ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY: Students Who Study Abroad Achieve Greater

Success

Much of our learning takes place outside the classroom. We learn how to
maintain budgets, forge friendships, develop business relationships, and more.
Imagine extending those skills on a global level. We would immediately cease to
believe the world only contains the people and things we can see but, rather, a wide
variety of opinions, customs, beliefs, and ethics. This is why every college-level
student must study abroad during their undergraduate years. They will learn more in
that semester abroad than in any other academic year.
According to IES Abroad, a company that encourages students to become
international leaders, students who study abroad are more likely to be accepted into
the graduate degree program of their choice. In fact, 90% of students who studied
abroad with IES are admitted to their first or second choice for graduate school.
Imagine walking into an interview and being able to discuss preparing the most
popular dish in India or organizing the best route to take from Sydney, Australia to
Perth. Not only does this strike up a memorable conversation, but it also demonstrates
a student’s fierce independence and determination. All this makes someone who has
studied abroad a more desirable candidate for their dream job. As if IES Abroad’s
statistic above was not astounding enough, it has been proven that 97% of students
who study abroad find employment within 12 months of graduation (Smith, 2019, p.
17).
Beyond college, students who study abroad will be better equipped to succeed
in the workplace. Their broadened worldview will help them relate to their co-workers,
especially in a worldwide organization. This increased scope of knowledge allows 25%
of students who study abroad to receive higher starting salaries. That is clear evidence
that their experiences and views are valued by employers.
In spite of all these benefits, some parents simply will not allow their children to
study abroad. A portion will argue that it is not safe. Others will argue that studying
abroad costs too much money. In these cases, it is important to take a look at one
semester’s financial aid statement. How much does it cost to be a student at a local
university? When tuition, housing, textbooks, transportation, and meal plans are
considered, it becomes difficult to argue that there’s a stark difference in the cost of a
semester at home versus a semester abroad.
 Studying abroad will have long-lasting, positive implications on a student’s
future as an academic and a professional. New windows of opportunity will be flung
open the moment an undergraduate boards a plane. Why not make an appointment
with the study abroad center at your university? You have nothing to lose by starting
a conversation today.
No. Full Sentence Independent Dependent Clause Type of Justification
Clause Clause
1. They will learn more in that They will learn than in any other Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
semester abroad than in any other more in that academic year. Clause dependent clause through the word ‘than’.
academic year. semester abroad
2. Their broadened worldview will Their broadened will help them relate to Relative The independent clause is connected with the
help them relate to their co- worldview their co-workers, Clause dependent clause through the modal verb ‘will’.
workers, especially in a worldwide especially in a worldwide
organization. organization.
3. This increased scope of knowledge This increased who study abroad to Relative The independent clause is connected with the
allows 25% of students who study scope of receive higher starting Clause dependent clause through the coordinator
abroad to receive higher starting knowledge allows salaries. ‘who’.
salaries. 25% of students
4. When tuition, housing, textbooks, When tuition, that there’s a stark Noun Clause The independent clause is connected with the
transportation, and meal plans are housing, difference in the cost of dependent clause through the coordinator
considered, it becomes difficult to textbooks, a semester at home ‘that’.
argue that there’s a stark transportation, versus a semester
difference in the cost of a semester and meal plans abroad.
at home versus a semester abroad. are considered, it
becomes difficult
to argue
5. You have nothing to lose by You have nothing by starting a Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
starting a conversation today to lose conversation today Clause dependent clause through the conjunctions ‘by’.
CONVERSATIONAL DIALOGUE: Below you will find word-for-word excerpts taken from
interviews conducted in 1998 as part of a Facing History and Ourselves evaluation study.

The Spring of Eighth Grade: Jill’s perspective changes.

Transcription:

JILL: Yeah, that was basically a gang-up against Sue and stuff like, you know. But now, I
mean she has different friends and we’re not like enemies but we’re not friends, we don’t talk
to each other. I mean like we say hi but. Um everyone, everybody got mad at her. She, I
mean, she had a couple friends that- but hardly anybody. But there was a good reason for it.
When she was really rude to all of us, she treated me very badly. So as a friend I stopped
liking her. And it didn’t have to do with anyone else not liking her. It was just that I didn’t like
her and then everyone else stopped liking her.

I think a lot of people stopped because no one else did. No one else liked her.

INTERVIEWER: Do you think you were the first to stop liking her?

JILL: Yeah, no, I really do. I think that, like, I remember the day that it started and I was the
one that told her that I was mad at her. And, like, then everybody else stopped liking her.

INTERVIEWER: And do you think that had to do with- because you were mad at her?

JILL: No, I think, no I just think people started to realize how, how rude she was.
I think like I realize how mean we were to her but at the time I didn’t think that it was that big
of a deal because she was mean to me, and she had been mean to me, she was getting what
she deserved. But now it’s just like, I was childish.

INTERVIEWER: What happened over the course of the year, do you think, to make you
change about what you thought about that?

JILL: Well she really felt, I didn’t, I left her alone and I stop talking about her behind her back
and just like let things cool off. It was like, it was like she wasn’t there kind of, and so I stop
being angry and everything just calmed down. And then this year, um, I think we had to work
together on a project in a group and I just, like, forgot it all. I just, like, talked to her, you know,
we had to work together and I didn’t feel like going through that.
INTERVIEWER: Were there any apologies made?

JILL: No, no.

INTERVIEWER: And now how would you summarize the way you feel about her?

JILL: She’s nice. I really don’t want to be friends with her anymore. I think it would be too
weird. And she’s just not my type, I guess. She’s just not anyone I want to hang around with.
No. Full Sentence Independent Dependent Clause Type of Justification
Clause Clause
1. But now, I mean she has different But now, I mean and we’re not like Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
friends and we’re not like enemies she has different enemies but we’re not Clause dependent clause through the connecting
but we’re not friends, we don’t talk friends friends, we don’t talk to conjunctions ‘and’.
to each other. each other.
2. It was just that I didn’t like her and It was just that I and then everyone else Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
then everyone else stopped liking didn’t like her stopped liking her. Clause dependent clause through the connecting
her. conjunctions ‘and’.

3. I think that, like, I remember the I think that, like, I and I was the one that Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
day that it started and I was the remember the told her that I was mad Clause dependent clause through the connecting
one that told her that I was mad at day that it started at her. conjunctions ‘and’.
her.
4. I just, like, talked to her, you know, I just, like, talked and I didn’t feel like Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
we had to work together and I to her, you know, going through that. Clause dependent clause through the connecting
didn’t feel like going through that. we had to work conjunctions ‘and’.
together
5. And then this year, um, I think we And then this and I just, like, forgot it Adverbial The independent clause is connected with the
had to work together on a project year, um, I think all. Clause dependent clause through the connecting
in a group and I just, like, forgot it we had to work conjunctions ‘and’.
all. together on a
project in a group
 Distinguishing Between Argumentative Essay and Conversational Dialogue

Based on the two essays that I have chosen above, it can be observed that the two
types of sentence functions commonly being used are statement and question
respectively. In the argumentative essay, most of the sentences used are statement types
due to the given fact that they require fact-based sentences and are a lot more
straightforward. In comparison to that, the conversational dialogue consisted more of
question type sentences because it requires responds and feedbacks involving more than
one parties. That is why it is important to acknowledge the differences and know about the
type of essay that we are writing because each of them has their own structures and
uniqueness. An argumentative essay is a free topic text in which it will deliver and express
the writer’s thoughts and opinions with an objective to persuade the readers of the idea
presented. It will usually explains on the certain areas of topics or problems and the writer
will try to demonstrate and justify his idea or reasons. This is why having a lot of statement
type of sentences is very important for an argumentative essay as it is required to persuade
and influence the readers through its style of writing.

On the other hand, conversational dialogue is type of essay in which it commonly

requires the characters of the text to communicate or literally having conversations. As we
all could agree, an effective conversation involves two ways of communication, where it
includes the process of asking questions, giving answers and continuously responding to
each other within the context of the conversation or dialogues. It is proven that to have
consistent and continuous cycle of conversation, it involves a lot of going back and forth of
asking question and giving answers to the parties involves. This is to ensure that the
messages and contents of the conversation could be delivered across and the intended
message would reach the targeted audience or participants. That is why in most examples
of conversational dialogue type of essays, we could identify and observe a lot of questions
coming from the characters, aside from having the already massive lines of dialogues as the
writer wants to keep the story going and the cycle to continue until it reaches towards the
end of the whole completed writing.