GRE Issue and Argument feedback

[Ale_931212]

Hello everyone! i'm about to take the GRE and TOEFL in about two months. The strategy i'm taking for the Analytical writing section has been to practically write 2 essays per day, but i think i also need some feedback...especially since english isn't my first language. Any more suggestions about how i should prepare for this or the other sections are very much welcomed. 

Thank you so much for your help. 

Issue task

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

 

Most of us could have empathy for students that are about to graduate from high school and are now reflecting on the field they will choose for their life. As many of us could remember, this time is one of the most stressful we will experience, because at that time we lack the knowledge to make informed decisions about the career path we want to take. It doesn’t help that during this time of uncertainty young people become vulnerable to the influence of individuals with bad advice about the path they should take. In my opinion the claim made in the passage about how students should choose their field of study based solely on positions available is not only damaging to society but also affects students’ opportunities of employment in the future.

 Firstly, this passage suggests that the number of positions available in the workforce should be the most important factor – if not the only factor- when choosing a career path. After all what else would you expect of a career than to have plenty of job opportunities once you graduate? Yet the author of this passage fails to consider that the quantity of job opportunities does not equate quality in job opportunities; Opportunities with a good salary, a healthy work environment or health care. For several fields, there exist a wide variety of position in the market, yet this aren’t necessarily opportunities that would allow you to achieve financial stability and a healthy work-life balance. Careers in Graphic design or Communications are an unfortunate example of this, because once students are out in the workforce, they may encounter jobs with a seriously low pay, yet a plethora of responsibilities.

 Secondly this passage seems to suggest that a school should only be graduating students from fields that have practical use outside of the universities. Fields in medicine, science and engineer are presented as examples of career paths that have a tangible contribution to the society. It is understandably that most people would hold this opinion, given the impact that scientific discoveries and the development of artifacts have had in our daily life; There is no individual in the world who doesn’t need a doctor, after all. But this idea fails to consider that just because a certain career appears to lack a practical use doesn’t mean that it is useless to society. There exist many areas apart form the hard science whose improvement and research directly affect the way humans live. Think of areas in psychology, politics and arts. These are not fields that produce artifacts or whose contributions have immediate and tangible results, but that overall deal with serious issues in society that aren’t entirely visible, and therefore need exhaustive examination in order to be overcome. Discouraging students from pursuing those fields would prevent them from making serious contributions and carry out change in the world.

 Finally, since the belief that certain fields have more tangible contribution in our society is painfully common, so is the idea that skills found in less demanded fields like humanities, aren’t skills worth learning. The claim is that most students should be focused on improving abilities relevant to the fields in mathematics or science, since these are the ones that would allow them to advance in their career path, make relevant contributions and overall make them attractive to future employers. But let us not forget that although skills in mathematics and science are indeed crucial for those areas, the so-called soft skills (Interpersonal communication, writing ability and management) are relevant in any field. Employers aren’t entirely looking for employees with knowledge of hard science. They often need people with good interpersonal skills and critical thinking to enhance the communication dynamics in their business. In fact, because most scientists lack this crucial skill is that employers look for people in the humanities, making students from those fields not only relevant but competitive.

 In conclusion I believe is not advisable to choose a field solely on the quantity of job opportunities available in the workforce, since there are more important factors that should be taken into consideration. When is time to choose a career, students should be encouraged to research the fields the are interested an evaluate them based on the quality of job opportunities, relevance of those fields contribution to society and their competitiveness. With this information at hand, perhaps students would have a better time deciding on the future of their education and make choices they won’t regret.

Argument task

 

The following recommendation was made by the president and administrative staff of Grove College, a private institution, to the college's governing committee.

"We recommend that Grove College preserve its century-old tradition of all-female education rather than admit men into its programs. It is true that a majority of faculty members voted in favor of coeducation, arguing that it would encourage more students to apply to Grove. But 80 percent of the students responding to a survey conducted by the student government wanted the school to remain all female, and over half of the alumnae who answered a separate survey also opposed coeducation. Keeping the college all female will improve morale among students and convince alumnae to keep supporting the college financially."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

 This passage discusses the option of whether an all-female College should begin to admit men into their programs. It appears that the administrative staff is mostly concerned with the financial repercussions that transitioning into a coeducation system would bring to Grove College. Yet the surveys made by the student government may not provide accurate information whether this decision will or will not improve the school’s finances.

In the first place, the administrative staff should evaluate why the independent survey gave substantially different results from the one made by the student government, and why both results demonstrate enough evidence of the general opinion of the students on this matter. Further review should be made to the student government survey to make sure they aren’t choosing specific groups of people that they know are against admitting men into Grove College.

Also staff should review the student sample that answered the survey and determine if whether it is representative of the student population, because although 80% of the students who took the survey want the college to remain an all-female school, this doesn’t mean that that is the desire of 80% of the students in Grove College. Making sure that the sample of students answering the survey is in fact representative of the overall student population would help to make to determine the overall desire in students to accept or deny admission to men in the school.

Finally, it is stated that preventing current female students to stop supporting the school financially is one of the main reasons why the school is deciding on remain an all-girls college. Yet there is not enough evidence to support this belief. Both because we aren’t that the two surveys made provide accurate results of the student’s opinion, but also because it implies men students won’t be enough to support the school financially. Although most faculty members hold the opinion that admitting men would increase the number of students at Grove college, evaluating the level of attractiveness the school may have to male students would be an important factor to consider.