Topic 14 Should university students be required to attend classes?
Should university students be required to attend classes? There are two
different opinions. Some people claim that attending classes is a must to
students. Other people, however, argue that it should be up to the students to
decide whether they need to go or not. As far as I am concerned, no matter
whether students like it or not, they must attend classes.
Students who do not like to go to classes have their reasons. The main one is,
they can learn knowledge by themselves. If they were asked to attend the class
in which the professor teaches something they already have known, it would be
a pain. By not attending class, students can control their time more freely and
are likely not to waste time.
Although I agree that there are maybe one or two advantages of not attending
classes, I insist that the advantages of attending classes far overweigh that of
not attending. In the first place, professors can teach students a lot of things that
are not written in the books, such as the way of thinking. In the dictionary, a
university is defined to be a place where teachers lecture what they know to
students. Books normally offer just concentrated knowledge. How the authors
developed their ideas and reached their conclusions is usually not written in the
books. How to answer these questions? Go to the classes. The professors will
not only teach you knowledge, but also teach you methodologies and answer
your questions, face to face.
In the second place, students will benefit from seminars and group discussions
with their classmates when they attend classes. It is a society that emphasizes
on the importance of communication and listening to other people's opinions
and ideas. It is very important to share your ideas and knowledge with other
people. In a class, the professor often gives some topics for students to discuss.
In the discussions, a student will be surprised that he/she can get so many fresh
thoughts and ideas from his/her fellow students.
In conclusion, I believe that students should attend classes not only because
professors can teach you knowledge and methods, but also because students
can learn from each other in the classes. In short, one must attend classes if one
chooses to attend university