Task 2: More and more students are choosing to study at colleges and universities in a foreign country. Do the benefits of studying abroad outweigh the drawbacks?

Question

It is undeniable that there is an increasing number of students studying abroad after finishing high school. Although this trend brings about some drawbacks, I suppose they are outweighed by its benefits.

On the one hand, having tertiary education in a foreign country is disadvantageous in some certain aspects. Firstly, it will put a financial burden on their family. It requires a lot of money to go abroad, for example, airplane tickets, enormous costs of living, and so on. Moreover, the tuition fee is such a big problem, especially in some developed countries. While it costs only 2000 pounds for a semester studying in a university in Vietnam, students have to pay four times for a semester in the USA. Secondly, students studying abroad are prone to psychological problems. According to a study in 2019, 80% of overseas students suffered from homesickness and culture shock in their first month. Those psychological problems will have negative impacts on their study.

On the other hand, I believe the advantages of this trend are more significant. The first reason is that students who are in a foreign university or college will become more independent. As they have nobody to depend on in a foreign nation,  they will learn to fend for themselves. Furthermore, the fact that they can be eager to establish more relationships to overcome their mental problems will help them acquire interpersonal skills. Additionally, many universities in developed countries have active education environments where students are likely to gain knowledge better. Students can also learn some cultural values from their foreign friends. 

In conclusion, despite some downsides that studying abroad is accompanied with, I still believe that they are eclipsed by its benefits.