This is a new column that the writer's of Missouri Southern State University are working to publish weekly. Every week these writers will be debating each other on a new topic chosen at random. Each writer will argue either for or against the current topic. Please feel free to let us know what you think in the comments section below! If you found the article interesting, please share it with your friends and see what they think about the issue.
Tyler Putney: Arguing the Pro
College is a time of social development, connections, and of course learning. Walking into your freshman year, many students have no idea what to expect from their classes. This is a time where students get to sit back and enjoy the multitude of areas that college classes have to offer.
Now when entering the senior year, many college students just want to be done with college. They want to be done waking up at 8 a.m., they want to be done paying $400 per class, and they want to get into the "real world." Fortunately, life just doesn't work like that.
Many colleges have a required number of credits a student must take before being able to graduate. After all of their required classes for their major, they are also required to take X amount of electives to fulfill a credit requirement. Many people may see this as redundant, or even a grab for money by the college. I see this as a way to further the development of a student's skills.
I myself am a dual major in Secondary Education and Ecology. To get my secondary education major, I need to take a plethora of psychology courses. Unfortunately, even after those psych courses, I would not yet meet the "electives" requirements. Now, I could sit in my dorm and complain "woe is me", but instead, I have decided to take a few extra psych classes, and now I will also have a minor under my belt. How many other students would pursue this path of bettering their educational careers if it was optional?
I feel requiring these elective courses at the end of your educational career can only help to serve as make a student more well rounded. This can only help to better serve that student later on in their career. Sure, a teacher might not need a PR course, but wouldn't it help to know how to talk to parents in a professional way? A business major may not need to take psychology, but couldn't knowing how people think and form relationships help them at the management level? There are so many opportunities to help extend the knowledge and use of their college information and apply it to the real world.
It isn't a matter of whether you should be forced to do it, it's a matter of how much effort you are willing to put in to your college career, and as the old saying goes, you reap what you sow.
Alex Purczinsky: Arguing the Con
At the beginning of your senior year, you are filled with the up most joy and fatigue. Many people call it senioritis. You go to class and you hope that one day in the near future you will never have to go to another class again. After going through all of that and finally walking across the stage, one day you’re sitting at home and you receive a litter that states that even though you walked across the stage, you will not be receiving your diploma.
The reason for this is usually the fact that MSSU requires 124 credit hours for graduation. That’s because even after completing your major requirements and achieving a minor, you still need electives to build up credit hours. This can range from 5-15 hours. After completing your graduation paperwork and getting approved, sometimes they miscalculate those random hours.
The best part is that there is a rumor that next year the credit limit will be 120 hours. I wonder how the rest of us seniors that had to take the random scuba diving or yoga class feel now?
It’s a win win situation for the university. More tuition equals more money. Not to mention the electives students usually choose are random, so they don’t have the same costs as with high profile professors.
For the rest of us students we’ll have to continue on our path to graduation. Even if our path might have obstacles that are useless and just drain money from our refund checks…
