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  3. College students should be encouraged to pursue subjects that interest them rather than the courses that seem most likely to lea

College students should be encouraged to pursue subjects that interest them rather than the courses that seem most likely to lea

admin2022-10-09  63
问题 College students should be encouraged to pursue subjects that interest them rather than the courses that seem most likely to lead to jobs.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.
选项
答案 Each year colleges and universities worldwide matriculate freshmen to their campus and open up doors to a myriad of subjects to learn. Concerning how students should choose what to study in college, I believe that while personal interest is of considerable importance, reality often dictates that many students have to consider factors other than interest, particularly the career prospect. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that not all students have a firm interest in an object. Given these considerations, college students should actually be encouraged to pursue subjects that seem most likely to lead to jobs. To begin with, many people would highlight the importance of interest in choosing major, citing that one’s interest is the ultimate force capable of motivating one’s endeavors. Carl Gauss, perhaps the greatest mathematician of all times, for example, demonstrated an extremely profound interest in mathematics during his youth. Although raised in a financially challenged family, Gauss went ahead with the encouragement from his mother and chose the field of math as his major of study. Eventually Gauss made a wide range of awe-inspiring breakthroughs and became the founder of modern mathematics. A more recent example illustrating the power of interest is Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose immense interest in programming and human behaviors prompted him to double-major in computer science and psychology. During his time at Harvard, it was also his interest that gave birth to Facebook, the largest social network site on this planet. These personal success stories share a common point: one’s interest drives their academic and professional endeavors and ultimately leads to success. However, the success of Gauss and Zuckerberg may be occasional and could not be replicated in everyone else’s life. Not only did Gauss and Zuckerberg possess strong interest, but they were also extremely talented. Gauss was famously known as a prodigy in his hometown at early age and Zuckerberg was admitted into the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer camp. Such talents cannot be overlooked in their later achievements. Another factor to consider in choosing one’s major is the financial situation of the family. If one was born and raised in a wealthy family, it is true that she or he could pursue what interests her or him since livelihood is not a concern. For others coming from a lower socioeconomical class, they may have to consider the career prospect to make ends meet. What’s more, in many countries including the United States, the cost of higher education poses a formidable challenge to even many middle-class families. Since many college students have to apply for student loans to pay the college tuition, a lucrative job is crucial for them to repay all the debts. This is why finance and computer sciences are sought-after majors for some college students and some other counterparts are working hard to be able to attend law and medical schools. Finally, while the discussion above seems to revolve around a cruel choice between the romance of personal interest and the harsh reality of survival, I feel the urge to point out that this dichotomy may actually be a false proposition. I argue that not everyone has a clear understanding of his or her personal interest. To understand why, we need to consider the definition of interest and differentiate it from a sudden impulse. From my point of view, finding one’s true interest demands time and efforts, while keeping the interest equals a strong commitment. Dr. Wu Jun, former President of Chinese Internet conglomerate Tencent and senior researcher working for Google, took his daughter to audit in 13 world-class universities to find what truly interests her. Genuine interest is not a reckless decision with little rational reasoning. Instead, it can be found after a careful consideration, like what Dr. Wu Jun’s daughter had experienced firsthand in college classrooms. To recap, I acknowledge the importance of interest, but out of practical reasons students should be encouraged to pick promising fields that are likely to bring a good career. On a more fundamental level, not all students have discovered what truly interests them, so to encourage them to pursue their personal interest is built upon an unrealistic premise. (692 words)
解析     关于“如何去选择自己的专业”在GRE题库当中有不少题目在进行讨论。对于这一类型的文章，一种常见的4分写法是：承认定专业时考虑工作前景的必要性，但是指出兴趣是最好的老师，为了实现最好的学习效果还是要以自己的兴趣为主。这是一套政治正确的话术，甚至我们还可以再加上一段，说“入学时根据就业选择的专业可能到了毕业就不再吃香了”，以此更进一步地佐证考虑工作的专业选择在实践上是不可取的。
    上面这种观点或多或少有一些理想主义的影子，本文则从实用主义的角度出发，反其道而行之。首先我们承认在理论层面上，兴趣对于一个人的学习有着积极的作用，但是从实际角度出发，一味追求自身兴趣而忽略未来的个人财务前景或许并不可取——尤其在西方国家，大学教育是一笔沉重的经济负担。换言之，不考虑就业前景去追求自己的兴趣其实是一种奢侈 (luxury)，这么做需要足够的物质基础作为支撑。如果我们把个人的专业选择放在更长远的家族发展来看，就不难理解为什么有人会说“一代科学工程，二代金融法律，三代文学艺术”了。
    在第三主旨段，文章更是对于“选专业应当遵从自己的兴趣”这一观点提出了更为尖锐的批判：我们在选专业时真的了解自己的兴趣爱好吗?我们如何将自己的一时兴趣与真正的热爱区分开来?前文所述的4分写法没有回答这个问题。
    最后，本文针对的是本科阶段的学习，但研究生阶段、特别是博士阶段的学习就完全不一样了。选择去读博士就基本意味着未来要走科研和学术路线，即便是以后去公司也肯定是走技术岗。一方面来，你的就业道路一下子窄了很多；另一方面，博士阶段的学习和工作与本科阶段完全不同，如果没有一颗强大的内心和对事业的热情很难坚持下来，因此在选专业方向和导师的时候一定要慎重。
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