Some People Think That Universities Should Provide Graduates with the Knowledge and Skills Needed in the Work Place. Others Think That the True Function of a University Should Be to Give Access to Knowledge for Its Own

Nowadays, what should be the real function of a university is an ongoing controversy. Some place the focus on requirements of students’ future work, while others focus on students’ own sake. Yet people’s beliefs in the purpose of university education lie at the heart of their teaching behaviors. In this essay, I will compare and contrast the two typical opinions regarding this issue.

It is reasonable for some people to argue that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. To begin with, the ultimate purpose for students attending university is to hunt for a decent job. It is easier for those who have skillfully mastered the specialized knowledge demanded by the work to compete for their desirable work position. Moreover, it might be a wise choice for graduates to spend their limited time on becoming specialists instead of generalists.

By contrast, a scathing response is printed from others who assume that the true function of a university should be to give students opportunities to acquire knowledge for their own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer. It is widely accepted that students are the ultimate beneficiaries who should have the right to acquire knowledge for their own interests. Plenty of evidence has shown that most of the successful individuals who have achieved great accomplishment are all to choose their study interests, which in turn proves that universities should be highly advisable to offer students more chances to fulfill their potentials. Another significant factor that should be taken into consideration is that cramming teaching approaches stifle students’ imagination and creativity.

Having considered the arguments on both sides of the debate, I tend to believe that providing students more opportunities to study for their own sake would be beneficial to their comprehensive development. Universities couldn’t deprive students of pursuing their own study interests.