The Role of optional Courses

      University students are at the age when they are aware of their academic interests and able to make many decisions on their own.In light of this fact,it is reasonable that they should be given the freedom to make optional courses both within and outside their major area of study.Nevertheless,the central importance of core or requisite courses cannot be understated,and students should be careful not to spread themselves too thin.

      By the time students have finished high school,they have often narrowed their academic interests.Upon entering university,for example,a student might decide to major in English,psychology or economics.However,students are likely to have other interests outside the scope of their field of major. Allowing them to take non-major courses will offer two important benefits.First,it will engender a more meaningful academic experience. Second,it will cultivate students who are well-rounded and bring a variety of skills into the workplace upon graduation.For these reasons,university students should be given the opportunity,and even encouraged,to take courses outside their major.

In addition to taking noncompulsory courses outside of their major,university students are also generally allowed to take elective courses within,or relevent to,their academic major.An undergraduate student majoring in economics,for instance,would,would typically be required to take core courses such as microeconomics,macroeconomics and economitrics,among others.Courses such as industrial economics,environmental economics and labor economics,however,may be offered on an optional basis.This allows students to develop an area of spcialuzation within their their major that can better prepare them for emplyment or graduate studies.

        From the foregoing discussion,it is evident that optional courses offer students a variety of benefits.However,it would be a disservice to students if universities allowed them to take too many optional courses,especially ones outside of their academic major.If an engineering major graduated having completed a variety of coursework in socioligy and anthropology but only two or three engineering courses,it is unlikely that he would have attained enough expertise in his field to be well-trained professionally or to qualify for postgraduate work. It is critical that students avoid becoming a "jack of all trades and a master of none".

        In my opinion,students should be encouraged to pursue their unique and potentially diverse academic interests.To this end,optional courses are an essential part of higher interests.To this end,optional courses are an essential part of higher education.However,too many optional courses would thwart students'ability to develop a single main area of expertise,with detrimental consequences to their future carees.