Topic 75

75. Some universities require students to take classes in many subjects. Other universities require students to specialize in one subject. Which is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

COMBINATION WOULD BE THE BEST CHOICE

From my experiences, neither a too broad education nor a too narrow teaching is beneficial for university students in mastering knowledge to be successful after they graduate from universities or colleges. The best way, in my opinion, is to designate several compulsory courses that students are required to take without exception, and offer a variety of selective courses from which students could broaden their knowledge.

As a threshold matter, too broad education in numerous courses will not give too much to students. As we know, the time that students can spend in classes and in reviewing is limited, approximately eight to ten hours. Thus, if students take four or five courses, they could not arrive at a good understanding of lectures represented in classes. Students may know what they are learning, but they will not appreciate what are essences in these courses. Moreover, when students are busy running from one classroom to another, they may gradually develop kind of tiredness of studying, which will be deteriorated by the burden of too many courses.

Secondly, if universities mandate that only one subject is available for their vigorous students to study, it will also induce to negative impacts in pedagogy/instruction. For instance, a long time study in one single subject may lead to extremely hard content in textbooks, which requires students have a clever brain. Unfortunately, not all the students are prodigies. Furthermore, it is completely unnecessary for professors to lecture so many and so deep in one subject. From the perspective of students, no one would like to read materials and write papers of the same topic, which is boring and will pose uncomfortable feeling to them.

Thirdly, in my opinion, combination of broad education and deep researches in peculiar subject would be the best choice for both universities and students. Universities should designate several compulsory courses, for example, three or four courses, students must study, and provide various selective courses in science, arts, literature, and so forth, for students to meet their personal interests. In this circumstance, not only will students get enough knowledge in their majors, but also will form a good atmosphere of learning. As a result, students will be developed in specialties and also always optimistic and confident when they encounter thorny problems.

In summary, a too broad education in every aspect of society is impractical in helping students become excellent timbers in special fields, and a too narrow teaching in one single subject will frustrate students in learning. Therefore, in my analysis, combination of several compulsory courses and various related, selective courses is the best choice to adopt.