What is the purpose of having a liberal arts degree?

College Essays
1

In my opinion, liberal arts degrees help you critically think and analyze information, which is essential for being an ethical and well-informed citizen. I know every subject in college teaches you how to critically think and analyze information. But the liberal arts are essential because they teach you rhetoric, critical thinking skills and analysis skills.

Would you agree with me? I believe the main purpose of going to college is to help you become a better informed and ethical citizen. I don’t think people should be going to college for the sake of finding a job. Yes, it is possible to find a better job if you have a college degree, but that’s not the point of college. The purpose of college is to make you into a better citizen.

I think it is funny that some people think the liberal arts are useless, and that you should only major in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). First of all, I don’t believe there is any distinction between liberal arts and STEM because all fields of studies are interconnected. For example, if you want to understand computer science, you also need to under the psychological, sociological and other such aspects of computers. Also, I believe all college majors are equally valuable, both in terms of helping you gain employment and teaching you valuable life lessons.

There are some people on the Internet that argue certain majors are pointless. But I believe these people are just ignorant and foolish. I believe all majors in college are equally valuable. It doesn’t matter what you major in. Just major in something that you like.

In my case, I like psychology. And therefore I majored in it. I also plan on minoring in philosophy and perhaps several other minors like Anthropology and etc. My main interests are the social sciences, and that’s why I would like to minor in more social sciences. I am very interested in sociology, geography, anthropology and other social sciences, so I plan on taking these introductory courses to increase my knowledge in these subjects.

I come from a fairly affluent family. Therefore I am able to afford taking more university courses than necessary for getting my undergrad degree in psychology. I want to have several minors in various other social science disciplines rather than just have a psychology degree. The reason for this is because I want to become a more knowledge and intellectual person.

So what do you think is the value of having a liberal arts degree? Please I look forward to hearing your opinions.

2

For the most part, I agree with your take.

3

How do I edit comments? I noticed a typo in my OP post.

4

You can only edit for 15 minutes after you post, I think.

5

You only have 15 minutes to edit so are past the allowed time. For future, hover your mouse in the upper right corner of your post near the post #. A little gear will appear and if you click on it, it will say edit.

6

I believe the main purpose of going to college is to help you become a better informed and ethical citizen.

Great…tell that to the hundreds of thousands of College Graduates each year (some with huge outstanding student loans) who are unemployed and are back home living with their parents. Unfortunately, being “better informed and ethical citizen” doesn’t pay the bills!

7

All college majors are not equally valuable in terms of helping you gain employment. Anthropology majors do not have the same job opportunities as Engineers.

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I come from a fairly affluent family. Therefore, I am able to afford taking more university courses than necessary for getting my undergrad degree in psychology.

Unfortunately, unlike you, the average college graduate, upon completing their undergraduate studies, has to quickly hit the pavement looking for work. They do not have the luxury to immediately enter a fully paid-for Graduate Program in Psychology (or Communications/Anthropology/Journalism/Geography/Sociology/Biology/History, etc.).

I’m curious, how much student loan debt would you accumulate after completing your undergraduate degree, given your self-proclaimed affluent background? If you decide to delay Grad School or chose not to attend at all, would your affluent background/family connections, usher you into a high paying position quite easily (with minimal effort)? Labeling individuals as just ignorant and foolish might be described as condescending, pointing to your lack of understanding of the realities that exist in the real world. Maybe one day you will fully appreciate why so many college graduates have to seek out second “professional” degree programs, when confronted with a job market that does not put much stock in their “ethical and well-informed citizen” mantra, something most (?) employers are incapable of measuring or unwilling to risk capital to ascertain.