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Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.
The statement asserts that every college student should be required to take a variety of courses outside his or her specific field of study while there have been various perspectives on this issue. Supporters may claim that interdisciplinary education would help students gain a comprehensive world view so that they can be truly enlightened and educated. On the other hand, however, to become an expert in any academic field, a student needs to pursue in that field attentively and diligently without too many distractions caused by irrelevant courses.
From my point of view, a university's primary goal is to prepare physically and intellectually adequate students. I concede that a sure way to achieve this goal is to require students to take different courses as the statement claims. A typical Chinese university can aptly illustrate this point. In China, it is compulsory for every freshman and sophomore student to accomplish a certain amount of credits in a variety of disciplines regardless of one's major, such as physical education, Chinese literature, advanced mathematics and so forth. For instance, Peking University requires students who major in natural sciences to take courses involving social sciences and Sun Yat-sen University requires students to master the skill of swimming. Such requirements ensure that all students receive a complete education which can in turn enhance their own field of study. For example, students majoring in Chinese literature can learn the method of logical writing from mathematic education and those majoring in natural sciences would benefit from social sciences that may inspire creativity or reveal some societal problems in demand of scientific research to solve. Additionally, as most students in China have not received qualified physical education before entering universities, it is essential for them to take courses involving sports to obtain good health.
Another reason in favor of the statement is that significant advances in some disciplines require knowledge from various fields. A striking example of how knowledge in diverse fields is necessary to truly enlighten college students involves the area of art and design. In this realm, not only aesthetic knowledge, cultural background and use of designing software are indispensable, but knowledge involving natural sciences are also necessary for students to apply their design to practical uses. For example, without basic physics principles one can never design a qualified bridge or even a sturdy chair, and without certain knowledge of literature, one cannot design effective advertising language.
Notwithstanding the foregoing reasons why a liberal education is beneficial, the suggestion in the statement poses a non-negligible problem which may undermine the university's very objectives. Since a dedicated effort for a long period of time is crucial for any student to make great advances and become a specialist, diverse courses may serve to distract the student and thus impede progress in his or her own specialized area. A compelling example involves the study of organic chemistry. Without long-time experiments in laboratory, no significant results can be achieved. The synthesis of a compound usually needs hundreds of consecutive trials under different conditions and with various catalysts therefore it is unlikely for a student majoring in organic chemistry to spare time and effort on other disciplines.
In conclusion, I concede that the statement has its merits because a liberal education would enhance students' own field of study and sometimes help them develop physical fitness. Apart from this, a significant contribution in certain area like art and design needs interdisciplinary education. Beyond this concession, however, courses irrelevant to a student's major can serve as distractions and inhibit real academic advances.
Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.
The statement asserts that every college student should be required to take a variety of courses outside his or her specific field of study while there have been various perspectives on this issue. Supporters may claim that interdisciplinary education would help students gain a comprehensive world view so that they can be truly enlightened and educated. On the other hand, however, to become an expert in any academic field, a student needs to pursue in that field attentively and diligently without too many distractions caused by irrelevant courses.
From my point of view, a university's primary goal is to prepare physically and intellectually adequate students. I concede that a sure way to achieve this goal is to require students to take different courses as the statement claims. A typical Chinese university can aptly illustrate this point. In China, it is compulsory for every freshman and sophomore student to accomplish a certain amount of credits in a variety of disciplines regardless of one's major, such as physical education, Chinese literature, advanced mathematics and so forth. For instance, Peking University requires students who major in natural sciences to take courses involving social sciences and Sun Yat-sen University requires students to master the skill of swimming. Such requirements ensure that all students receive a complete education which can in turn enhance their own field of study. For example, students majoring in Chinese literature can learn the method of logical writing from mathematic education and those majoring in natural sciences would benefit from social sciences that may inspire creativity or reveal some societal problems in demand of scientific research to solve. Additionally, as most students in China have not received qualified physical education before entering universities, it is essential for them to take courses involving sports to obtain good health.
Another reason in favor of the statement is that significant advances in some disciplines require knowledge from various fields. A striking example of how knowledge in diverse fields is necessary to truly enlighten college students involves the area of art and design. In this realm, not only aesthetic knowledge, cultural background and use of designing software are indispensable, but knowledge involving natural sciences are also necessary for students to apply their design to practical uses. For example, without basic physics principles one can never design a qualified bridge or even a sturdy chair, and without certain knowledge of literature, one cannot design effective advertising language.
Notwithstanding the foregoing reasons why a liberal education is beneficial, the suggestion in the statement poses a non-negligible problem which may undermine the university's very objectives. Since a dedicated effort for a long period of time is crucial for any student to make great advances and become a specialist, diverse courses may serve to distract the student and thus impede progress in his or her own specialized area. A compelling example involves the study of organic chemistry. Without long-time experiments in laboratory, no significant results can be achieved. The synthesis of a compound usually needs hundreds of consecutive trials under different conditions and with various catalysts therefore it is unlikely for a student majoring in organic chemistry to spare time and effort on other disciplines.
In conclusion, I concede that the statement has its merits because a liberal education would enhance students' own field of study and sometimes help them develop physical fitness. Apart from this, a significant contribution in certain area like art and design needs interdisciplinary education. Beyond this concession, however, courses irrelevant to a student's major can serve as distractions and inhibit real academic advances.
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