Education is important. Every class that you're required to take during your tenure as a student was chosen for a reason. Some you'll enjoy, others you'll hate. But, you will walk away from each course with a larger understanding of the world as a whole. You'll study real-world ideas and skills. You'll study more abstract ideas. You'll expand your frame of reference and, in theory, you'll understand the world around you on a broader scale. You may never find or realize the value of a course (I'm looking at you Physical Geography), but you can rest assured that there is value regardless of your ability to see it.
College is about expanding your base of knowledge, about perfecting a craft, about understanding who you are as a person and where you might fit into this very vast world. It's important to recognize this and to treat college as such an opportunity. Viewing college as job training is narrow-minded at best. This sort of thinking closes you off from experiences and information that might wind up being transformative.
I started college as an art major with a journalism minor. I've never been the practical sort of learner. But, it was very difficult for a new student to get into an art course. This was something I had not foreseen. So, I enrolled in a slew of General Education courses and one journalism class. As it turned out, I really did not like journalism. The language and form confines of broadcast and cable writing just didn't work for me. I wasn't good at working within a box.
So, after that first semester, I decided to explore. I did enroll in more General Education courses. But, I also chose to study Dinosaurs, philosophy, women and literary non-fiction. In many ways this was a turning point in my life. I had been so sure that I was meant to be an artist that I didn't much pay attention to other things. And, I'm still fairly certain I'd have made a great artist, but the cost of blindly following that path at such a young age is one I am glad I didn't actually pay.
In that first year, I learned that I was actually pretty good at understanding half of the natural sciences. When the math got more difficult, I petered out. But, I have a strong love of Biology, specifically Mammology and Geology. Rocks are a whole lot more interesting than I'd ever imagined. I learned more about women than I thought there was to learn. As a woman, I feel like it's important to understand the gender and its history.
I also learned that I enjoyed the academic challenges the philosophy presented. I like to think. I like to debate. I like to dig into meaning. But, most importantly, I learned to channel my creativity into written form as opposed to the visual that I was so sure of. So, I changed my major and my path.
Ultimately, I graduated with a BA in Writing and Philosophy and went on to further degrees. I am what some might call a life-long learner. I cannot get enough information and data. I prefer the challenges of a classroom learning environment to the wealth of free information that is available on the internet.
The message here, though, is to step outside of yourself. Many colleges charge a flat fee per semester. You're allowed to take more classes than you'll need in order to graduate. Do that. Explore other subjects. You may make decision that changes the path you're on for the better. You might not. Either way, you'll have learned about new and exciting things. You'll have a stronger understanding of what other people chose to study. You won't sit there 10 years after graduation regretting the fact that you did not take the time to study music theory or art history. When given the opportunity to learn, sieze it.
