Band 7+: In many countries, more and more people are competing for a place to study in universities. Why does this happen? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

In this day and age, many people consider enrolling in university as a golden way to success. Because of that, the competition for a spot in college among students is becoming more intense than it was in the past. There are several reasons why this trend is happening, and both positive and negative effects can be seen in this situation.

This issue can be explained in several ways. First of all, the stressful competition among many scholars comes from the fact that many people desire to earn a degree from a prestigious university. In other words, when students have qualifications that recognize their specialized knowledge and abilities, they are likely to have an opportunity to be recruited by employers from big companies, as this increases the reliability from recruiters for candidates based on what they are shown. As a result, students may have a chance to get a well-paid job. Moreover, attending university helps strengthen students’ abilities. That is to say, when enrolling in university, there can be projects and presentations that they have to go through during their college time. Gradually, not only their communication, presentation skills, but also other essential skills can be sharpened, which is of great importance when they participate in the labour market in the future.

As this trend occurs, both positive and negative effects can be seen. First, the intense competition among students and scholars may result in better habits of studying and high self-discipline, as there will be many talented and competent candidates from all over the world applying to universities every year, and the spots are also limited. As a consequence, students will have to burn the midnight oil if the rejection from the university is not what they want. Positively, this may help them improve study habits, form a hard-working nature, and demonstrate determination under pressure to achieve any goals they desire. However, on the other hand, stressful competition also means students have to bury themselves not only in the homework, essays, but also exams every day to the point that they have less time for relaxation, gradually, this may lead to unwanted mental health such as stress and anxiety.