TOEFL® essay: People attend college or university for many...

[strawberrys]

toefl essay: People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

There are many universities in the world. For instance, there are about one thousand universities in the United States alone. If there are so many universities, there must be a huge number of people who are studying at them. Moreover, for most universities the admission competition is extremely fierce, which means that not everybody can study actually. Still, I guess there are several reasons why people attend universities – to get a better job, to gain experience, and to develop their understanding of society.

Firstly, people study for they are aspiring to get the most prestigious job. There are lots of undergraduates who continue their studies at the graduate level, as PhD is now considered one of the milestones for a well-paid position in the USA.

Secondly, many people find studies at university a way how to make more friends and improve interpersonal and communication skills, which leads to a better understanding of society. Therefore, it has been proved that people with higher education are more confident than those who hold only a high school diploma. It is explained with the fact that higher education expands people's eyesight. People get knowledge that is almost impossible to gain from their own experience as they interact with different kind of people, many of whom are knowledgeable instructors and professors.

What I have mentioned above is just a few of the reasons why people attend university. The reason depends on a person, as each will have something different that is the most important for them. All factors I have mentioned make people more reasonable and sensible. Due to the dissertations they are obliged to write during their studies, they can express themselves easily.

I attend university because I would like to be an expert in the field which interests me most – the English language and linguistics. I am aspiring to get the most from my studies and especially my teachers. I do believe that a PhD in Linguistics will open many doors for me.

strawberry[/i]

[Alan]

Hi,

I have highlighted certain words and then in capital letters suggested a change:

[Instigator]

My essay on the same topic:

The choice whether you want to go to college or not is one of the most important in your life. This is why the reasons why people attend university should be considered really well. In my opinion, they do it because of the opportunities they will get - opportunities for career, friends and a successful future.

To begin with, there is no doubt that people attending college gain a considerable amount of knowledge in different fields. As a result, they become people of high value with self-confidence. Their erudition helps them in every single way - from the communication with the people around them to their career. Employers are looking for well educated and bright workers and everybody appreciates an intelligent friend. Getting a higher education is the most common way of gaining knowledge, so it can be inferred that it is the first step of a successful life.

To continue, attending university is a great investment of money and time because of the fact that without good education people cannot get the job they want or or have the profession they have dreamed of. By studying the subject you want, you get exclusive knowledge and become skilled. But knowledge is not the only advantage of universities - if you do great you can practise your profession despite you have not finished school.

Last but not least, going to college is an experience of lifetime. At this stage people are on the borderline between adolescence and being mature. This is a repetition of their future life. To illustrate, they learn how to take care of themselves and to solve their problems all alone because they do not live anymore with their parents.

In the end, somebody can be an intelligent and happy person even thought he has not attended college, but it will always be a great advantage if he has a higher education.