Mark the following essay with British council criteria (Given that we are encourage to use
advanced vocabulary and grammar)
Topic: Some people think that the best way to be successful in life is to get a university education.
Others disagree and say this is no longer true.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Recently, there have been two diverging views when it comes to whether a person’s university
degree remains ultimately pivotal to his future career. Underlying both sides of this argument are
valid rationales, which will be analyzed in favor of the proponents throughout this essay.
On the one hand, the opponents opine that high school graduates can take certain advantages
from not attending tertiary education. First of all, those can embark on a full-time job earlier in
lieu of spending 4 years completing a diploma. Therefore, they would probably become more
adept at such pragmatic skills as communication when compared to their degree-pursuing
counterparts. Moreover, these days, businesses have become more open to offering positions that
do not require university education as a prerequisite for their employees. For example, Youtube
content creator, an occupation of ever-growing popularity, enables numerous young people to
seep out of the confines of the orthodox job market while still getting well paid.
On the other hand, it is not necessarily true that the opportunities for success are abundant for
non-university-educated individuals. In fact, the rate of financial prosperity among the
participants of such a highly competitive platform as YouTube is relatively low, fluctuating
around 15%. Meanwhile, the bachelors, albeit appearing to be inexperienced, are predisposed to
being employed by prestigious companies, where everyone would have the potential for
promotion. This is because the former have been equipped with invaluable professional
knowledge and trained in critical thinking skills via specific subjects since their freshman year at
university. As a result, those who have completed an academic education would be the most
qualified candidates from the employers’ perspective.
In conclusion, although non-graduates can benefit from their practical skills and experience and
pursue a career of their own interest, a university degree provides critical knowledge and skills.
In my opinion, pursuing higher education should be based on individual goals, but a degree can
provide significant boons in a competitive job market.