General Education : Help Or Hindrance?

In Charles Murray's article “Are Too Many People Going to College?” he argues that the route that has been set-up, whether knowingly or unknowingly, for individuals to achieve success in their life by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) is obsolete in a modern world. He espouses six reasons for his position. In this essay, I’ll summarize Murray's position and then elucidate on his points while explaining my position on wach of his views. Lastly, I'll state my belief that getting a college degree is valuable even if it is not the source of my financial income.

General Education courses may be one of the most hated requirements in college by students. These courses are required amongst all college students regardless of one’s major or minor. General Education courses may vary with schools but usually consist of: the arts and humanities, social science, natural science, mathematics, and writing. These courses should be optional; students should be able to take them at their own interest such as with elective courses. Without General Education courses it is understood that students will not have completed or received credits needed to graduate. Required college courses should be based solely on one’s major or minor. Students should not be required to

Today, education enables us to enlarge our knowledge and open doors for opportunities to the path of having a good future. In the five readings, each written by a different author, there was a lesson learned and something to take away from each one. Reading through the passages by Mann, Moore, Malcolm X, Gatto, Rose, and Anyon, each author contributed his or her point of view on general public education. This topic can be very argumentative depending on the quality of education people receive. Education today is the single most important mean for individuals to achieve their personal goals in the workforce.

As the world becomes more specialized it raises the question, should undergraduate institutions change their curriculum requirements to better equip students? The goal of a liberal arts education is to enlighten individuals and prepare them for the complex and diverse world by requiring the study of literature, philosophy, mathematics, and sciences. As professional careers evolve into more specialized fields the argument that a liberal education is no longer needed rises. Some educators feel that future professionals would be better primed for the future by focusing specifically on subjects that deal with their intended field. However, a liberal arts education provides benefits that go beyond the classroom. The experience of studying a

Kanno & Kangas, 2014), rigorous college preparation begins in middle school, when students must take the prerequisite classes to advanced high school courses. By the time students reach high school, advanced placement courses may be out of reach for those who have not taken the preparatory classes (Kanno & Kangas, 2014). Given that a rigorous secondary school curriculum seems to predict college success (Flores et al., 2012), ensuring that former ELLs enroll and succeed in high-level classes is integral to promoting equitable college readiness. Indeed, students who take advanced coursework tend to develop more higher-level thinking skills, analytical abilities, and positive attitudes than students who take basic courses (Kanno & Kangas, 2014). Most recently, Flores et al. (2012) analyzed student data from Texas and found that taking high-level and dual-credit courses is a strong predictor of immediate college enrollment for all students regardless of ELL

William G. Tierney, Zoë B. Corwin, Julia E. Colyar, (2005), Preparing for colleges, pp 200-264

College does not provide the correct curriculum needed to successfully advance in certain occupation that are not taught by the conventional methods in the classroom and are not taught in the period that

After graduating from high school, it’s a time to start fresh and find your personality.There are many choices that we as young adults have to make about how we are going to continue on with our lives, and get to where we want to be. Furthering our education in the long run will help us have happier, successful lives. Going to college, is a big part of many people’s lives, and a choice that many will choose to get to their next goal in life. Although, when one is looking into what route they are going to choose, there are many options to pick from; a public and or private university, a community college, a technical school or even going into the military to help pay for the high tuition. In this paper, I’m going to discuss the tuition, class sizes and what they have to offer.

After someone completes high school, their first step is figuring out what kind of career they want to pursue. Most careers require a college degree just to apply. At this point, they should decide what their major is going to be and see what college is best for them to attend. Every college requires “general education” classes that the students must pass to graduate. Taking these extra mandatory classes is just time lost that college students will never get back.  General ed classes are also a waste of money, as many students acquire major debt from trying to pay for these required classes. If students were able to only take courses that help them in completing their major, more students would actually finish the classes and get their degree instead of dropping out. Universities should not necessitate students to take these general education courses that have nothing to do with the their major.

​"Education is the movement from darkness to light". In The Closing Of The American Mind, by Allan Bloom, Bloom argues that higher education has been drastically modified over the years and has ruined the psyche of today 's students. Once upon a time Americans dreamed of a better and brighter future, one that could transport them into a perfect utopia of societal bliss. Higher Education was the enthralling stepping stone for happiness. It inspired students to find their voice, while drawing from the past. It was a place where they could make mistakes and change their major once or twice. Today, higher education has become more about the career path and how it is more necessary than before. Higher education is no longer an adventure that allows the student to embark upon a journey of discovery and self-expression as it once was. This is due to the vigorous demands of the general society and how students today are required to maintain focus on a career that is valuable and not adventurous. Basically, we have lost touch with what makes this country so great; the impossible becoming reality. The creativity is gone. The belief that our imagination can grant us happiness if we work hard enough and believe is nonexistent. Higher education has separated the extraordinary and left us with dedicated, intelligent drones working towards the path that pays the most and will always have job security.

They write down the list of classes I must take to graduate, and it turns out that I need take this class to fulfill the graduation requirements for general education.

Students go to college in search of knowledge, a new lifestyle, and the hope of a job after graduation. For many young adults, college is a rite of passage into an independent, mature new lifestyle. Not only is higher education a rite of passage, for some, it is also an opportunity to have a better life. Overall, college is a wonderful part of many people’s lives, yet the way the college education system is conducted wastes students time and money. College is basically composed of two parts: general education classes and major specific classes. General education courses are the source of wasted time and money, and should not be required of students. A few of the problems associated with general education classes are that they are

Higher education has evolved greatly since the time of Adam Smith, however, to this day, universities can still benefit from Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. In particular the excerpt, On the Education of Youth, in which many of his opinions that are conveyed can apply to some of the current issues at many universities, including those at DePauw. While there is an array of topics when it pertains to higher education, this paper will primarily focus on Smith’s opinion of DePauw’s graduation requirements and how this affects course selection. One pressing concern with modern universities, especially liberal arts schools, is what courses should be required in order to graduate. Smith is not in favor of forcing students to enroll in classes as

The reformers of general educations chief initiatives were to instill in students with values and skills beyond that of simply how much would they earn within their chosen profession. College leaders looked into how to weave general educational courses into the fabric of their university, along with tackling institutional and departmental fragmentation as to how to apply it. Institutional administrators and faculty grapple with implementation and thematic issues related to general education. “Colleges are finding that students are coming to their campuses with little to any knowledge of what general education is or why and how it might benefit them” (Twombly, 1992).

I would have to say that I am for general education core classes. My opinion is based on what I have done while in high school. I chose to go to a two year technical school for automotive repair. My career path has change in so many ways. So that for me the majority of general education courses and new to me.