issue94 【FF小组】by duyuan3377 第六次模考

duyuan3377UID: 2415765

TOPIC: ISSUE94 - "Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study because acquiring knowledge of various academic disciplines is the best way to become truly educated."
WORDS: 561          TIME: 00:44:47          DATE: 2008-12-11 12:28:17

The author asserts that every student should be required to take a variety of courses outside the students's field of study because acquiring knowledge of various academic disciplines is the best way to become truly educated. It is true that more knowledge of various academic disciplines is beneficial to students to some extent and that this requirement is well compatible with the essential purpose of education. However, what should not be ignored is that undue emphasis on the broad knowledge of different disciplines might also undermine the true meaning of education.

Admittedly, taking a variety of courses outside the student's major is exactly compatible with the essential purpose of education. What is the essential purpose of education? In my opinion, the essence of education is to unearth the student's unique potential of body, intelligence and spirit, and to provide every student with an opportunity to achieve individual accomplishment. In order to unearth the student's unique potential of body, intelligence and spirit, students should be exposed into a variety of knowledge. And in this way they can choose, they can find, and they can realize which disciplines are suitable for their own body, intelligence and spirit. It is an effective measure to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.

Moreover, well-rounded knowledge of various academic disciplines is beneficial to the development of students. I would have to say that well-rounded knowledge makes great contributions to the student's major disciplines. Firstly, it can inspire students and produce brand-new ideas and approaches to solve the problems in their own field of study. Knowing different academic disciplines broadens student's spectrum of vision and horizon, which is the basis of innovation and creativity. For example, a student might get deep understanding about the true meaning of Fate by Beethoven from a literature class, which tells some deep meaning of our life and destiny. Besides, outside knowledge is a good method to relax yourself in order to get well prepared for learning efficiently. It is heard that when Einstein got in trouble about complex physical problems, the violin is his favorite to relax himself and to find some inspiration from beautiful pieces of music.

However, undue emphasis over courses outside the student's field of study might lead students to neglect the knowledge of their own majors, which thereby result in lacking the ability of becoming competent job hunter in the fierce job market. Maybe the fact is too cruel for students to get the true meaning of education. The pressure from making living leads them to have to focus more on their own field of study, which would be depended on in their life. In fact, time and energy for a person is so limited that it is impossible for him to take all kinds of courses, after all his own field of study is the most important. In this situation, better choices and proper emphasis on outside courses is the best way to solve this contradicted problem.

In summary, courses outside the student's field of study are important and necessary. Universities should require students to take them. But at the same time universities should pay attention to the amount of time and energy  students spend on these outside courses, which should not be too more or too less. Only in this way can the essential purpose of education be fulfilled well-rounded and completely.