IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 - University Budget

 

Universities should allocate the same amount of money to students’ sports activities as they allocate to their libraries. Do you agree?

 

Libraries are an important resource for students, not only for books and periodicals but also providing a quiet working space. If money were no object, universities could contribute towards their students’ overall health and welfare by providing sports facilities thereby encouraging student participation in competitive sport and exercise.  However, in reality, budgets are often tight and universities cannot be expected to invest in sports facilities when they are primarily centres of academic learning.  

 

Many universities have sports teams which compete nationally and provide students with opportunities to enter into careers in sports. Some even offer scholarships to students who have proved themselves in specific fields of sport in order to build a more successful university team. Many children develop in interest in sports at school and undoubtedly would like to be able to continue this interest at university. They are then faced with a choice of having to focus their energies on their academic studies or their chosen sport. 

 

There is also the problem of the feasibility of the location to provide sports facilities in close proximity to universities. Not all universities have land available for sports fields, tennis courts, sports halls or swimming pools.  Some universities have sports facilities which are not used fully and share their use with local communities.  Perhaps it would make more sense to encourage increased investment in community sports facilities which could be shared with university students. In that way the local communities would benefit and those students who wish to play sports could benefit from a wider pool of participants.

 

In conclusion, I do not agree that universities should allocate the same amount of money to sports as they do to libraries. I think that universities should maintain their academic focus and although students should be encouraged to keep healthy lifestyles and broaden their horizons the universities cannot be expected to fund everything for them.  (312 words)

 

Introduction

Libraries are an important resource for students, not only for books and periodicals but also providing a quiet working space. If money were no object, universities could contribute towards their students’ overall health and welfare by providing sports facilities thereby encouraging student participation in competitive sport and exercise.  However, in reality, budgets are often tight and universities cannot be expected to invest in sports facilities when they are primarily centres of academic learning.  (73 words)

 

Body Paragraph 1

Many universities have sports teams which compete nationally and provide students with opportunities to enter into careers in sports. Some even offer scholarships to students who have proved themselves in specific fields of sport in order to build a more successful university team. Many children develop in interest in sports at school and undoubtedly would like to be able to continue this interest at university. They are then faced with a choice of having to focus their energies on their academic studies or their chosen sport. (86 words)

 

Body Paragraph 2

There is also the problem of the feasibility of the location to provide sports facilities in close proximity to universities. Not all universities have land available for sports fields, tennis courts, sports halls or swimming pools.  Some universities have sports facilities which are not used fully and share their use with local communities.  Perhaps it would make more sense to encourage increased investment in community sports facilities which could be shared with university students. In that way the local communities would benefit and those students who wish to play sports could benefit from a wider pool of participants. (98 words)

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I do not agree that universities should allocate the same amount of money to sports as they do to libraries. I think that universities should maintain their academic focus and although students should be encouraged to keep healthy lifestyles and broaden their horizons the universities cannot be expected to fund everything for them.  (55 words)