Hello! I would appreciate any feedback (good and/or bad) for this issue task. I did go over the 30 min with this, but I just want to see how it sounds so I can move forward with writing clearly in the time limit.

TOPIC:
Requiring university students to take a variety of courses outside their major fields of study is the best way to ensure that students become truly educated.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

RESPONSE:
Although I agree that experiencing courses outside of one’s major field can be enriching, the amount of courses required to taken outside of their major field should be limited so that students’ resources and focus can go into the courses in which they have the most interest.

For many individuals, seeking post-secondary education is done so they can gain skills needed for a specific career. If someone would like to become a psychologist, it is reasonable to assume that the majority of their focus should go in learning about the history, methods, and practices of psychology. Although it can be a valuable skill to learn, there may be little value to the psychology major to study a course in financial management, as this would not further their understanding on how to be a proficient psychologist.

On that note, university can be seen as a financial investment in a student’s future career. To require students to take courses that are outside of their major field can be seen as an unnecessary cost, and act as a deterrent to attend university or even making poste-secondary education inaccessible to some individuals. Even some financial support options may not mitigate the financial cost of courses outside the major field. Student loans can be a daunting to option as the debt that you take on with it can be difficult to repay, and scholarships are not always a guaranteed option for paying for university courses/materials. Even though there are options for financial assistance for those taking university courses, to have to pay for courses that will not be helpful to students when they enter the workforce may be a financial cost that is too high to justify for some individuals.

Furthermore, courses outside of an individual’s major field are ones that they may not have much interest in, and therefore have low motivation in wanting to learn. When a student has low motivation in learning a particular subject, it can make it hard for them to engage with and do well in that course. It may be that their grades will suffer, decreasing their overall Grade Point Average (GPA). This may affect their chances in continuing their academic pursuits of attending a graduate program, as the competitive requirements for many graduate programs require a high GPA for acceptance.

With all that being said, there is some value in taking courses outside of one’s major field. It may give students a chance to experience a course that they never would have chosen to take otherwise, which may lead them to a field that they find much more pleasurable and rewarding than their original major field. As well, it gives students a chance to experience a different way of being taught or different way of thinking, as an art class and a science class may have integral differences in how you approach a problem. And finally, there fundamental skills that are required for one to be successful beyond their major field, such as basic math, verbal reasoning, and analytical writing. Training for these skills may be outside a student’s major field, but mastering them can give them the tools they need to be successful in anything from the General Requirements Exam for a graduate program, to being able to adequately discuss arguments that are seen in everyday situations (such as new reports).

In conclusion, there are some fundamental skills that should be taught outside of a students’ major field, but it should be limited so that they can focus on building skills within their field of interest, so that they can spend their monetary resources effectively, and so they maintain a high level of academic performance in university.