There has been a dramatic growth in the number of people studying at universities in the last few decades. While some people see this as a positive trend which raises the general level of education within the community, others fear that it is lowering the quality of education. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the increase in student numbers at university?

An increasing number of individuals are enrolling for learning at universities in the past few decades. Certain individuals see it as a good thing which brings development to their community, whereas others are of the opinion is a negative trend which reduces standard of education.

This

essay will discuss the benefits as well as drawbacks associated with the growing numbers of students studying at universities. It is often said that education is the best legacy one can have. One of the major gains of increasing figures of student studying in tertiary institutions is the acquisition of knowledge.

This

is so because when one is knowledgeable, the skills acquired can be translated to making significant developments in the areas of study of the individual which can be beneficial to the immediate community and the nation at large.

For instance

, in Nigeria a young female individual who studied how to fly a helicopter became the

first

female combat helicopter pilot in Nigeria. Her proficiency and skills acquired in her field of discipline made it possible for her to be celebrated as the

first

female to have flown a combat helicopter in Nigeria.

On the other hand

, there are some drawbacks to the increasing number of people studying at universities. One of

such

drawbacks is lack of adequate learning facilities to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of students enrolling for studies.

In particular

, most of the learning amenities in universities were not developed or the possibility of the growing numbers of students considered at the time of installation making usage of the facilities worn-out and may not be adequately sufficient to accommodate the rising numbers of students thereby impairing quality of learning and skills acquired. An instance of

this

was aired on one of the television stations in Nigeria, where students were seen sitting on the floor of their lecture room to receive lectures

as a result

of rising numbers of students enrolling to study in universities. In conclusion, an increase in statistics of students learning at universities can be seen as a positive trend as expertise acquired can be beneficial to their nations;

however

, the inadequate equipment to accommodate the growing numbers of undergraduates could impair the quality of know-how gained.