TOEFL writing practice #1: Why do people attend university? People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Nowadays an increasing number of high school students decide to apply and eventually attend college for many different reasons. As mentioned above, many seek new experiences or hope for better career opportunities. Clearly, pursuing higher education is appealing for many, as not only it improves personal knowledge, but also provides social recognition and prestige for possessing such kind of degree. It should be taken in consideration, moreover, that in developing countries obtaining a university degree may be an ‘escape ticket’ to more developed and rich countries, therefore not only for a better career but for a better life as well. On the other hand, however, in developed countries – especially where education is public and often funded, as in Europe, for example – getting a university degree might be the perfect ‘pond’ for the undecided. Families and social environment put a great deal of stress on senior high school students: “you should get a job, you have to pursue a great career, you have to be successful”. These practices, instead of pushing the student toward greatness, increase his/her level of anxiety and lead them to procrastinate the decision – and ultimately the judgment – by enrolling in college. It’s a three to five years delay, after all, that allows them to think what they would really like to do (with all the perks mentioned above). Despite this might be a reason for the positive and increasing balance of university enrollment, I believe that the main reason why many people enroll (or go back to) college or university is the growing demand of specialized workers. Currently is almost impossible to have access to a career without any university-level degree. With this, I am not stating that there are no career opportunities, nor that there is no job available. My point is that in a world with an increasing number of professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers, but also marketing specialists, linguists, financial advisers, physicists and so on) that are already fighting for decreasing available positions, not having any degree but your high school one, does not allow you to be in the competitive arena of skilled and better-paid workers.