Some people think universities should provide knowledge and skills related to a future career; others think the true function of university is to give access to knowledge for its own sake. What is your opinion of the main function of university?

Universities
are one of the most important institutions in modern society. Post-secondary education provides both general skills and knowledge and sometimes job-specific training. But which of these two should be the main
focus
?
While
many
people
might think the
focus
should only be the "jobs", I believe
universities
play a larger social role. Let us consider that we live in an
information
age. If
a
Correct article usage
apply
show examples
students
wants
Correct subject-verb agreement
want
show examples
to learn about accounting
or
Correct word choice
apply
show examples
history or other job-specific
information
, they do not need to sit in a classroom to get it. Nowadays, anyone can get
information
and knowledge online and can learn on their own. So surely
universities
aren't needed for
this
purpose.
Instead
, what
universities
should
focus
on is developing critical thinking. Anyone can memorise facts and get
on-job
Correct your spelling
on-the-job
show examples
training, but not everyone can think and analyse.
This
is a far more important skill in the real
word
Correct your spelling
world
show examples
. To be able to process
information
, understand it and use it, these are the skills our
universities
should
focus
on building.
This
is not to say that
universities
should not pay any attention to the workplace. Of
course
Add a comma
course,
show examples
all graduates want to find
good
Change the article
a good
show examples
job. But if you ask most
people
in the workplace today, they will tell you that the specific skills required for their jobs were learned on-site. And if you ask most employers what they are looking for in employees, they will tell you that it is a mind that can "think outside of the box." So
while
universities
play a role in training
people
for the workplace, they primarily function as a place for training the mind. What most companies and workforces need are not robots, but creative
people
who can contribute ideas.
Universities
should be the driving force in nurturing
such
people
.
Submitted by ielts_winner on

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

task achievement
Provide specific examples or evidence to support your points.
coherence cohesion
Ensure a clear and logical progression of ideas.
lexical resource
Use a wider range of vocabulary to add more depth to your arguments.
grammatical range accuracy
Pay attention to subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency.

Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
    • Sentence 1 - Background statement
    • Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
    • Sentence 3 - Thesis
    • Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
    • Sentence 1 - Summary
    • Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
    • Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ »— a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

What to do next:
Look at other essays: