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

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

1.      Why do some educators and students believe that it should be required for university students to go to classes? (What are the problems of allowing students to skip classes?)

2.      Is attending a class always necessary for acquisition of knowledge and skills? What kind of classes requires full attendances?

3.      How does university differ from junior high school as educational institution? (Academic activities that are different from those in high schools are held in universities. What are they?)

4.      Do university students have the right to make a choice on whether to attend a class or not?

5.      Which opinion do you agree? Why?

☆ Hints for points

Students should be required to attend classes because …

1.    many students drop classes because they use the time slots for part-time jobs or other activities. Some even become lazy.

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 and provide you with new information or inspire you to reach an insight.

3.    attendance is the first step of the communication between professors and students. People tend to be fond of those whose faces they regularly see.

Students should not be required to attend classes because …

1.    university leaves students free. Unlike compulsory education, many things such as what subject to take are left to individuals at university. 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.

2.    class attendance requirement is not always necessary to create or discover something, which is what university is for.

3.    whether full attendance is necessary or not depends on the subject or the professor.

4.    it is waste of time if the student is already familiar with the content of the class. Class contents are set for the average level and those who have higher knowledge but are taking the course because it is the prerequisite for the higher level course should be allowed to be absent for more productive usage of time.

5.    mind works in many ways. Very often, regular attendance, or activities on schedule, is an obstacle of deep thought or creative brain activities. Many people do their real work during their free time.

6.    people tend to lose appetite for learning if they are forced to.

☆Sample Body Structures

Sample 1: You write deductively, starting with a general idea and moving to the specific case

   (1) About freedom of university

   (2) About attendance policy

   (3) About drawbacks and the solutions

Sample 2: You write about each idea separately and make your choice by giving reasons.

(1)  Advantages and disadvantages of the first idea of the writing topic

(2)  Advantages and disadvantages of the second idea of the writing topic

(3)  Your choice and reasons

                                                                                                                                                     

Sample 3: You deal with the other choice as the counterargument.

(1)  Point 1: a/the first reason why you prefer one to the other

(2)  Point 2: a/the second reason why you prefer one to the other

(3)  Counterargument-treatment: about exceptions or why the advantages of the other choice do not matter to you

Your Sample Body Structure

(1)

(2)                                        

(3)

☆ Paragraph Development

Suppose you were a rater of this essay. Read the following two sample paragraphs. Which would you find easier to read? Which do you think is better developed? Discuss the reasons.

Sample Paragraph 1

The rigid rule that does not take the nature of creativity into consideration might have prevented many people from achieving success. For example, Descartes, a great thinker and mathematician, needed to sleep 10 hours a day. Bill Gates never minded getting up the next morning when his friends visited him in his dorm room and stayed there all night for discussion.

Sample Paragraph 2

Class attendance requirement can hamper academic achievement. Such a rigid rule does not take the nature of creativity into consideration and may disrupt students’ learning because mind does not work as orderly as class schedules. For example, many successful people had lifestyles that are different from the norm when young. Descartes needed to sleep 10 hours a day. Young Bill Gates never minded getting up the next morning when his friends visited him in his dorm room and stayed there all night for discussion. Takashi Tachibana, an award-winning Japanese journalist, kept reading novels all day every day for eight years at Tokyo University. Autonomy in studies may well have contributed to their bloom. Not only geniuses but also people in creative industries favor flexible working hours. This shows that free mental activity is indispensable for creativity. It is also well known that many students study at night and doodle in class. Each individual has his or her own learning style and university should protect it so that students can make the most of their ability.

Many may find Sample Paragraph 2 easier to read and better developed than Sample Paragraph 1. It presents the general idea at the beginning, has sentences that connect the general idea with examples which are taken from different fields, deals with expected criticism, and makes a conclusion. Thus, the idea of the writer flows into the reader’s head smoothly.

While it may not always be true, a paragraph like Sample Paragraph 2 that starts with a short sentence that is to the point is easy to read. Sample Paragraph 2 includes background information in the first sentence and this makes the point vague. Putting your idea simply before you go into the details would be a good idea, 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 is safe.

The development of Sample 2 can be dissected in the following parts.

【Main Idea】Class attendance requirement can hamper academic achievement.

【Explanation】Such a rigid rule does not take the nature of creativity into consideration and may disrupt students’ learning because mind does not work as orderly as class schedules.

【Example in General】For example, many successful people had lifestyles that are different from the norm when young. Descartes needed to sleep 10 hours a day.

【More Specific Example】Young Bill Gates never minded getting up the next morning when his friends visited him in his dorm room and stayed there all night for discussion. Takashi Tachibana, an award-winning Japanese journalist, kept reading novels all day every day for eight years at Tokyo University. Autonomy in studies may well have contributed to their bloom.

【Follow-up】Not only geniuses but also people in creative industries favor flexible working hours. This shows that free mental activity is indispensable for creativity. It is also well known that many students study at night and doodle in class.

【Conclusion】Each individual has his or her own learning style and university should protect it so that students can make the most of their ability.

Your sample paragraph development

Choose one of the points you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it.