Integrated Writing Task

1. Both the lecture and the reading passage deal with the topic of universities that focus on both teaching and research. The professor supports universities with a dual focus, but the author of the reading passage is clearly against them.

   The first point that is discussed relates to whether or not learning is facilitated when professors focus on both research and teaching. According to the reading passage, research takes too much time for professors to be able to be appropriately prepared for class. However, the professor mentioned that learning is enhanced when professors research because they stay up-to-date in their field.

   The second point was about the benefit that researching professors are in the classroom. The professor said that researching professors have passion for the subject they teach; that is what their whole livelihood is based on. On the other hand, the reading passage criti- cizes these researching professors for not having the teaching skills that students expect.

   The final point that the lecturer made was that by doing research as well as teaching, professors can develop more than if they were to only choose one. The professor feels that teaching improves research by bringing new perspectives and research improves teaching because professors stay up-to-date. This point is directly opposed to what was stated in the reading. The reading stated that choosing one path to focus on would make the professor more skilled at what he chose to focus on because his attention is not divided. 

Independent Writing Task

1.        There are many skills that college students need to have if they want to be successful. students need to learn many things, including how to study effectively, manage stress, budge their money, and manage their time. Perhaps the most important skill that students need to develop to be successful in college is managing their time.

          The principal reason that time management is of supreme importance is that college is such a busy time of life. Students have school, work, family, and social obligations that leave students with a tight schedule. In order to meet all of these obligations, students need to plan their time carefully and follow their plan. If they don't learn how to manage their time, they will perform worse in school, and other aspects of their life will suffer. For example, they may not get enough sleep because they stay up too late studying, or they might neglect their family in order to finish everything else.

          Another reason that time management is the most important skill to develop before college is that proper time management will help eliminate and deal with stress. If college is one of the busiest times, it is also one of the most stressful, so knowing how to deal with that stress will help students be more successful. Rather than procrastinating assignments, when students have a clear schedule they follow, they don't get as overwhelmed by the tasks that they need to finish. Managing time will thus help alleviate other problems that most stu- dents experience in college.

          In conclusion, time management is the most important skill that students need to learn before college because college is a very busy time and because time management will help students deal with stress. Students that have this essential skill will be more successful than students who don't have it. While other skills should not be ignored, starting with time management will be foundational to having enough time to learn them.