Benefits Of A Liberal Arts Education

Critical examination of the four liberal arts breadth areas, in their natural state, demonstrate that each area of study brings value and purpose to life. It is important to focus on developing weaknesses to gain fulfillment while using strengths to help others succeed.

The basis of a liberal education by today’s definition is a way for a person to become educated in many aspects of different fields, and it provides a way for the student to always keep learning. With so much knowledge to obtain in multiple subjects, it is possible that someone could study their entire life and only scratch the surface of all the knowledge

There is not just one study of “liberal arts,” but a broad variety of options and fields, from history to creative writing to philosophy. The entire point of a liberal arts education is to provide a wide knowledge base of education that develops skills needed for almost any career. Communication, analysis, and debate coexist in every field imaginable, from science to social studies, but liberal arts degrees create true polymaths. Those well-versed in many subjects can cross-apply their knowledge to form creative solutions to problems plaguing the Earth. With a world criss-crossed by party lines, tribal lines, and ideological lines, someone has to understand all the sides in order to rejoin the divisions. There is a broad variety of opportunities to mend these tears, from diplomacy to nonprofit activism, from cultural studies to linguistics. All that matters is a willingness to be open and

In his essay, The New Liberal Arts, Sanford Ungar addresses common misperceptions related to a liberal arts education. He speaks to their usefulness, the employment opportunities after graduation, their value despite the cost of tuition, and other misconceptions. His overall message is, despite the recent emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math degrees, as well as technical or vocational training, liberal arts degrees are still important and are a valid option to consider when deciding on your educational future. While his essay could easily apply to anyone with these misperceptions, it appears to be targeted directly towards students in high school or early college who are trying to decided on the direction of their education

Before reading the Andrew Delbanco book, College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be, my view of Liberal Arts education was positive. A Liberal Arts education consists of a curriculum based in the sciences and humanities while maintaining the freedom to pursue interdisciplinary study. Studying at a university with such a curriculum and freedom can be compared to an all-you-can-eat buffet; the student attending would not need to commit to a single area of study, trapped in confined course-load in one building on campus. Rather, that person could dish a little bit of business, with a side of art history, and a healthy helping of biology onto their academic tray and consume to their heart’s content, scraping the sides of the university in order to

There are many benefits to getting a Liberal Arts degree in today’s economic market. It is a message to your employer that you are willing to take on new information, and learn more then what is necessary to succeed. It shows initiative and the ability to expand your horizons beyond yourself. In a Liberal Arts education there is more purpose then just learning the career field of choice. It is a program that teaches critical thinking and self-thought. It teaches the student how to learn and teach themselves, to achieve more than just memorization of facts.

Although, it is common for an undergraduate student to change their career path, adults often alter their job direction as well. The reasons for an individual to begin a new job are endless. In an article by Betty Southwick it is estimated that in the year 2009 twenty percent of workers will start a new job. Especially in our current economic downfall with an estimated 2.4 million Americans unemployed, according to the Associate Press, it is extremely important for one to be proficient in multiple skills and have a broad knowledge base. The background information learned in a liberal arts education gives one the knowledge to succeed if they are forced to find work outside the field in which they have a degree. A liberal arts education creates a well-rounded individual. If liberal arts education were replaced with specialized education, in universities, students would be at a disadvantage. Focusing solely on one area handicaps an individual and limits their knowledge base. Therefore, making opportunities harder to come by during rough economic times like our society is currently experiencing.

Throughout childhood, most have been told that they need to go to college in order to receive a well-paying job. Therefore, students immediately decide to major in something that will help them either get a job that pays very well and many of their courses are targeted at their major of choice. However, another route that many students don’t consider is a liberal arts education. Many believe that liberal arts is a waste of time and doesn’t truly prepare them for a future career.

Liberal arts helps create a well-rounded person. Mr. Ungar described how liberal arts promotes the perceptive of looking at a problem on another angle rather keeping one track. Furthermore, he mentioned liberal arts, as

The use of a liberal arts degree is considerably useful and you should certainly strive towards one. The professor in this essay believes that the perception of getting a liberal arts degree is commonly misconceived as being a degree for hobbies and not for the workforce. The argument centers around the many uses of a liberal arts degree that offer people multiple opportunities for them to find a career. The point of this essay is to evaluate and provide facts of the uses of these degrees and how these degrees will help you in the workforce.

In his essay, “Only Connect…,” Cronon lists characteristics of a liberally educated person. These characteristics include being able to listen and understand, talk to anyone, write to persuade, read well, solve problems, and nurture and empower others (Cronon). These characteristics of liberally educated people directly align with skills desired by employers. People with these traits have the skills necessary to succeed in practical situations, like those encountered in the workforce. This essay helped me understand that by providing a liberal arts education, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is also providing students with skills needed to succeed in their future careers. Through examining the structure of a four-year education at the University and consulting the perspectives of a UW Oshkosh professor and an outside professor, I came to understand that the University integrates career preparation with liberal arts education throughout because a well executed liberal arts education will provide proper career preparation. At their core, liberal arts and workforce development have very similar

Martin Luther King Junior said, “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” Higher education does not exist for the sole purpose of preparing students for future jobs; it’s there in order to prepare individuals for life where they are expected to participate in their community, their government, and the lives of those around them. Liberal arts, in particular, exist for the broadening of students’ minds in order for them to be successful not only in their chosen career but also in their lives outside of it. Liberal arts lost their past popularity during the last few decades, but they shouldn’t be disregarded in favor of technical and professional degrees because they still provide students with skills that are perhaps less tangible, but no less necessary for life in modern world.

In Donald E. Simanek’s article On Being an Excellent Student, he says “We even impose interpretations on things we learn, and avoid learning some things because they don’t seem important at the time. Education can broaden that view, encouraging to set our egos aside and objectively evaluate facts and interpretations.” Liberal arts education is described as “useless” but it can really help a person expand their knowledge. Things you learn in liberal arts classes could be useful for the rest of your life. Simanek also said, “Awareness of what’s going on in the world around you, and the habit of intelligently relating it to your academic courses. For example, when taking a course in political science, you should relate what you are learning in class to what’s happening on the national and world political scene.” Political science is considered a liberal arts class, even though a student might not need this class for their major, they could really benefit from taking it. A student can learn information from the political science class that could help them understand and relate to what is going on in the real world. The more you learn, the clearer things

Liberal Arts are academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences as distinct from professional and technical subjects. This approach to education provides students with specialized ability in a chosen major as well as builds a foundation of skills and knowledge that can be applied among many career paths and academic pursuits. Employers value the ability to solve problems, adapt to change, work across disciplines, and collaborate with others, which are distinctive tenants acquired when you pursue a major in liberal arts. Clearly, all successful careers require critical thinking, teamwork, sensitivity to cultural, demographic, economic and societal differences and political perspectives. A

Liberal Arts also nurture other hidden talents that the student might not have realize before attending that said liberal art college.