TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, Main reasons for going to college -partly rewritten-

☆Writing Topic

There are many different reasons to attend a college or university. What do you think are some of the main reasons so many people are interested in attending college or university? Include specific reasons and details in your response.

☆Let’s think

The first sentence of the writing topic says that people go to college for “many different reasons.” It is probably true. Some might go to a higher school so that they can study the subject they are really interested in, while others might go to college just because they feel it is better for them to do so although they are not so sure why, and still others may intend to make friends with as many interesting people as possible during their college years.

The question requires you to name some of the MAIN reasons why people think of going to college. Minor reasons such as personal reasons cannot be included in your points.

☆Ideas and expressions

WHY GO TO UNIVERSITY

Taken from http://www.upforitclub.org.uk/whataboutuniversity/whatwherewhyhow/whygotouniversity/

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☆One-paragraph essay = the framework of the full essay

Now let’s write a one-paragraph essay before writing a full essay. You could use each sentence as the main idea (topic sentence) of each paragraph of your full essay.

Sample one-paragraph essay:

【Main Idea】 I think people think of going to college to become a better adult, for academic pursuit, and for their future careers.

【Reason 1】Spending another four years at school is attractive for many people who feel that they need some more years to be ready for adult life.

【Reason 2】 Pure interest in the subject may well be another reason.

【Reason 3】 People go to college to get a good job.

【Conclusion】Many people are interested in going to college because they want to become a well-rounded, intelligent person equipped with college diploma.

Your one-paragraph essay:

【Main Idea】

【Reason 1】

【Reason 2】

【Reason 3】

【Conclusion】

☆Paragraph development

A paragraph of the body of an essay often develops its main idea as follows:

【Main Idea】People go to college to get a good job.

【Explanation】They think having a college degree is an advantage when you look for a job.

【Detail / Example】 Most high-paying, challenging jobs require at least a Bachelor’s degree.

【More Specific Detail / Example】It is especially true when it comes to a regular job or a managerial job. Getting one without going to college is very difficult in today’s job market.

【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】It is true that interpersonal skills count more than academic background in employment, but the latter is easier to prove than the former because it takes a form of a document.

【Conclusion】 It is natural to think that it is safe to get a college degree before becoming independent and start work.

☑Let’s deal with counterarguments

A counterargument is a bonus-point icon in an essay writing game. If you venture to take it up and deal with it successfully, your essay will jump up to the upper level and you will be awarded with a good score. On the other hand, if you fail to be aware of an inevitable counterargument, your essay will become vulnerable to the attack on it. Your raters may regard the neglected counterargument as a flaw in logic. Think of the debate for which you had not prepared carefully. Although you do not have to demonstrate how smart you are, as TOFFL essay writing is an English test, you may well show that you can think and write objectively in English.

             

Your test paragraph development

Now let’s practice paragraph development. Choose one of the reasons you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a tentative part of your real essay, use simple words and sentences and focus on the logic and ideas.

【Main Idea】

【Explanation】

【Detail / Example】

【More Specific Detail / Example】

【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】

【Conclusion】