Consider this statement:

Education comes not from books but from practical experience.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above
statements means. Describe a specific situation in which books might educate students better than
practical experience. Discuss what you think determines when practical experience provides a better
education than books do.
Essay #1: Education/Practical Experience
The statement means that at times practical experience can be a better method of
education than pure classroom work.
The use of books to present abstract ideas is one kind of education that is better to
learn from books than practical experience. Take math, for instance. Math concepts are
best learned from books rather than practical experience. Also, history is best learned
in the classroom since a person can't physically go back in time and watch a war.
Certain professions are learned on the job, like carpentry and plumbing. Practical
experience is the primary method of education. It is the same way for surgery. You
wouldn't want someone to take out your appendix unless they had practiced this
procedure many times on someone else.
In certain circumstances, books and practical experience go hand in hand so that
students can learn from both. Mostly this is also true in medical school. You read books
about anatomy and learn where the organs are located. This is very helpful. Then you
dissect dead bodies and get the practical experience of seeing where the organs are in
the body. Only then are you ready to perform surgery.
SCORE POINT: 2
ANNOTATIONS:
The writer begins by paraphrasing the prompt in the first paragraph and then offers a list of examples
(math, history, carpentry, surgery) without developing any of them. The essay concludes with an
example (dissecting a cadaver) that makes the same point that was made through the example at the
end of the previous paragraph (the appendix removal). Overall, the presentation is more of an outline
than a developed essay.
The essay also contains many awkward phrases and sentences (The use of books ...is one kind of
education that is better to learn from books) that tend to be confusing. The essay shows problems
with clarity of thought, and the major ideas are underdeveloped. More clarity and development would
be required for a higher score.

Essay #2: Education/Practical Experience

Both books and practical experience have important roles to play in the educational
process of an individual. Books serve as a foundation of knowledge. Books are also
helpful in situations where experiential learning is impractical or impossible. On the
other hand, experiential learning is more personal and absolutely necessary in the
development of certain skills.
Practical experience is critical in order to learn skills that involve physical abilities and
require dexterity. For example, carpenters learn on the job. One can read books about
how to construct a house, but no one becomes a master carpenter unless he or she has
mastered the use of a hammer, power saw, and measuring tape. Similarly, a medical
student can read about anatomy, but surgery is performed in operating rooms, not
libraries. In this case, hands-on experience-literally hands on, in fact-is the best way
to learn. Competence is attained through practice, and experience is required if one is
to master the surgeon's trade.
It is true, however, that certain subjects are best learned through books. Math is a
subject that requires the understanding of abstract concepts and formulae. Most
students are introduced to mathematical principles in math textbooks. These books also
provide problems for the student to work so that he or she can apply the rules that
have been taught. History is another subject that is best taught through books. We can
read about past events, like wars and peace treaties, without having directly
participated in the event. A book about Vietnam by a veteran who served in that
conflict would be one way to learn some of the important facts about that war.
What determines which is the better way to learn depends on several criteria.
Obviously, it depends on the material, subject matter, or skill to be learned. It also
depends on the student, or person, doing the learning. Some people like to read books
and can absorb vast quantities of information and apply it immediately to relevant tasks.
Others learn by doing, by making mistakes or having success. In most cases, however, a
combination of the two approaches works best.
SCORE POINT: 4
ANNOTATIONS:
This essay is clearly written and adequately developed. Although the paper is primarily descriptive,
each example contributes to the writer's presentation, and the essay progresses logically from
paragraph to paragraph.
The writer focuses on the idea that Both books and practical experience have important roles to play

in the educational process. The essay proceeds from this first sentence and all of the examples are
intended to support the writer's case. The conclusion notes specific criteria (depends on the material,
subject matter, or skill to be learned; also depends on the student, or person, doing the learning).
Essay #3: Education/Practical Experience
There is a basic philosophical tension between theory and practice, basic and applied
science, learning and doing, head and hand. Not surprisingly, professors hold books in
high esteem. But students are often frustrated by the abstract, seemingly impractical
nature of traditional instruction through textbooks and assigned readings. Students
hunger for real experiences that teach practical skills and demonstrate clear links
between classroom work and practical application.
Tomorrow's leaders and professionals need to work with the tools of their trades, to
develop the crucial personal qualities-interpersonal skills, moral judgment, decision
making under pressure-that are required for success in real world situations. In fields
as diverse as construction and medicine, one thing is certain: experience counts. No
matter how many blueprints or books on architecture an aspiring carpenter reads, there
is no substitute for working on a construction crew. The same is true for the aspiring
physician. An effective bedside manner is learned next to the patient's bed, not in a
study carrel. Doctors must read case histories and study theories of treatment, but
doctors also need to see patients, listen to them explain their symptoms, and see the
outcome of various therapies. Doctors can't just read about how to perform surgery;
they need to practice their artistry with a scalpel in hand.
Despite the immense value of practical experience, it must also be acknowledged that
books provide the basics. Certain fundamentals are required in any course of study, and
books are an appropriate starting point. For instance, in preparation for a medical
career, one must be familiar and comfortable with many facts of science. Without a
thorough understanding of biochemistry and anatomy, one can hardly be expected to
learn much through practical experience. In this case, the professors are right to
stress the importance of books. Mastering the content of a subject is a vital first step.
Beyond content, books also educate by teaching students how to think, not just what to
know. Often books are the stimulus for creative processes, and they are also a medium
for reflection on past experiences. Ethical and moral dilemmas are explored in
literature, for example, and the perceptive student who ponders these questions will be
better prepared to face them in practical situations. Furthermore, medical students, as
well as trained physicians, will find it valuable to read of new discoveries, theories, and
the outcome of various studies in the hundreds of books published each year in the

medical field.
Reading and doing, head and hand, these seemingly polar opposite approaches to
learning, are actually complementary. What we learn from books prepares us for
applying that knowledge in real life situations. Similarly, our experiences on the job
may send us back to books for deeper study or thoughtful contemplation.
SCORE POINT: 6
ANNOTATION:
This paper skillfully combines an abstract idea (There is a basic philosophical tension between theory
and practice) with concrete examples (the practice of medicine and the study of science) to create a
thoughtful discussion about the nature of learning and its application to various fields. The essay is
unified, focused, and substantially developed. The writer demonstrates a facility with language; the
diction and syntax are extremely effective in conveying the writer's ideas.
The writer continually advances the argument, building each new paragraph on the ideas and
examples of the previous paragraph. The next-to-last paragraph advances a new idea (that books also
educate by teaching students how to think) but connects that notion logically to the preceding
argument and the writer's final thoughts (how the seemingly polar opposite approaches to learning
are actually complementary).

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