A question frequently heard among students, from elementary to college, is “when will I need to know this?”. No matter the class, there is always someone who believes the course does not pertain to them and is a waste of time and money. Myself, I remember thinking that very same thing of AP Calculus and later Statistics. As someone aspiring for a career in the health sciences, I assumed that a comprehensive education in the various math forms was superfluous. And though I love history, English, and art, I caught myself wondering if I would ever utilize such knowledge beyond that class. What I have realized, however, is that all knowledge gained by an individual can only work to their advantage. Furthermore, I believe that liberal arts courses …show more content…
Both in their professional lives and personal lives, these skills are vital. Communication, for one, can be greatly improved by taking liberal arts courses as they often require group work, discussion and presentation. An individual who does not take liberal arts courses may still be able to develop perfectly acceptable communication skills, but they lose the opportunity to challenge themselves further and continue in growth. Along with communication skills are interpersonal skills. Whether working with customers directly, acting as a customer, or simply maintaining a conversation with a friend/colleague, interpersonal skills go a long way in facilitating communications. The development of understanding in behavior and social customs, as well as the ease in utilizing such skills is a primary benefit to liberal arts courses. Innovative and creative thinkers also emerge from liberal arts courses. Able to color outside the lines and see the bigger picture, these individuals can solve problems in ways previously overlooked. As a whole, liberal arts courses are able to cultivate an individual and develop the skills they will need on a daily
The author concludes that the debate of liberal education will continue throughout generations to come. That students should immerse themselves within liberal arts not to just make a living, but to become more complex and diverse, to find creative ways to solve new problems, and develop as a person as a person. (Ugar 196) By incorporating the gained knowledge of the liberal arts, undergraduates can pass it down to the future
Three goals that I have accomplish while being in ENGWR50. Being able to analyze assignments, and being able to address them. I have learned these lessons with the reading "Fixed Vs Growth Mindsets" and the FWA1 and FWA2. The workshops has also help me to understand how to revise an essay as well as understanding how to distinguish between facts in opinions. reading the articles " True Grit" and, " 100% Is Over Rated", writting the summaries on these articles has taught me how to analyze reading while being able to create strategies for addressing them. this class has help me to become a better writer. it has prepared me for ENGWR101 now I know what is expected of me when writing a college paper. This course will follow me to my next class
Liberal arts education has been pursued by great thinkers and enthusiastic learners throughout the centuries. Great thinkers have sought out to expand their knowledge and gain a better and deeper understanding of the world in which they live. This has been accomplished by laying foundations of knowledge gained through diligently studding subjects such as physics, mathematics, art, history, philosophy, music and denoting an equal appreciation for each of these subjects. Each of these subjects is capable of expanding our comprehension of how the things of this world work. Not one of them is more capable as compared to the other, in regards to broadening our horizons or expanding our critical thinking abilities. Instead each subject matter holds within it the power for personal, professional and mental growth.
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
Much of my lower division courses have helped to prepare me for the upper division courses, much of the material in my upper division courses are based upon these lower division courses. Throughout my college career I have met and made many friends not just from the campus that I attend, but from other larger institutions as well, such as Sac State and UC Davis. Upon communicating with them I have gotten a lot of insight as to what is expected of a student at these different universities, such as what has helped them become a successful student, the barriers they have faced, and as well as the do’s and the don’t s. The community college that I attend has blessed me with a great experience and amazing professors who have so much experience and
There is value in a required class in the Liberal Arts Education” [Dr. Andrew Mills]. This was how Dr. Mills began his speech. This statement caught my attention and I began to wonder. What is the value or pre-eminence of taking courses outside my major? Will I benefit much from that or is it just a mere waste of my time? Thankfully ,Dr. Mills answered my questions as he intimated that in a liberal arts education set up, one gains character traits that will not only come in handy when looking for a job but that will also make one a great critical thinker with an open mind.
In the beginning, I felt as this English course was just another typical course with the purpose of allowing students to write more essays without the use of creativity and acuity. However, as I ventured deep into the course, I found my original opinion to be biased. Throughout my spiritual journey in ENGL 1304, I not only learned many concepts and new ideas along the way, but I was also able to connect with all my readings. From researching my online sources to constructing a coherent argument, I grasp the process of communicating my voice for each assignment through careful observation and visualization. As a result, I was able to write my essays in a more personal manner. It also led me to stray away from the concept of “just writing anything
The liberal arts create student who can think for themselves. With courses that encourage students to think, a liberal arts education generates students who will have unique perspectives and opinions on many subjects. The liberal arts prepare students to generate ideas that will continue to facilitate discussions in and outside of school. Liberal arts prepare a student to think about their thought process. With quantitative information and qualitative information, students can learn how to express their thought process and any patterns that go along with the process. The liberal arts encourage students to collect information, analyze that information and then come up with conclusions or solutions for
I chose a liberal arts college because I felt as though a liberal arts college was the perfect fit for me based on the characteristics that distinguish them from large universities and for-profit colleges. I knew that I wanted a small school because I wanted the experience to be more personalized than what I would get at a large university. I wanted to have smaller classes and the ability to go to my professors outside of the classroom to seek help or understanding. That is a bit more difficult in large universities. I also wanted to have the ability to take classes that aren’t necessarily for my major. I believe that having the ability to venture out and educate yourself and take classes out of curiosity rather than requirement is what most
After reading through Robert Harris’s article regarding the purpose of a Liberal Arts education, I came across quite a few of his Harris’s ideas that affect my life as it is now, and will affect my life in the future. Harris’s notion that general knowledge is an ally of faith, was one concept that I feel has the greatest impact on my life. Since I have started my degree at Liberty University, I have taken classes like biology and American History that have incorporated God’s teachings in a way that I have never seen taught before. Because of these classes incorporating fundamental Christian values into their coursework, I now have a deeper understanding of the Lord’s message. I can also see the intricate designs of God’s work throughout
The debate over whether or not a student should receive a liberal arts education has been prevalent in society since its first appearance. As previously shown, some people see it as a waste of time, while others see it as having value in the balance that it gives students. Still, others hold a liberal arts degree in high esteem. Each group has different reasons for their argument, but the essence of each inquiry is the same; are the skills that a liberal arts education teaches profitable enough to receive one? A much needed factor not included in the discussion, however, is how it affects one’s life later on. This should be one of the most influential aspects of deciding whether or not a liberal arts education is worthwhile gaining because where one wants to go establishes what one should do to get there. Therefore, the effects of a liberal arts education should be further examined to accurately determine its worth.
At the beginning of the course, I was very excited and enthused to learn about social psychology, specifically because of its relevance to our everyday life. After reading the course material in that first week, I was drawn to both the social learning perspective and the sociocultural perspective. So for the final discussion post of this course, I decided to write about the perspective that I align with most and how it has developed over these past eight weeks. After doing a lot of reading and studying, I found that I most aligned with the social learning perspective. The social learning perspective focuses on a system of rewards and punishments; whereas individuals learn appropriate and inappropriate social behaviors through being either rewarded for socially acceptable behavior or punished for socially unacceptable behaviors (Kenrick, Neuberg, & Cialdini, 2015). Early on in one’s childhood, he is taught values, morals, and life lessons that seek to produce a good, law-abiding, compassionate citizen of the world.
In a senior high math classroom a factoring unit could include items to stimulate many of the personality types.
I’ve learned a lot of useful tips from this semester in ENG 201. English has never been my strong suit nor has it been my favorite class. However this college course has changed my point of view of the subject. Prior coming into college I viewed English as a useless class because I’ve already knew the basics: how to talk, read and write essays. Today I view English as an important class. It helped me in other courses that involved writing, such as World Civilization and Communications, because it allowed me to practice my skills. In my world civilization exams I had to write essays. This course helped me write an impactful essay. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that almost all of my exam scores were in the 90s, usually I do poorly in the
The second thing I want to achieve through a liberal arts education is having the ability to communicate with all different types of people about various subjects.