Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology

their choice of clothes.

Do you agree or disagree?

There is a view that a person’s culture and personality can be established simply by recognising the clothes they choose to wear. In my opinion, although one’s choice of clothing can tell us a little about these traits, we cannot learn a lot as appearances are only informative up to a point.

To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that the dress sense of many people is reflective of their culture and interests. This is because in many cultures there is a particular code for how to dress appropriately. For instance, a man wearing an expensive suit and holding a briefcase is understood to be steeped in business culture. Because of these social symbols, including suits, sunglasses and religious garments, it is possible to quickly ascertain that people live in one culture instead of another.
That said, there are limits to how much we can discover just by looking at someone’s clothes, especially when it comes to their character. After all, it is said that you should never judge a book by its cover. To illustrate, a woman dressed all in black may be judged to have a depressed, morose personality as we associate such feelings with this colour. However, it is more than possible that such a woman is returning from a funeral or simply thinks she looks good in black, and, more importantly, that she has a happy, cheerful nature.
In conclusion, while it is not impossible to gather accurate information about a person’s background and character via their dress sense, there is a real danger of being misled if we rely on this method of assessment at all times.
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children).
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Nowadays, many high schools make community service an optional element of their students’ curriculums. However, whereas some people believe that this unpaid service should be a mandatory part of the syllabus, I would argue that, while it is helpful, it should remain the student’s choice.
One of the most significant benefits of community service for high school students is that such work prepares students for the world outside of education. This is important because students who have no awareness of what the working world is like may be overwhelmed when it finally comes around. For instance, a student who has experience of caring for the aged - a typical community service task - will be more able to adapt to the needs of elderly customers in a working role than one who does not. Thus, community work can give students more confidence about life after school.
However, it is vital that this service be the sole choice of the student, as making such tasks compulsory may breed resentment towards the work. The reason for this is that people are naturally averse to doing anything which seems imposed upon them, especially without reward. Consequently, this resentment may then lead to poor quality work, negatively affecting both the student and the community itself. In contrast, if the student chooses to do community service for no pay, this is more likely to produce feelings of self-worth and satisfaction, contributing to better work.
In conclusion, although offering high school students unpaid community service work may help them transition into the adult world, I believe such work should not be a necessary component of their programmes as this may foster negativity towards the tasks.

Giving children and adolescents pocket money is common throughout the world.