TOEFL iBT Independent Writing It is more worthwhile for a university to spend money on improving facilities than on hiring high-quality professors. - revised -

Writing Topic

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. It is more worthwhile for a university to spend money on improving facilities than on hiring high-quality professors.

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.      What are the merits of universities spending money on facilities?

Note: University facilities include those not only for studies but also for students such as dormitories, gyms, and cafeteria. They may need to have features that many people are attracted to.

2.      What are the merits of spending money on high-level professors?

3.      For what purpose does the university exist? Why do people go to university?

4.      What does the word “worthwhile” mean? The statement uses the word “worthwhile” not “important”. Does it mean that even though high-quality professors are important, improving facilities is more worthwhile?

Note: Let’s think about the relation between research facilities and faculty (professors) in studies by analogy. Professors can be to facilities what the software is to the hardware of a computer system. Just as good software performs exquisitely even the hardware looks miserable as long as its specifications are above some level, so do good professors achieve good results even if facilities for are not perfect. At the same time, if the hardware is old and worn out, of course, nothing can make it do even a basic task.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Agree

1.       Facilities determine the research results in some areas.

2.       Most students do not care if their professors are not the best as long as they are good enough to teach them. Rather, they prefer to have the best environment for college life.

 

Disagree

1.       Good research and teaching cannot be done without a good brain.

2.       High-quality professors will contribute to academic studies and practical appliances.

 

 

☆Essay for Ideas and Expressions

Both facilities and professors are necessary for a university. However, if the statement that it is more worthwhile for a university to spend money on improving facilities than on hiring high-quality professors is based on the idea that university is a business and thus its purpose is to make profits, I cannot agree with it because in my understanding university exists to promote and protect studies.

 

Spending more money on facilities than on hiring good professors for profits is putting the cart before the horse. While university should provide a good environment so that professors can do research without worrying about funding, good facilities cannot be utilized without good researchers. For example, abundant information that sophisticated machines can provide is useless without a person who knows how to use machines and how to interpret the information. Also, many professors are not only top level researchers but also very good teachers. They are some of the best, or at least most interesting, minds students meet in their whole lives: human beings with amazing brains and often unforgettable personalities. It is professors that protect, improve, and increase the knowledge the university has and raise the next generation of researchers and well-educated citizens that support important studies.

 

On the other hand, in the perspective of university as a business, spending money on the facilities might also be crucial. Universities need to attract as many students, their customers, as possible. Students who are purely interested in the subject they are going to major in and choose a university with renowned professors in the field of their interest might be minorities. A larger percentage of the young may want to pursue a good quality of life rather than an academic success and would be more concerned about the level of facilities related to their college life than those of professors. For example, students who are to live away from home might take good dormitory facilities into consideration in choosing a university. Students who enjoy sports would choose the university with good sporting facilities.

                                            

However, the main purpose of a university is research and education. Talks about making money should be the last of its priority. Although reality may put pressure on allocating more of its budget to other things than hiring high-quality professors, if it gives in, it is not really entitled to be called higher education. Instead of trying to increase its capital by attracting many applicants, the university should prioritize its academic activities by maintaining high level of its faculty.

 

The university is a place for studies and studies depend on high-level professors. Therefore, it is not worthwhile for a university to spend more money on its facilities than on its faculty. University officers focused on short term profits should reaffirm their responsibility in protecting academic activities.

 

 

☆Sample Essay Structures

Sample 1

【Main Idea】 I agree/disagree with the statement that … because ….

【Facility】It is worthwhile for a university to spend money on facilities in that ….

【Professors】It is worthwhile for a university to spend money on professors because ….

【Decisive Reason】A university should spend more money on facilities/professors because ….

【Conclusion】…. Therefore, I think it is more worthwhile …..

 

Sample 2

【Main Idea】 I agree/disagree with the statement that … .The reasons are as follows.

【Reason to agree/disagree 1】First, ….

【Reason to agree/disagree 2】Second, ….

【Why the drawbacks do not matter】It is true that …, but ….

【Conclusion】In conclusion, I believe that ….because ….

 

 

 

Your Essay Structure

【Main Idea】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

 

 

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