#14. Attending classes: required or optional?
The most important responsibility of college students is to pursue their course of study to the best of their ability. In most cases, this would mean attending every class. In reality, however, not every student is the same, and not every class is the same. If a student can study more effectively in another way, then that student should be allowed to pursue his/her studies to the best of his/ her abilities, and not be required to attend classes that are not helpful to him/her.
Some students find it difficult to concentrate in large lecture classes and find reading quietly a more effective way of studying. If a student can achieve more by reading in the library and meeting with a professor during office hours than students who attend every class, he/she should not be prevented from studying in the most effective way for him/her.
The most important measures of a college student's academic progress are tests. In the weeks before exams, college student's need to arrange their own schedules becomes critical. For instance, if a student is very good at math but very poor at English, it might make more sense for that student to skip math class and spend the extra time preparing for an English test. If students are required to attend classes whose content they are already familiar with, at best they will be bored by redundant material, at worst they will fail tests in subjects they are less proficient in.
The argument might be made that it is the school's responsibility to organize its curriculum so that students are always challenged and therefore truly need to be at every class. I contend that it is impossible to tailor an entire school's curriculum to the individual needs of every single student. The best that can be hoped for is a well thought out curriculum with enough flexibility to handle the differences between individual students. Schools should trust the students to make choices that are in their own best interests, and use testing as the final arbiter of academic excellence.
14. 出席课堂：必须还是可选？
大学生最重要的责任就是尽全力学好他们的课程。在大多数情况下，这就意味着要去上每一节课。事实上，不是每个学生都相同，也不是每堂课都相同。如果一个学生能以另一种更高效的方式学习，那么他或她就应该被允许以他或她自己的方式去学习，而不是被要求去上那些对他或她毫无帮助的课。
一些学生发现很难在大班授课时集中精力，安静地读书是更有效的学习方法。如果一个学生通过在图书馆中阅读和在办公时间与教授会面，学到的知识比每节课必上的学生还多，那就不应该阻止他或她使用最有效的学习方法。
衡量大学生学术进步最重要的检测方法就是考试。在考试前几周，大学生们自主安排时间表的需要变得极其重要。例如，一个学生数学很好但英语很差，那么逃几节数学课并利用额外的时间准备英语考试就更有意义。如果要求学生参加那些内容已经熟悉的课程，最好的情况是他们会对多余的材料感到厌烦，最糟的情况是他们会在不太精通的科目中考试不及格。
可能有人会争论学校有责任安排好课程，使学生不断面对挑战因而真正需要上每一堂课。但我认为不可能让整个学校的课程表去适合每个学生的个人需要。最好能有一份考虑周密的课程表并有足够的灵活性以应对学生个体之间的差异。学校应该信任学生能够作出有利于他们自己的选择，并使用考试作为评判学术成绩优劣的最终标准。
- pursue ［pəˈsu:］ vt. 从事
- concentrate ［ˈka:nsənˌtreit］vi. 集中精力于
- lecture ［ˈlektʃə］ n. 讲座，演讲
- schedule ［ˈskedʒu:l］ n. 时间表，进度表
- critical ［ˈkritikəl］ adj. 关键的，重要的
- make sense 有意义
- proficient ［prəˈfiʃənt］ vi. 精通
- curriculum ［kəˈrikjələm］ n. 课程表
- tailor ［ˈteilə］ vt. 度身订制
- flexibility ［ˌfleksəˈbiliti］ n.适应性，灵活性
- redundant ［riˈdʌndənt］ adj. 多余的
- arbiter ［ˈa:bitə］ n. 仲裁者，判优器