Should young people start living independently or live with their parents? ( A TOEFL Writing Topic)

An interesting phenomenon showcases that young people are more likely to live independently in US. In contrast, in China, more young people tend to live with their parents if it allows until they get married or move to another city, having to live by themselves. In my opinion, I prefer to live independently as soon as possible, mainly based on the following reasons.

First, young people living by themselves tend to better and faster adapt to society. It is a vital skill of survival. For example, I grew up in a remote and rural village. When I graduated from college, I started to live in a big city for work, far away from my parents. Since then, I have learned how to cook, take care of myself, and communicate with my neighbors. Quickly, I grew lots of social skills. Besides, I learned how to repair a toilet, change a broken lamp, pay my taxes, etc. I had never had an opportunity of knowing such survival skills until I set to live by myself. In contrast with my friends who are still living with their parents, I have achieved a lot, obtaining many abilities that others admire and never had a thought to gain. That’s why I support young people should live independently as soon as possible.

Second, young people usually tend to grow mature and think for themselves when choosing to live independently. It is another significant skill young people should master in their lives. For instance, my brother was spoiled, taking no responsibility for his words and actions, rarely thinking out himself. In my memory, almost all of his important life decisions before he was 27 years old were made by my father for him, such as what major he needed to study in college and what job he should take in the future. However, my brother became another person when he started to live by himself. He became more social and talkative since he had more chances to make friends instead of staying with my parents after work.

Meanwhile, he rethought his life and what kind of job he truly wanted to take in his life, etc. Afterward, he quit his former career as a doctor and started his own business, selling medical devices and equipment. All of those changes did not take place until he lived alone. Therefore, I have to admit independent living space provides young people more time and chances to find out what they genuinely want to do and think independently.

Third, maybe some people would think living with their parents for a long time can save plenty of money and do not have to worry about rent and food, etc. I understand what they think; however, they are losing significant opportunities to improve themselves and grow stronger compared to their benefits.

To sum it up, I strongly recommend young people live independently as soon as possible since it brings up them a large amount of benefit to be themselves, grow stronger, getting more social skills, and so on. Isn’t it the most important thing we, as human beings, should achieve and pursue in our lives?

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Please find an amended version of your essay below.

An interesting phenomenon shows that young people in the U.S. tend to live independently. In contrast, in China, more young people tend to live with their parents, if possible, until they get married or move to another city and then have to live on their own. In my opinion, I prefer to live independently as soon as possible, mainly for the following reasons.

First, young people who live alone tend to adapt to society better and faster. This is an important survival skill. For example, I grew up in a remote and rural village. When I graduated, I moved to a big city far away from my parents for professional reasons. Since then, I have learned to cook, take care of myself, and communicate with my neighbors. I quickly developed many social skills. I also learned how to fix a toilet, change a broken lamp, pay my taxes, etc. I had never had the opportunity to learn such survival skills until I decided to live on my own. Unlike my friends who still live with their parents, I have accomplished a lot and gained many skills that others admire and I would never have thought of. Therefore, I am in favor of young people living independently as soon as possible.

Secondly, young people usually tend to become more mature and independent thinkers when they choose to live independently. This is another important skill that young people should master in their lives. My brother, for example, was spoiled, did not take responsibility for his words and actions, and rarely thought independently. As far as I remember, almost all the important decisions in his life before he was 27 years old were made for him by my father, such as what major to study in college and what job to take in the future. However, my brother became a different person when he started living on his own. He became more social and talkative as he had more opportunities to make friends instead of staying with my parents after work.

In the meantime, he rethought his life and what kind of career he really wanted to take in his life, etc. After that, he quit his former job as a doctor and started his own business selling medical supplies and equipment. All these changes took place only when he was living alone. Therefore, I must admit that an independent living space gives young people more time and opportunities to figure out what they really want to do and think independently.

Third, maybe some people think that if they live with their parents for a long time, they can save a lot of money and don’t have to worry about rent and food, etc. I understand what they think; however, compared to their advantages, they lose significant opportunities to improve and become stronger.

To sum up, I strongly recommend young people to live independently as soon as possible because it will bring them a lot of benefits to be themselves, become stronger, gain more social skills and so on. Isn’t that the most important thing we should achieve and pursue as human beings in our lives?

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You have shined it well, Torsten. I think Zhuolizhang will recognize it; should, for your time!

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Hello Torson,

Thank you for taking the time to read and revise my writing. It is always nice to know what other people think about my writing and where I should improve.

Sarah

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