General Education

Ignorance is NOT Bliss
Our curriculum dates far back to 400 A.D. The Roman Empire was in complete disarray. Luckily, a highly intelligent member of the Roman Proconsul named Martianus Capella confronted and diagnosed the problem. During this time of conflict it was truly a possibility that one may be taken thousands of miles away due to disjointed authority and foreign conflict. One may even find themselves in strange place where the people spoke an unfamiliar language. Capella stated ever so eloquently that to be prepared and survive in this constantly changing society we must know everything, or as close to it as we can get (Dutch). Indeed, this seems unlikely. However, acquiring a general education will surely aid one in this process. As soon as we graduate’s high school, society expects us to either go to a community college, four year institution or enter into a vocational career. If a student takes the college route, they are required to take general education classes. As a student participating in the process of acquiring a general education like many young adults today, we may start to question the importance of general education. General education provides a wide variety of courses in fields such as history, art, language and science. These courses are offered to provide rudimentary instruction and essential skills in specific areas such as, math, science and history. It is imperative that general education be continued to not only prepare students for a changing world, to give an overview of knowledge that allows an informed decision to be made, but most importantly, to decide on a major. General education offers the student an opportunity to become a well-rounded individual. The average student may think general education has nothing to offer, especially when their major is science related. This is strictly because a student may not think it has any relation to their major. This is unquestionably false. Somewhere down the line of a student’s future career, the biology and engineering majors will need alternative methods and certain interpersonal skills that a science course will by no means offer. A science course undeniably cannot teach rudimentary grammar, how to speak to a large audience, or even a nations fascinating history. Although these skills are not directly related to a particular major, they will not only aid an individual in their future career but in everyday interactions as well. If an employer asks a member of their staff to write a professional paper or make a speech, general education will certainly prepare them for this. One primary goal of general education is to mold the student to become and well-rounded individual. From my experience, I have become a better citizen, employee, student and friend because of the general education I received. In addition, I have learned skills such as communication and psychology that I liberally apply on a daily basis. These have nothing to do directly with my major; however, general education provided me with these helpful skills. I implement them in the workplace and relationships as well. Receiving a general education will provide one with desirable skills that employers seek out and covet. Not only are these skills desired by employers they are applicable in daily situations. Should general education be eliminated there will no longer be an option to learn these necessary skills. Not only are these skills demanded in our society, but without them you are significantly less of an asset to your employer, and as we know the purpose of college in to prepare you for your future career endeavors. Without general education you are disposable and easily upstaged. It is a disappointing and distressing day when students choose to remain ignorant to necessary information solely because they personally do not find it relevant.
In today’s society the decisions we make will not only shape our lives but reflect on us as well. How can we make a truly informed decision if we lack basic and current knowledge on a given topic? The answer is simple, we cannot. It is undeniably impossible to formulate a valid and reasonable opinion without rudimentary and modern knowledge on the subject. To be a good and informed citizen in today’s world, it is necessary to acquire diverse knowledge before participating in the democratic process. It is crucial that citizens participate and most importantly vote on the foundation of good reason. We must not fall prey to the influence and manipulation of political leaders as well as the media. To succumb to this would be a disservice to not only your community but yourself as well. An establishment of arts, science and humanities will put a stop to this. We must be able to formulate our own decisions and decide our own path. In fifteen years I may not remember much from philosophy, statistics or physics; however, the critical thinking skills and experience I acquire will follow me throughout my life. These skills can not only help us in daily situations but more importantly prevent us from falling victim to the beguiling media and misleading political figures. The military says, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you- it will kill you (Dutch).” To take away general education is to take away an easily accessible way to obtain this knowledge. Our community colleges and four year institutions offer a wide array of general education courses to benefit us in our intellectual growth. These courses aim either guide the student towards their desired major or to help the student decide on a major. I needed help deciding on my major. I had no idea what I wanted to pursuer as a career when I first entered college. It was during a general education course that I decided on what I would do. My College Success teacher approached me and asked me “if you could do something for the rest of your life and not get paid to do it, what would you do?” This course was not only taught flawlessly, but truly changed me as an individual. It inspired me to become a teacher. If I had not taken this course, I would still be undecided on a major. If a student doesn’t know what they want to major in, general education offers a wide variety of courses ranging from history and psychology to theater. The classes that are offered in general education cover broad strokes. General education may introduce you to something you had no idea you were completely passionate and talented in. People who oppose general education may say that it is more beneficial to take only courses that apply to your major to increase your expertise. While I understand this, it is proven that people change careers several times in their life (Russell). To know only one area in depth may be beneficial for some time, but what happens when you no longer work in that field? You have nothing to fall back on. You invested your education in one subject. The foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills developed in general education courses will help an individual more throughout the span their lifetime than superfluous courses in one 's major. Harvard Business review and The Atlantic have published several articles stating that having a background in humanities is more favorable to an employer because one is capable of think in innovative ways (Austin). Without general education our perspective on academies would be significantly narrower. Students often believe that general education requirements are a waste of time, or confidently consider it to be comparable to a primitive torture device (Russell). However, I would persuade all students, both here at the community college level or a 4 year institution, to regard their general education classes as a resource to find the underlying relations linking all subjects and disciplines. It is truly remarkable to become conscious that your current field of study is connected to and frequently reliant upon another, and that is the core mission of a superior educational system.

Works Cited
Austin, Michael. The Value of General Education. N.p., 13 Apr. 2011. Web.
Dutch. "The University:Who Are These People and Why Are They Messing with My
Mind?" Why General Education? Green Bay, 4 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.
Russell, Sarah. "Opinion: Benefits Found in General Education." The Daily Beacon
Latest News RSS. N.p., 26 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.

Cited: Austin, Michael. The Value of General Education. N.p., 13 Apr. 2011. Web. Dutch. "The University:Who Are These People and Why Are They Messing with My Mind?" Why General Education? Green Bay, 4 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. Russell, Sarah. "Opinion: Benefits Found in General Education." The Daily Beacon Latest News RSS. N.p., 26 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.