“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.”
― Isaac Asimov
After spending almost one semester at Southern, the biggest
shock to me was the Liberal Education Program in that I couldn’t fathom the
importance of taking classes that have nothing to do with my major. This
upcoming semester, I will be enrolled in an art class and a geography class,
two subjects which I am foreign to and would overlook otherwise. So what
possibly could the importance of obtaining this liberal arts education be?
As one
of the oldest forms of education, liberal arts is a traditional way to create a
foundation for a more specialized education. With a liberal arts education, a student
is able to avoid the self-defeating track of conformity and be capable of
standing out among competition in the future. As mentioned above, it allows
students to broaden their horizons and take courses they would always look past
because they don’t think they would be interested in these areas. By doing
this, a liberal arts education can provide students with a extensive range of
knowledge and not just in their specialized area. Also by taking these obscure
classes, a student can be exposed to new ideas and new points of view so that
they may be able to have an interdisciplinary perspective and be knowledgeable
in many fields of study. Another benefit would be being exposed to many different
areas and maybe finding a major that the student may be unaware of. In the “What
is College For?” article it mentions, “students need to recognize that college
education is above all opening themselves up to new dimensions of knowledge and
understanding.” The growth and open-mindedness
that can come out of doing this can be quite valuable moving forward.
As liberal
arts becomes more and more popular across the globe, it is important for
college students especially to look at the bigger picture and start recognizing
how their education will only better themselves for their future whether it be
careers or whatever else they would like to execute their knowledge for. In the
article titled “Liberal Arts and the Work Place,” it draws out the qualities that
employers today are looking for which are the ability think critically,
communicate clearly, and solve complex problems. Along with these, more
knowledge of global issues, cultural diversity in the United States and abroad,
and also more civic knowledge. A liberal arts education will most likely touch
on all of these and they are transferrable across all careers, therefore being
useful and important to attain.
I am so
glad this was one of the areas that we touched on because I truly was able to
relate and see my education and worth of my education from a completely
different point of view. My attitude towards the liberal arts requirements was
much like a lot of peers in my inquiry class and probably a large portion of the
college freshmen population which was just taking classes to check off
requirements. Now I know the advantage of making connections between multiple
fields of study and also engaging in each course because I never know what
could come out of it. This positive outlook on liberal arts I have gotten this
week through readings and class discussions might possibly change my whole
college experience and I am anxious to see what the future brings. The rest is
still unwritten…
How could
a Liberal Arts Education help you in college and after? What is your take on a Liberal Arts Education?
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