新GRE高频issue：选修各种专业以外的课
Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.
13 ~ / 46 / 70 / 102 / 112/140：大学应要求学生选修各种专业以外的课/70因为真正的教育是获得各种学科知识
I fundamentally agree with the speaker’s assertion that universities should require students to take a variety of courses outside their major field. Admittedly, in some rare cases it serves as a negative approach to force some geniuses to take elective courses that go against their unique idiosyncrasy. Yet nowadays it is increasingly crucial for students to take a variety of courses outside their fields.
To begin with, elective courses broaden student’s horizon and help them find their true interest. Two examples aptly illustrate this point involve the realm of science and the world of music. Louis de Broglie, one of the greatest theoretical physicists who introduced the theory of electron waves, had in fact intended a career in humanities and got his first degree in history. It is when attending a seminar on quantum physics that sparked his interest in this new world. Without his choice for some elective courses, he might never discover his potential in physics and the wave-particle duality theory might be lost. Similar stories happened to the music genius, Tchaikovsky, who profoundly influenced Russian arts during the nineteenth century. Having a precocious interest in music, Tchaikovsky was instead sent to law school for a career as a civil servant by his parents. Thanks to his constant connection with music through many elective courses, he finally decided to follow his heart and choose to be a musician.
Moreover, in our modernized world, an interdisciplinary knowledge is vital for success in areas like business and industry. Consider, for example, the most idolized steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, who built his empire from literally nothing. His great success was attributable to his intense and diversified reading including books about economics and management. In brief, a person’s future success lies heavily on his or her knowledge in a variety of fields, and requiring students to take elective courses is justified by this point.
In addition, as technology evolves, we are facing a world of increasing uncertainty. The futures of many fields of study that were promising in the past are becoming unpredictable. For instance, during the middle of the last century, nuclear engineering was a booming field and the rise of nuclear technology spawned thousands of nuclear power stations. However, the devastating earthquake which took place in Japan, leading to severe damage to some of its major nuclear plants and leakage of nuclear material into the environment, had persuaded the German government to abandon all its nuclear facilities within ten years. That means many students with a major in nuclear engineering have to seek jobs outside Germany or simply change their career. And it is undoubted that students who choose a variety of courses outside their field of study may gain a competitive edge.
Having recognized the importance of elective courses, I have to say that for some students, especially those who demonstrate a strong preference and talent in a narrow field of study and almost ignore others, would benefit most if they are not compelled to choose courses they have no interest in. To support this point one need look no further than one of the world’s leading physicist. Feynman in his youth did rather poorly in subjects like history and literature, but outstandingly excelled at math and physics. He might lack knowledge in humanities during his time in university but in reality that didn’t affect his position as one of the most famous physicists in America.
Finally, I have to say, although a requirement in courses outside students’major fields is an effective approach to shape their all-round quality, educators shouldn’t fail to emphasize the importance of their major subjects. If students choose too many courses outside their fields of study, they might just scratch the surface of each subject and fail to develop their own strength. In any time, a strong competence in a certain field always secures a bright future.
In sum, while there are a lot of merits to take a variety of courses outside students’ major field, I concede in some special and rare cases educators probably should not make it a requirement. On balance, I think the best way to educate students is to allow them to delve into their own field while provide plenty of elective courses that suit their interest.