TOEFL, iBT, Independent Writing, Should university students be required to attend classes? - rewrite -

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】