gre writing issue sample writing 45
- Competition for high grades seriously limits the quality of learning at all levels of education.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.
People often deplore heated competition for high grades in schools as a detrimental force to weaken the quality of true learning. In some sense, it is undeniable that students may lose true focus in their learning processes because of excessive interest in somewhat superficial aspects such as test scores or ranks in their classrooms. Despite the limitations, however, I strongly believe that competition among students is eventually a “necessary and beneficial” evil.
Of course, few would disagree that emphasis on test scores and high grades has little to do with (falls short of) true development of young students. When it comes to individual differences in personal interest and/or vision, frequent tests and competitive ambiance in schools might fail to meet one of the important ideals of true education, offering students opportunities to enrich their inner worlds. Instead of pursuing their unique interests, most students in the competitive culture are forced to spend time and effort for things not they really wish to do but they are required to do in order to satisfy the demands from teachers, parents, and other students. In competition, learning is usually “for shows” rather than “for true progress in students’ unique visions.” ------
Can we say that competition for high grades is a harmful element for the quality of learning? As the speaker asserts, intense competition among students may seriously limit the effective learning at all levels of education. However, only by emphasizing the negative impact of competition, this view may ignore the benefits of competition in our education system especially in terms of preparation for future workplace environment and efficient development of personal competence.
Of course, it is undeniable that excessive emphasis on competition among students is detrimental in many ways. It can be a counterproductive and even decrease the motivation which is usually believed to be a main virtue of competition in several situations. For little kids or the disabled students, competition may increase their sense of frustration by making them recognize their ineluctable limitations revealed directly from the ‘equal’ competition with other students. Rather than encouraging them to see their uniqueness and distinct potentials, competition for a common object may deter the development of true individual values.
However, competition can be a beneficial means for students in their lives. For most students who will be future members of modern workplaces, experience of competition can be a valuable asset to fight with in the far more intense environments than schools. In most leading businesses, successful individuals were mostly competent students in their learning times. It is well-known that Bill Gates or Warren Buffet were not bad students in their school years. Even some sports stars who seem to have little to do with grades or academic performance are known to be competent ones when they attended schools. This shows that competition in school years is not always detrimental force in one’s learning and career preparation.
Moreover, competition for high grades may facilitate one’s learning by providing most students with more tangible objectives. For most young students who lack specific plan for their learning, thus cannot focus on their learning, competition for good grades on several common subjects may motivate them to make their best in their development of capacity, otherwise abandoned. ….
In conclusion, despite the possibility to dispirit some underachieved students, competition usually can be a beneficial factor in furthering students’ quality of learning in terms of both pre-experiencing of future conditions and establishing of palpable objectives. Taken together, I cannot fully agree with the speaker’s assertion. Only by ignoring the importance of valuable assets for adapting to their future lives could one conclude that competition for high grade is always harmful for the quality of learning. —