Prompt: Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.

Answer:

The prompt recommends that every university should design the course structure in such a way that students are obliged to take a variety of courses outside their major field of study to fulfil the academic requirements. I somewhat agree with the given recommendation because of the following reasons.

First of all, choosing a college major is indeed a long and hectic process. In most of the cases, the student's choice of major is influenced by the career prospect in that respective field. Due to this, many cannot afford to pursue the field they are passionate about. If the university requires the students to take up variety of courses outside their major field of study, those students will get a chance to learn the subjects they love along with studying for a lucrative career. For instance, due to the current boom in the IT industry many students are choosing Computer Science or IT as their major, but if someone is deeply inclined towards Indian History, then they can take it up as their minor. As a result of which, they can simultaneously pursue what they are passionate about while preparing for the intended major.

Secondly, many students often opt for a career which is completely unrelated to their major field of study. This somehow reduces their chances of employability or the level of their median salary after graduation. If the course curriculum, in case, makes the students take up some unrelated subjects as their minor, the chances that the student's intended working field matches with their minor subjects increases to a greater extent. This not only encourages the students to explore a variety of fields but also makes their candidature stronger while pursuing a career unrelated to their major field of education. For instance, if a student majoring in "Civil Engineering" wishes to pursue a career as a "Web Developer" and they had "Fundamentals of Web Development" as their minor, their chances of employability certainly increase.

On the other hand, studying a variety of unrelated subjects can reduce the importance of the major field of study to the students. They tend to get reluctant towards their major due to its extensive course curriculum and often give more importance towards the comparatively easier minor subjects. This is certainly alarming. Neglecting the major field of study is not only harmful for their GPA but also it might ruin their scope of employability.

In conclusion, it is certainly difficult to take a strong stand either for or against the given recommendation. In my opinion, the course structure should be as liberal as possible. The university might advise the student to take up a variety of minors, but making it a mandatory requirement for obtaining the degree can have diverse effects. Personally, I think the university can recommend the student about the same but the ultimate choice should be given to the student.