Throughout those boring classes in middle school and high school, we always find ourselves saying, "When am I ever going to use this?!" Of course, your teacher has one of those charts that really does show you how you were going to use it, but being in college puts a whole new spin on things. I am majoring in Speech-Language Pathology and find myself asking why I am stuck taking World History. Ironically, enough that very question came up in my World History class. America is one of the only countries that requires every student to take a set list of "general education" courses. Who says that we need it? Who deems that necessary to be a true "scholar?" The corporations, that's who. For so long, I only saw the small picture, I thought that it was only my high school or middle school that required that you take those boring home economics and family consumer sciences classes. Being in college for a few months has given me a whole new perspective on who really decides what classes we take. It is all the decision of a corporation, someone who knows nothing about me deciding what will or will not make me a well rounded person. I really think that these "general education" requirements are the cause for "one in four freshmen dropping out within the first few years." (
Careers and Colleges) Why four years of history, english, and math aren't enough is a question that I cannot even begin to fathom an answer to. I hate sitting through boring history lectures and math lessons. Why can't I just get straight to the reason I am even in school: to be trained for the workforce. If that isn't the point of school, then what is? Who are corporations to say that I have to take these boring classes to become a true person of the world? I can confidently say that my job will NEVER reference World History or World Literature. So why am I being forced to take them? Corporations, that's why.
Whitbourne, Jonathan. "The Dropout Dilemma: One in Four College Freshmen Drop Out. What Is Going on Here? What Does It Take to Stay In? | Careers and Colleges | Find Articles at BNET." Find Articles at BNET | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. Mar. 2002. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.
Dear Christine,
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about sitting in the middle of a "gen ed" class. I will look at my phone in hopes that the time has passed closer to the end.
Something that stood out to me was when you listed the fact of how many students drop out as freshman. It's really a shame because once you've finished those required classes it gets better and you're doing something you most likely love.
"America is one of the only countries that requires every student to take a set list of "general education" courses." I disagree with this. It isn't really fair and I know plenty of people that fail these courses and learn absolutely nothing simply because they don't have any interest.
Thanks for writing this blog. You shared how you felt and I can definitely relate.
Oryx