There are a few reasons I'm majoring in journalism. First, I love to write, and I always have. Second, I want a career in the field and I'm willing to work extremely hard to get one. Third, I suck at almost everything else.
I know what you're thinking -- "there's no way that's true, you're great at everything and perfect in all ways," etc.-- but it's as if a Dr. Who alien wiped out my memory of everything science- or math-related and replaced it with useless information about, I don't know, Dr. Who aliens. But that's beside the point.
I'm not writing to complain about my shortcomings when it comes to schoolwork; I'm writing to complain about the requirement classes at the university, i.e. the core curriculum.
Don't get my wrong, I think that every student should have a basic knowledge of each subject in order to have a well-rounded education. What I disagree with is the amount of schooling devoted to something that will most likely not matter to a communication student, and what this, in turn, says about the type of education that the school values more.
Take this into account: the core curriculum includes nine hours of science and technology credit, three hours of social science credit, three hours of math credit, six hours of English and humanities credit, six hours of American history credit, six hours of American and Texas government credit, three hours of visual and performing arts credit, and three hours of credit from a first-year signature course. For me, there is an obvious category left out of the core--communication.
This means that, to the university, it matters more for the everyday adult to know how hydrogen fusion occurs in the Sun than to know, say, how to respect differing points of view in the workplace.
Communication is vital to the functionality of society. Knowing how to speak to others in a professional way is a major focus of communication classes and a tool that is necessary for success. It is also a skill that isn't regarded as valuable by my school, according to its core curriculum.
It's time that we focus our energy on what matters, and maybe move three of those hours of natural science to something useful (I kid, don't hate me).
For those lucky enough to have gone to high schools that offered dual credit or AP courses, this problem can mostly be ignored by claiming credit. The rest of us, however, are stuck in classes that don't interest us and that lower our GPAs more than constant binge drinking ever could.
Each student chooses their major for a reason. Maybe that reason is that they want to pursue a career in that field. Maybe it's that they have a true passion for the subject. Maybe it's because they thought it would be an easy A. Whatever the reason, there is one.
I believe that I can be a great journalist without knowing the chemical composition of tree bark. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I believe. I think it's time for students to be able to choose what is good for their futures, not be told what's what by a school board that's hidden somewhere in the dark recesses of the capitol building.
Here's to learning about what matters to you.
