Sports and social activities are usually the first to be cut from school budgets during hard times。 Are they unnecessary or less important than math， science and other subjects taught in school？ Opinions are divided on this point。 Some people claim that universities and colleges should not spend a great deal of money on sports and social activities， as their budgets should prioritize classes and libraries。 Some hold the opposing point that at universities and colleges， sports and social activities are just as important as classes and libraries and should receive equal financial support。 I side with the latter。

To begin with， universities and colleges are obliged to provide a wide range of knowledge to their students to help them develop both academically and socially， so social activities， sports and academy should be given equal importance。 Business today requires people who are not only specialists in their fields， but also skilled in social interaction。 In the rapidly changing environments of science and the economy， it is almost impossible to finish the whole task all by oneself。 Thus social skills and team spirit are necessary qualities。 There is no doubt that social activities in universities and colleges provide students with the perfect settings to practice their social skills。 Next I would like to point out that sports also help in developing social skills。 By playing football on a team， for instance， students can develop a sense of belonging and experience team spirit， both of which may prove very important in building a career。

Aside from fostering social skills and team spirit， sports and social activities act as good stress reducers。 Even the most enthusiastic people feel tired and bored if they are always concentrating on one thing。 Besides， college students today are faced with an amount of pressure unseen by any previous generations。 It is advisable to allow them to play some sports or join in social activities in order to relax， so that they can recover from heir bad situations and do well in their academic work later。

I admit that in universities， sports and social activities should by no means take the place of a focus on academic study。 However it does not mean that the former should receive less financial support。 I believe that universities and colleges should spend adequate money on academics as well as sports and social activities。 For instance， in the United States， almost all famous universities have plenty of sports teams and social groups， and universities provide adequate financial support with these events。 None of these universities have weakened their academic standards because of social movements or sports。

In conclusion， in order to prepare students for their future development， universities and colleges should spend enough money on academic education， sports and social activities。