You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
Your friend has been offered a place on a course at the university where you studied. He/she would like your advice about finding a place to live.
Write an email to your friend. In your email,
describe where you lived when you were a student at the university
recommend the best way for him/her to look for accommodation
warn him/her of mistakes students make when choosing accommodation
You should write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear........................,
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GT Letter Band 9 Sample
Dear Emma,
Hope you are doing great and thank you for writing to me. You have asked my opinion about where to stay when studying at the university, and I am delighted to share my experience with you.
As the rental accommodation in Sydney is fairly expensive, I rented a studio that was offered by the college on campus site for nearly two years when I was studying at the university of Sydney. In order to assist in covering the expenses, I chose to live over there; because the location of the dorm was near to the train station and it was easy to access to all the public facilities too.
I suggest you start your house-scouting early, otherwise your best fit house might be snapped up before you. Also, you should ask yourself whether you want the benefits like gym access, catering services, academic classes, social activities and other late-night sessions from your house. If yes, you might encounter some extra cost. I also recommend for checking with the student information centre, if they offer any rental apartment options, because it would make your task a lot easier.
In addition, when choosing your place, I suggest that check the contact carefully and understand it thoroughly as some students may face legal issues that are out of their expectations (i.e., extra pay for damage items). Also, have a thorough look at the safety basics like burglar systems and fire alarms, see if the door is operated by a key fob access system or it is a traditional lock and key.
I hope you will find my experience and suggestion useful. However, do not hesitate to contact me if you need further help.
Best wishes,
Maria
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GT Letter Band 8 Sample
Dear Kate,
I am so happy to hear that you are going to the university where I went to. I think I might be able to help you with finding a nice place to move in around the university.
The place where I used to live is an apartment with 5 levels total with an elevator. And it is located at the right back of the university, so I could just walk to the university. Indeed, this apartment building was a brand new back then, so now it has been only 3 years since built, which should be still in good condition.
With my experience, the best way to find a best place is that visit twice a day all the places that are in your mind. First visit will be in the morning or noon, and see how much sunlight coming in to the house. It is really important, as it can keep the house warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. So, you can save money with the electronic bills. At the night time, visit the house again and look around the house. You will be able to check whether the place is safe or not and noisy or not.
We must be very careful when we make a contract with the real estate agency. One of my friends called Mike, for example, was conned by the real estate agent. The agent was actually not a real one. He lost his deposit which was $1000. We should check their license or visit their office to make sure if they are registered agency or not.
I hope my advice is helpful for you to find a nice place to start your new journey in the university. Also feel free to contact me anytime, if you have anything to ask.
Your lovingly,
Maria
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