The term “liberal arts” has some people running for the hills. The combination of “liberal”, which makes my Kentucky relatives cringe in and of itself, and “arts”, which gives the impression that you’re spending your days crafting paintings and sculptures, makes everyone wonder what in the heck you’re going to do when you graduate. Liberal arts students, however, have some opinions of their own – some similar, and some quite different. Here are some of the thoughts we have.
1. This is really uncomfortable
One of the things about being a liberal arts student is that you have to take classes outside your major. That means that even though you’re an English major and do not think you have the head for math, you are going to take a math class anyway. You might not feel totally comfortable with numbers, but you will be prepared for other challenges in the future, as life does not always give you what you want.
2. Can I fit in this class and still graduate on time?
It seems like when it is time to start scheduling for classes, you are always stuck choosing between your passions. We liberal arts students have a wide array of interests and it can be hard to pick between them, especially when you still have a general education requirement to knock out of the way. I guess that means that photography class is going to just have to wait.
3. I am never going to have a job
Despite all of the reassurances that liberal arts students are better prepared than other college students, we all feel that pressure from time to time. When you spend almost the same amount of time taking classes outside your major than in it, it starts to feel like you made the wrong decision. But the fact of the matter is, the skills you learn in a liberal arts college will continue to get you the promotions and raises that you need several years after you graduate.
4. Maybe I should become a doctor…or a lawyer…or a writer
Sometimes it feels like everyone you know, whether it’s a distant relative or your coworker at the pizza place, thinks that they know exactly what career would be best for you. But many times we liberal arts students don’t have specific career goals in mind, which is scary and exciting all at once. Whether you are a history major or a biology major, at a liberal arts school you have the opportunity to dig deep and find more about yourself and your career goals than you ever would have thought when you were in high school.
5. Community college would have been cheaper
Prestigious liberal arts colleges are often very expensive and when you hear opinions about how liberal arts students end up unemployed, you begin to question why you are paying so much for school and if you’ll ever pay back those loans. But be rest assured that the investment is well worth it, especially as we pursue our wide arrays of passions and find out more about our career goals.
Liberal arts colleges can be scary for people, whether they are the ones attending or not. But the truth about liberal arts colleges is that the experience is well worth all of the anxiety it might cause amongst its students, as they think critically and adapt to the challenges of the world around them.