Claim: Colleges and universities should specify all required courses and eliminate elective courses in order to provide clear guidance for students.Reason: College students—like people in general—prefer to follow directions rather than make their own deci

The statement above believes that universities should delineate all core courses, and entirely remove the elective courses. This claim is based on the reason, saying that since college students, likes regular people, are inclined to follow a lead rather than make their own decisions. I generally do not agree with the statement.

To being with, undoubtedly the core courses should be specified. Students need to know their curriculum, and prepare themselves to the following semester, be able to find a proper professor to pass the course with. For instance, the students can use the inter-semester time prepare themselves for the following courses they have. Also, by specifying the core courses, students can select the amount of units in their subsequent semester, which is not cumbersome for them to pass that semester. Hence, the specification of the main subjects is necessary.

Now coming to elimination of the elective courses, the author of the statement above perpetrates the fallacy of false cause; assuming that students prefer to be led instead of choosing their own courses, the education is not based on what students prefer as far as it is based on how the best possible education can be conferred. Such an education needs to instill independent choosing power in the students. Students with elective courses get familiar with what they will experience in their society. Giving this opportunity is somehow equal to lend confidence to the students; this happens by conveying that they are ready to choose what they want to learn and do not rely completely on the formal education which does not exist outside the academic milieu.

Moreover, the elective courses offer the opportunity for students to meet their interest in their educational procedure, and that balances the formal education with flexibility. Having chosen the courses that students feel more belonging to them, they can augment their grades and enjoy the field. In a personal experience, I had physical education in university which was elective. Between different courses like table tennis and soccer, I chose the first one. I won all the other classmates and got the top grade in that class. But if the soccer field was obligatory, I even barely could have passed that unit. Therefore, the elective courses have their own benefits and should not be eliminated.

Finally, the reasoning is itself under question. We cannot say it for sure, as the author wrongly has taken for granted, that students do not prefer to exercise their choosing right in the elective courses. In my opinion, it is even a delight for the students to face some courses which are not obligatory and they can use their freedom in choosing them.

In short, any student beside the core courses should have the opportunities to study elective courses.
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