TOEFL® essay: Some people believe that university students should be required...

[Dwdimov]

Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of vie do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

They are two basic methods to influence on students. The first is compulsion , the second is encouragement. In the following part of this essay I will look at these two methods, then I’ll express my support about encouragement.

I’ll restrict my view on the term compulsion. It occurs when someone uses physical or psychical pressure to achieve one purpose. All kinds of punishments, for instance, are form of compulsion. If you trespass legal regulations, you will be compelled to respect them. Some universities required from students to attend classes. If they break this rule, they will be punished. Punishments vary between warning and expel from university. Many upholders of compulsion point different advantages, which are related to this method. For example, they indicate that fear from punishment is a stimulus, which incite student to work effectiveness. Upholders of compulsion point out theory that the physical pressure is only one way to influence on students.

However I think that the second method is true. If you punish anybody, it’ll decrease ambition in this man. It’s same in the universities. When one student receive warning, in most cases he lose his self-confidence and motivation. Often, students change or leave their universities when they are punished. I’ll state another negative effect, which is related to compulsion. Oftentimes, students, who are required to attend classes, confuse other students while they are in class. Therefore, I think that the most effective ways to influence is encouragement. For instance, all kinds of scholarships, awards, medals, badge, charters and others are appropriate for the students. They will create motivation for students, which will improve attendance in class and other university activities.

In conclusion, I will cite Newton’s third law which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If a university required from students to attend their classed and punish them if they trespass this university rule, students will answer to this compulsion with lack of motivation and indiscipline. If classes are optional for the students, but they are encourage to develop themselves, I’m sure that their attendance will be at high level, even I think that they will show better results than students who are required to attend classes.

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