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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
115 
Sample essay 58: 
People who start a university course but do not complete it should be fined. 
Do you agree or disagree? 
Of the number of undergraduates that begin a course of tertiary study, there is a percentage 
of those that do not finish the course, but the argument that they should therefore be 
financially penalised is riddled with potential problems. 
It needs to be considered first of all what motivated the student to leave their studies 
before they have graduated. If the decision was made due to financial constraints, then 
clearly adding an additional fine is simply adding to the pressure. For example, there are 
many older people who decide to go back to university but may already have a mortgage 
and dependent children, and may consequently find that their income is insufficient to 
cover their needs. 
Moreover, rather than attempting to make the student pay, it might be better to consider 
whether the student was actually given sufficient support during their studies. There are 
situations where the student may feel that they are not following the course and are unable 
complete the required assignments, and therefore leave the course. Retention rates may be 
improved if there were personal tutors on hand to offer advice to those students who are 
losing confidence in their ability to remain on the course. 
On the other hand, there is an argument that the risk of a penalty would dissuade people 
from starting courses that they were not particularly motivated to complete in the first 
place. 
In conclusion, therefore, although the idea of being charged for non completion of a course 
would perhaps reduce the number of uncommitted enrolments, it is not an advisable 
solution for genuine students. 
(263 words) 

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