Alma Washington is another one of the talented college interns working at the AJC this summer. She is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studies interactive multimedia journalism and creative writing. She is interning in the audience department at the AJC.
In this piece, Washington looks at general education or gen ed classes, courses required of students regardless of major so they'll emerge well-rounded. Schools impose "distribution requirements" to ensure their students sample an array of courses to satisfy the gen ed mandate.
When you read college statements defending gen ed, you see very big ideals, such as "To prepare our students for lives of significance and worth." Or, "To provide a framework for learning that empowers adult learners to be informed and active citizens in a pluralistic society."
Despite those noble goals, many students regard gen ed as something to get out of the way as soon as possible. There is a debate underway about whether students should be bound by someone else's checklist of what they ought to know to succeed in life.
Today, Washington adds her voice to the discussion.
By Alma Washington
To graduate from UNC, you need at least 120 credit hours on your transcript. My journalism major is 39 credit hours. My two minors are 15 credit hours each, which brings me to 69 credit hours between my major and minors. This means a little less than half of my college career has gone to what are called general education classes, a collection of credits required by all majors for a degree under the premise that students need a broad knowledge base beyond their field of study.
Students can choose what general education classes they take within the designated disciplines. This usually includes the math, science, English and history quartet that students are used to from high school, with some arts and philosophy classes added into the mix. College was touted as a land of choice and opportunity, a reprieve from the repetitive and strict nature of high school. So why are students forced to spend precious time and money taking classes that often have nothing to do with their major and career interests?
I'll admit, I've had some great general education classes. After watching the controversial "Memoirs of a Geisha," I took a class on Japanese geisha and explored a subject I knew nothing about. On the other hand, I've had some experiences I could've easily skipped. My introductory biology class required an expensive textbook, and I walked away knowing little more than the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
Credit: Maureen Downey
Credit: Maureen Downey
I don't see why colleges can't do both, but I don't agree with the model that most colleges follow. A fellow intern introduced me to the "open curriculum" program that some schools are using as a compromise on general education requirements. Amherst College and Brown University, for example, give students total freedom in the classes they take outside of their major.
Opponents of the open curriculum model argue students can misuse this freedom to avoid venturing out their comfort zone and challenging themselves, which is one of the things college is supposed to help us do. That's a valid concern, but students can still avoid challenge now. Whenever it's nearing class registration time, UNC Facebook groups are flooded with posts asking what the easiest classes are that will fulfill certain requirements. Rate My Professors is a popular site on which students rate professors and classes on overall quality and level of difficulty. Where there's a will to take the easy way out, there's a way.
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