To the education that I love and hate simultaneously,
I understand your purpose: to make me as well-rounded as humanly possible. You want me to master all areas of the spectrum instead of just one, which I fully understand. I respect the fact that you want me to go out into the world, ready for any challenge, representing the school from which I got my degree as a proficient and accomplished graduate.
What I don’t understand, or appreciate for that matter, is the fact that my time and effort, as well as my parents’ money, is wasted on some of the most trivial, frivolous, and completely pointless classes that I have ever taken.
Like I said before, I’m all for students needing to know important life skills. Strong writing skills are mandatory for being successful in life, as well as knowing the basics of finances and maybe even a bit of a foreign language.
What I’m not all for is the fact that I’m rotting in a class called “Earthquakes and Volcanoes.” No offense to my professor, my TAs, or anyone who is remotely interested in plate tectonics, seismic waves, or geology in general, but this class is the epitome of my worst nightmare. It’s not that I’m out of my comfort zone that ticks me off. It’s not even the fact that I’m not doing as well as I want to be (not for a lack of trying). It’s the sheer concept that I’m required to spend what little time I have to begin with studying for a course that will provide me with such little “real-world” knowledge. Isn’t the point of liberal arts education these days to make me diverse and ready for the real world? I will eat some serious crow one day, if necessary, but I would be willing to bet anyone that being able to identify 34 different types of rocks and minerals will never serve me in my future profession.
That’s not even taking the cost of such classes into consideration. I know that I’m generalizing here, but most liberal arts colleges are private universities, which tend to flaunt a heftier price tag than other institutions. After breaking down the cost of my tuition, my parents are spending roughly $5,000 for me to take this course this semester. I know that they don’t mind and that they are more than willing to pay for me to get a great education, but I’m constantly frustrated that their hard-earned money is going toward a class that doesn’t strengthen my skills for my major and future career. (I'm also sure that they'd rather spend $5,000 elsewhere.)
That's not to mention that my GPA is tanking little by little each day that I remain enrolled in this class.
I love what you teach me, education. I love the countless opportunities that you provide me with each and every day and those that you have yet to give me. I just wish that you would realize that, while a lot of what you teach me is valuable, a good portion of it is straight up BS.
Ambivalently yours,
A frustrated student
