Writing Topic
Some educators and students believe
that it should be required for university students to go to classes. Other
people think that attending classes should be a choice that students have the
right to make for themselves. Which opinion do you share? Explain your opinion
using specific reasons.
☆ Let’s think
The second opinion in the writing
topic provides an idea that university students have the right to decide
whether they attend classes or not. Discussing it could be a part of your
essay. For example, you can discuss the freer environment of university by
making sure that the topic is about a rule of university, not grade school.
Unlike compulsory education, university leaves many things such as what s to
take to each individual. Also, unlike high school, which is not really
compulsory but many things are decided by the school authority, university allows
more freedom and promotes self-discipline. Then, whether you agree with the
second opinion or not, you could discuss who should decide on class attendance
at university considering the purposes of university education.
☆ Hints for points
Students should be required to attend
classes because …
1. class discussion is important in university education. Teachers
and students share ideas and reach a higher level of understanding of the
subjects. This is the reason why schooling is recommended in this
online-learning age.
2. students cannot decide whether they already know what is taught in
class or not. Even if the content of the text is familiar, the professor may
say something different or provide you with new information.
3. the professor and classmates will inspire you to study more about
the subject.
Students should not be required to
attend classes because …
1. class attendance requirement is not always necessary to learn,
create, or discover something. Some students may want to read all day, others
may need to experiment for hours.
2. it is the professor, not the university, that should decide whether
full attendance is necessary or not, which depends on the subject or the
professor’s teaching style or plans.
3. it is waste of time if the content of the class is already
familiar to the student. Class contents are set for the average level and those
who are taking the course just because it is the prerequisite for higher level
courses should be allowed to be absent for more productive usage of time.
4. people tend to lose appetite for things they are forced to study.
☆ Paragraph development
Compare the following sample
paragraphs.
Sample Paragraph
1
Bill Gates, for example, would often
discuss with his friends all night. Descartes needed to sleep 10 hours a day. I
think some students cannot study effectively if they have to attend all classes.
Sample Paragraph
2
I think some students cannot study
effectively if they have to attend all classes. Young Bill Gates, for example, would
often discuss with his friends all night. Descartes needed to sleep 10 hours a
day.
Sample Paragraph
3
Class attendance requirements may
prevent students from studying effectively. Regular schedules can be obstacles
of deep thoughts and creative brain activities. Indeed, many creative minds are
known to have lifestyles that are not as regular as clockwork. Young Bill
Gates, for example, never minded getting up the next morning when his friends
visited him in his dorm room and stayed there all night for discussion. Descartes
needed to sleep 10 hours a day, which would make him drop classes if he were a
student now and had to attend all classes. Not only exceptional geniuses but also
many students do not learn on schedule. They often study late at night and
sleep in class. Making university students study on schedule is not realistic.
Most people would agree that Sample
Paragraph 2 is better than Sample Paragraph 1 because the latter has the topic
sentence at the beginning instead of having it at the end like the former. To
people who find it difficult to come up with the topic sentence, I would like
to suggest dragging the conclusion sentence to the top of the paragraph because
a paragraph without conclusion looks better than a paragraph without the topic
sentence. Many would find Sample Paragraph 3 better than Sample Paragraphs 1
and 2 because it presents the main idea and the explanation of the idea at the beginning,
relates examples to the idea, and wraps up the idea in the end. .
Note 1) A counterargument is an
expected rebuttal. Other than the major counterarguments that directly question
the thesis of your essay, there are minor counterarguments that pop up as you
explain your points. While writing an essay, sometimes you ask yourself, “Well,
but what about this case? My point is vulnerable to this case.” Then this case
is the counterargument. Hitting a counterargument is a chance to grade up your
essay because you have found an untied end of a rope (the weak point of your
logic). If you can tie it well, you can confirm your point, making your essay
more persuasive. Thus, taking up a counterargument when necessary is important
to get a higher score. You can deal with a counterargument in an appropriate
part of a paragraph or use a whole paragraph to deal with it.
Note 2) It is safe to start a
paragraph with a sentence in simple words and elaborate on the idea in the next
one: a main idea (topic sentence) in simple terms and a longer sentence that
explains the first sentence, and an example in general and a more specific
example or two. Of course starting with the main idea with expressions for
transition like “Another reason for school requiring students to attend classes
is that” or “Last but not the least” is a good idea and these expressions can
sometimes be long and complicated, but the core of the main idea should be
short and simple so that you can make the point clear. Very often, we lose our
point by being particular about details at the beginning of the paragraph, so
putting your idea simply before you go into the detail might be a good
strategy, especially when you are taking a test. A main idea (topic sentence)
is the pillar of the paragraph to which you attach other parts (details).
Making it straight and firm in the beginning would be safe.
Now let’s practice paragraph
development.
Choose one of the reasons you have
come up with and develop it using the following form if you like.
Your sample paragraph development
【Main Idea】
【Explanation】
【Detail / Example】
【More Specific Detail / Example】
【Follow-up / Counterargument Treatment】
【Conclusion】
