Should 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.
Some people may believe that going to classes should be optional, but I really disagree with them about it. I do not understand how a university student can expect to learn much knowledge if he doesn’t attend classes. Although self-study is a good way to acquire knowledge, students, I believe, need to be in class.
In classes students receive the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge. A teacher does more than just going over the material in the textbooks; she draws her students into discussions that may lead further understanding of the teaching material. She not only teaches acknowledge and theories, but also presents opposing opinions that help students think and absorb what they have learned. Additionally, she may invite guest speakers to give her students extra information from another prospect, or play some documentary films on certain subject.
Besides teaching knowledge, a teacher impart her students the right method of study. In that way, the students can understand how to study efficiently, how to find information from proper resources, and how to apply what they have learned into practice. In other word, if there is no teacher to lead them to the right way, the students may go into a roundabout and waste lots of time.
The last reason for attending classes is that going to classes can train students to be more responsible and have good sense of teamwork. In classes, the students may be given some group assignments. To achieve assignments, they can know what is their respective responsibility and how to cooperate with others. Meanwhile, they can learn from each other because each student has his strong points, different background and experience.
In short, going to classes give students more knowledge, help them to become more responsible, cooperative and thoughtful. I believe that attending classes cannot be optional, but should be a essential part of university education.
