presence,” Mr. Taheri said.

An earlier version of this article misstated the surname of an Iranian Quds Force commander who was reported killed in an airstrike in Damascus, Syria. He was Gen. Mohamad Reza Zahedi, not Zahedani.

How we handle corrections

— Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman

Iran says the ‘U.S. must answer’ for the Israeli strike in Damascus.

Iranian officials condemned Israel’s airstrikes on an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, which killed three top Iranian commanders, and issued carefully worded pledges of a response. Government supporters took to the streets and openly called for retaliation against Israel.

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said in a post on the social media site X that Iran had summoned the Swiss ambassador after midnight local time and asked that an important message be delivered to Washington: That as Israel’s ally, the “U.S. must answer” for Israel’s actions. Switzerland acts as the United States’ representative in the absence of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington.

The spokesman for the leadership of Iran’s Parliament, Seyyed Nezamoldin Mousavi, told Iranian state media that “an appropriate response is a national request by the people of Iran.”

The strike, on part of the Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, killed three generals in Iran’s Quds Force and four other officers, making it one of the deadliest attacks of the yearslong shadow war between Israel and Iran.

In Washington, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, said that “the United States had no involvement in the strike” and “did not know about it ahead of time.”

A U.S. official, who requested anonymity to discuss private communication, said that the statement had been communicated directly to Iran.

In several cities across Iran, including the capital, Tehran, as well as Tabriz and Isfahan, large crowds gathered waving Palestinian and Iranian flags and demanding revenge “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” chanted the crowds in Iran, fists in the air, warning that if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared jihad against Israel, then “no army can hold us back.”

The strikes in Damascus on Monday coincided with two major holidays in Iran, a religious Shia holiday commemorating the killing of Imam Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad and Shia Islam’s founder; and a national day of nature, celebrated by going outdoors on the 13th day of Norouz, the Iranian New Year.

Some opponents of the government gathered in parks in northern Tehran at night to carry on with the nature celebrations, which include picnics, dancing and singing, until security forces dispersed them, videos on social media and on BBC Persian showed.

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss Israel’s attack. Russia, a close ally of Iran, requested the meeting.

Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said in a letter to the world body that the attack on diplomatic buildings was a violation of international law and the U.N. charter, and was a threat to the peace and stability of the region.

It remained unclear what steps Iran would take in response to Israel’s strikes: Whether it would target Israel directly in a military attack, risking a broader war with Israel and the United States, or if it would continue with its strategy of fighting through its militants it supports in the region.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia backed by Iran, said in a statement, according to Iran state media, that “without doubt, this crime will not go without punishment and revenge against the enemy.”

Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.

— Farnaz Fassihi

Advertisement

World Central Kitchen said it paused operations in Gaza.

The disaster relief nonprofit World Central Kitchen paused operations in Gaza and the region on Tuesday after the organization said seven of its workers were killed in an airstrike.

José Andrés, the organization’s founder, said on X that “several of our sisters and brothers” were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday. The group later said in a statement that the team was leaving a warehouse in central Gaza in two armored cars after unloading humanitarian food aid. The group said the convoy was hit despite having coordinated movements with the Israeli military.

The Israeli military said in a statement early Tuesday that it was “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

Erin Gore, the nonprofit’s chief executive officer, said in the statement that the group’s employees were killed in “a targeted attack” by the Israeli military, without providing evidence.

“This is unforgivable,” Ms. Gore said in the statement.

Graphic video footage that circulated after the strike showed several bodies, some wearing protective gear with World Central Kitchen patches. Footage distributed by Reuters showed a white vehicle marked with the group’s logo on its roof, with a hole half of the width of the car. The nationalities of the seven killed included Australia, Poland, Britain, the United States, Canada and Palestine, according to World Central Kitchen.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia identified one of the victims as Zomi Frankcom, an Australian citizen and a manager at World Central Kitchen. “We want full accountability for this, because this is a tragedy that should never have occurred,” he told reporters.

“The truth is that this is beyond any reasonable circumstances,” he said, adding that his government had summoned the Israeli ambassador to Australia.

Australia has previously called for a “sustainable cease-fire” in Gaza .

World Central Kitchen has become a key organization in the perilous, politically fraught efforts to distribute humanitarian aid to desperate Gazans. Israel has severely limited the aid that reaches Gaza through land crossings, leaving shipments by sea as an increasingly important means of delivering food to the enclave. A vessel carrying 400 tons of food left Cyprus for Gaza on Saturday .

The Israeli military has said that it provided security and coordination to the organization in prior operations .

On Tuesday, the military said that it “makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with W.C.K. in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”

Damien Cave contributed reporting from Sydney, Aric Toler from Kansas City, Kan., and Anushka Patil from New York.

— Daniel Victor ,  Victoria Kim and Natasha Frost

Netanyahu says Israel will shut down Al Jazeera in Israel.

Israeli lawmakers passed a law on Monday allowing the government to temporarily shutter foreign media outlets that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has determined undermine the country’s national security, and the Israeli leader said he would use the new law to block Al Jazeera broadcasts and activities in Israel.

Mr. Netanyahu’s government has had a tense relationship with Al Jazeera for years, but the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 escalated tensions. Mr. Netanyahu has called Al Jazeera a “Hamas mouthpiece.”

On Monday, the prime minister said it was time for the Qatar-based network, one of the most widely viewed sources of television news in the Arab world, to stop broadcasting in Israel, although he did not specify when that would happen.

“The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel. I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity,” Mr. Netanyahu posted on X , while recovering from hernia surgery.

Al Jazeera called Netanyahu’s comments “lies that incite against the safety of our journalists around the world.”

“The network stresses that this latest measure comes as part of a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera,” it said in a statement, adding that the new law would not “deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage.”

Under the new law, if the prime minister deems a foreign media outlet to “concretely undermine” Israel’s national security, the government can temporarily close its offices, confiscate its equipment, remove it from Israeli cable and satellite television providers, and block access to any of the channel’s online platforms hosted on servers in Israel or owned by Israeli entities.

The Committee to Protect Journalists , an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedoms around the world, criticized the new law, saying that it “contributes to a climate of self-censorship and hostility toward the press.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, asked about the law during a news briefing in Washington, said that “a move like this is concerning.”

“We believe in the freedom of the press,” she said. “It is critical.”

The new law comes at a critical time in Israel’s relations with Qatar, which has been hosting cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The Qatari government, which helps fund Al Jazeera, did not immediately comment.

Anushka Patil contributed reporting.

— Johnatan Reiss

Israeli troops pull out of a major Gaza hospital after a two-week battle.

Israeli soldiers withdrew from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after two weeks of fighting in which they killed around 200 Palestinians and arrested hundreds of others, the Israeli military said on Monday. The troops left widespread devastation in their wake after extended gun battles with Palestinian militants in and around the complex.

Taysir al-Tanna, a longtime vascular surgeon at Al-Shifa, said many of the hospital’s main buildings — including the emergency, obstetrics and surgical wards — had been badly damaged in the fighting, and the main gate had been smashed.

“Now it looks like a wasteland,” Dr. al-Tanna said.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense, said bodies were scattered in and around the complex. The final death toll remained unclear, he said, as some corpses were either under the rubble of destroyed buildings or were believed to have been buried.

“Even outside the complex itself, there are blocks of buildings that were knocked to the ground,” and people were searching for the occupants in the rubble, Mr. Basal said.

The Israeli military said the roughly 200 Palestinians it killed were militants, and that its soldiers had arrested around 900 people it suspected of being militants at the Shifa complex over the past two weeks, including senior commanders in groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It said two Israeli soldiers were killed and eight were wounded in the raid.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, blamed the destruction on the militants, saying they had fortified themselves inside hospital wards, fired on soldiers and refused calls to surrender. “We had to fire on the buildings in order to stop that and to kill the terrorists,” he said.

Israeli forces evacuated displaced civilians sheltering in the compound as well as some patients, and placed other patients in a building away from the fighting, Admiral Hagari said. The World Health Organization said on Sunday that at least 21 patients had died since the Israeli raid began in mid-March, though their causes of death were unclear. By this weekend, just 107 patients remained — 30 of them bedridden — without drinking water and with only minimal medication, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli forces first raided Al-Shifa in November, maintaining that Hamas militants had built a command center in tunnels underneath it. Hamas and the hospital director insisted the facility was solely a refuge for civilians.

The Israeli military later publicized some evidence to support its case, including by showing reporters a fortified tunnel constructed underneath the hospital grounds. An investigation by The New York Times suggested that Hamas had used the site for cover and stored weapons there. Critics argue that Israel failed to substantiate its original claims about Al-Shifa’s military value.

After little more than a week, Israeli troops withdrew in compliance with a brief cease-fire. But as the war ground on, Israeli forces closed in on the hospital again in mid-March in an attempt to root out what they said was a renewed insurgency by Palestinian armed groups in northern Gaza.

“Hamas and Islamic Jihad have started to rebuild themselves in the north,” said Admiral Hagari. “And they re-based themselves inside Shifa.”

Hamas has not commented on the new allegations that it was using the hospital as a base, but in a statement it accused the Israeli military of summarily executing Palestinians inside. The group’s armed wing has repeatedly said that its militants were fighting with the Israeli military around Al-Shifa over the past two weeks.

Hamas called the destruction at the hospital “a horrific crime” that Israel had perpetrated “with full and unlimited support from the administration of U.S. President Biden.”

Before the first Israeli incursion, Israel gave the hospital more than a week’s notice ahead of its forces entering the complex, giving militants hiding there an opportunity to flee, Admiral Hagari said. This time, Israeli soldiers launched a surprise attack, raiding the area in the middle of the night, he added.

In a visit to Al-Shifa on Saturday, Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military chief of staff, declared the raid “extremely successful.” Lt. Gen. Halevi said the operation had let militant groups know that “a hospital is not a safe place” for them.

Asked about the destruction at Al-Shifa, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the Biden administration was concerned over Hamas’s repeated activity within hospitals, as well as “how Hamas appears, how they appear to have been able to reconstitute in a hospital so quickly.”

“This just points to how challenging Israel’s military operation is, because Hamas has intentionally embedded themselves into civilian infrastructure, into these hospitals,” Ms. Jean-Pierre told reporters.

— Aaron Boxerman and Iyad Abuheweila

‘A horror movie’: One man describes the aftermath of Israel’s raid on Al-Shifa.

Decomposing bodies. Mountains of rubble. Burned buildings. One man described what he found upon returning to Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli soldiers ended a two-week raid at the Gaza Strip’s largest medical complex.

“As soon as you approach Al-Shifa Hospital, you’re hit with the stench of decomposing bodies,” said Osama al-Ashi, who went to the area to check on his apartment after he heard that the Israeli military had withdrawn. He added in a phone call, “The whole time we were walking, we were stepping on body parts.”

Mr. al-Ashi said that many of the bodies were those of people who had been shot during the raid and left where they fell. Others, he said, were dug up when Israeli forces bulldozed temporary cemeteries inside the hospital grounds.

“The scenes there were difficult to tolerate as a human being,” he said. “You feel like you are in a horror movie.”

He said that the hospital’s buildings remained standing but were completely charred, turning Gaza’s largest hospital into “skeletons of buildings rendered completely useless.” Mr. al-Ashi added that at the hospital, “The medical equipment, the beds, the administrative buildings — everywhere, everything is burned.”

Many buildings around the hospital had been destroyed by bombs, missiles and tank shells. “It’s very rare to find a house still standing,” he said.

Mr. al-Ashi and his family lived less than a mile from the hospital and fled their apartment on the eighth day of Israel’s assault. When he arrived to check his apartment on Monday, he said, it was “unlivable” because the water and electricity lines had been destroyed and its doors and windows shattered.

Instead of moving back in, as he had hoped, Mr. al-Ashi and his family packed up as many of their belongings as they could and returned to the apartment they fled to last week.

Mr. al-Ashi’s testimony echoes what was reported by Wafa, the official Palestinian Authority news agency.

Fadi Afanah, the head of ambulance services at the hospital, was not there during the raid but went back after Israeli forces withdrew to help treat the patients and the injured. “Hundreds of the injured are suffering disastrous conditions,” he said. “Wounds of so many cases are beyond treatment due to gangrene now.”

But treating them at the hospital seemed impossible. “They left nothing. No single ambulance nor one facility survived, except the human resources department,” Mr. Afanah said.

Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

— Hiba Yazbek and Abu Bakr Bashir

At a tent camp outside Israel’s Parliament, protesters explain why Netanyahu must go.

Hundreds of small silver tents were clustered on the pavement outside Israel’s Parliament in Jerusalem on Monday, stretching at least a city block. Many had Israeli flags taped to their roofs, along with stickers bearing slogans. “There is no greater mitzvah than the redemption of captives,” reads one. Another is more to the point, saying simply: “ELECTIONS.”

The tents are temporary homes for some of the thousands of Israelis who began a four-day protest on Sunday night calling for early elections to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many of them believe he has put his political survival ahead of the broader interests of the Israeli people.

Another night of protest was not long off, and the encamped demonstrators were resting and preparing. Some dozed in tents or relaxed in the shade of trees.

When asked why he had camped out overnight, Haggai Schwartz, 47, said there were “too many issues” with the current Israeli government. And the events of Oct. 7 — a date emblazoned on his black T-shirt, above a large drop of blood — made the need for change all the more urgent, he said.

“The government of Israel’s first responsibility is for the security of its citizens,” he said. “And they failed — completely failed.”

Mr. Schwartz said he wanted the government to take responsibility for those failures. “So far they don’t,” he said. “So we call for elections.”

Ronen Raz, 66, said he was tired of protests — “but there’s no other choice.”

Sitting in the shade at a bus stop next to an empty coffee cup, Mr. Raz said he had been protesting against the government since 2020 and would stay through this protest — “or until Bibi falls down.”

Sunday night’s protest was one of the largest since the start of the war, but appeared smaller than the demonstrations at the peak of a wave of anti-government demonstrations last year, a wave that Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition survived.

On Monday afternoon, Lee Nevo, 45, crouched with a paintbrush over a long white banner spread on the ground. Bubble letters spelled out “IMAGINING PEACE” in Hebrew, and she was filling in a letter with purple paint. She said she was inspired by the crowds on Sunday night.

“It gives us hope that something is going to change actually,” Ms. Nevo said.

The first thing that needs to change, she said, is the government — and Oct. 7 made clear that this could not wait. Behind her, posters with the names and photos of hostages held in Gaza hung along the metal fence: Arbel Yehoud, 28; Karina Ariev, 19; Dror Or, 48; Yoram Metzger, 80. “We have to bring them back,” she said.

“Out there nobody cares about the hostages,” Ms. Nevo added, gesturing to the Knesset, the Parliament building, behind her. “The only thing they care about is staying in the government.”

Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.

An earlier version of this article misstated a slogan seen in Jerusalem. It read, “There is no greater mitzvah than the redemption of captives,” not “the reception of captives.”

— Cassandra Vinograd Reporting from Jerusalem

Pressure is building on Netanyahu from all sides.

As the war between Israel and Hamas approaches the six-month mark, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confronting rising pressure on multiple fronts, at home and abroad.

He has encountered resistance from protesters, relatives of hostages held by militants in Gaza, the international community, and elements of his own governing coalition, as criticism mounts over his prosecution of the war against Hamas.

“He’s facing a pile-on,” said Dahlia Scheindlin, a political scientist based in Tel Aviv. “But he's responding with maximum possible defiance and minimum possible decision-making.”

Although many Israelis have refrained from protesting against the government during the war, thousands of Israelis on Sunday thronged streets in Jerusalem beside the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, to call for early elections, in one of the most significant demonstrations against Mr. Netanyahu’s government since the war began in October.

Mr. Netanyahu has managed to serve longer than any prime minister in Israel’s history in part because of his political savvy. But his popularity was already in decline before the war, over a judicial overhaul that prompted some of the biggest protests in Israel’s history. It suffered another heavy blow when the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas revealed serious security failings.

He has fired back at people calling for elections, arguing they would paralyze the country for at least six months and prevent it from achieving its aims in the war, which he has said includes a “complete victory” over Hamas.

In recent weeks, some relatives of hostages have expressed dismay at Mr. Netanyahu’s handling of indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at achieving the release their loved ones and a cease-fire. The prime minister, they so, is so determined to pursue the destruction of Hamas that he might do it at the expense of the hostages.

“You are torpedoing the deal,” Einav Zangauker, the mother of a hostage, told a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday. “You failed on Oct. 7 and you are failing today.”

As if to underline his troubles, Mr. Netanyahu was hospitalized on Sunday to undergo hernia surgery.

He has said that Hamas was sticking to unrealistic demands, and that those who think he hasn’t been doing enough to secure the release of the hostages were wrong.

Mr. Netanyahu has also faced pushback abroad over his policies, especially those that have led to the enormous civilian death toll and destruction.

In February, President Biden called Israel’s military operations “over the top” and said the suffering of innocent civilians has “got to stop.” Several world leaders have also warned Israel against a planned ground offensive into Rafah, the southern Gaza city where most of the enclave’s population has sought refuge, and the Biden administration has said a major operation there would be a mistake.

The U.S. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the United States, went further than any senior American leader in publicly rebuking Mr. Netanyahu, delivering a scathing speech in mid-March that accused him of letting his political survival supersede “the best interests of Israel” and of being “too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza.”

Within his government, Mr. Netanyahu has been dealing with divisions over whether ultra-Orthodox Jews should retain their longstanding exemption from military service.

An unwieldy right-wing alliance of secular and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, the coalition’s members are divided about whether the state should continue to allow young ultra-Orthodox men to study at religious seminaries instead of serving in the military, as most other Jewish Israelis do.

If the government abolishes the exemption, it risks a walkout from the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers; if it lets the exemption stand, the secular members could withdraw. Either way, the coalition could collapse, forcing elections.

Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting to this article.

— Adam Rasgon

A major issue in cease-fire talks: How can people displaced from northern Gaza go back?

For months, Israel and Hamas have been at odds over a host of issues during talks aimed at brokering a truce, including whether Israeli troops would withdraw and the length of a cease-fire.

Now one of the major sticking points to emerge as in-person talks resumed this week is how displaced Palestinians will be able to return to the northern Gaza Strip, according to Israeli, Hamas and regional officials.

Despite mounting international pressure, the talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza appear to be stalled.

Mediators from Qatar and Egypt have been meeting with Israeli officials and separately with Hamas leaders, trying to find a formula the warring parties can live with. The United States, Israel’s staunchest ally and largest supplier of weapons, has also been involved. On Saturday, Israeli negotiators traveled to Cairo for another round of talks.

As the war nears the end of its sixth month, humanitarian officials have said a cease-fire is urgently needed to allow more aid into the devastated enclave and stave off a looming famine, and the relatives of hostages have become increasingly worried about the fate of their loved ones in captivity.

American officials say that they are also hoping the warring sides reach an agreement soon, and that any temporary cease-fire reached to allow the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners might be extended into a longer-lasting peace.

But what to do about displaced people returning to Gaza City and other northern communities has become a key issue. Hundreds of thousands of people from northern Gaza have been sheltering in crowded schools, tent encampments and relatives’ homes for months, facing severe hunger, poor sanitation and dangerous diseases.

Hamas has been demanding that Palestinians be permitted to return to the north without restrictions, according to Israeli and Hamas officials and two regional officials familiar with the talks. Israel, however, has demanded that it supervise the process, limiting who can return and where they can go.

One Israeli official said Israel was seeking to bar Hamas operatives and “fighting-age men” from returning to the north, where the Israeli military is still trying to defeat pockets of Palestinian fighters. In addition, Israel wants the returnees to be limited to specific areas, the official added, without identifying them.

The Israeli official and the two regional officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic negotiations.

In an interview, the Hamas official, Ghazi Hamad, said that Israel was only willing to agree to let Palestinians return to the north under “strict conditions and a few at a time.”

The Israeli army has set up checkpoints on routes from central Gaza into the north and currently is letting only some people pass. Those who have been allowed to cross include truck drivers with aid convoys and technicians repairing phone networks.

Israel’s military campaign has turned large areas in the north into islands of rubble. If Palestinians were to return en masse, many would likely need housing, at least in the short term.

On Sunday, the Israeli war cabinet met to discuss the issue. It was not immediately clear if Israel had shifted its position after the meeting.

While mediators have struggled to bridge differences between the two sides on letting Palestinians return to the north, they have made some progress in persuading Hamas to reduce the number of prisoners it wants Israel to release in exchange for hostages, the two regional officials said.

They said Hamas had softened its previous position on the ratio of hostages to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli official also said the two sides had not agreed on the question of who will choose the prisoners to be released.

Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting to this article.

— Adam Rasgon and Edward Wong reporting from Jerusalem and Washington