OURVIEW: The necessary evil of general education

By now most students on campus probably have a pretty good idea of what their schedules will look like next semester. For many of us, that schedule will include a course or two that fills a general education requirement. Though we gripe and whine about having to take classes that have nothing to do with our field of study, there are many things that make generals an important part of our education.

First of all, it’s important to get a base in a broad range of subjects. In an age of specialization, true Renaissance men – and women – are hard to come across. But, the basics of subjects like writing and math are necessary in that thing waiting for us beyond graduation, “The Real World.”

Secondly, many who don’t know what they want to go into depend on generals to get an idea of what they’re interested in. By spending time immersed in different subjects, students can find where they fit best and what they would be able to stand doing for the rest of their lives.

Understandably, it’s annoying to have to take Humanity in the Food Web when you’re an English major or to take Exploring Performance Through Aesthetic Texts when you want to study economics (both real classes that fill breadth requirements), but at the same time it’s useful to be well-rounded and personally diverse.

Besides, some very famous geniuses were jacks-of-all-trades: Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Generals allow students to stretch their minds and their curiosity.

Don’t grumble too much when you’re signing up for your generals. Just remember: generals are like veggies – they’re healthy. And, when you grow up, you don’t have to eat them anymore.