Benefits Of Liberal Arts Education Essay

808 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Advantage of liberal arts education

According to Albert Einstein, the value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks. In our days large number of people value liberal arts education, considering it much more effective and noteworthy for reaching success, rather than other educational systems. A liberal arts education seeks to transform the student into a life-long learner, invoke creativity, and promote critical and effective thinking to build traits for success.
First, lifelong learning, which is considered to be one of the most important goals of a liberal arts education, is a key feature for succeeding. Lifelong learning is an ability which is for an entire …show more content…

Nowadays in many schools, there is more concentration on exact sciences, such as math, history or chemistry, rather than other fields which require creativity. Schools require students to memorize historical facts, solve mathematical equations or apply chemical formulas, sometimes neglecting their talents, their abilities to sing, draw or dance. For years this teaching method has taken many individuals far from their dreams, from discovering their potential capabilities and from successful future. One purpose of liberal arts education is to give equal opportunities to students to discover their talents, to use creativity and become who they want, instead of following the standard path which is arranged for all students, while overlooking their unique individualities. In his Ted Talk, Sir Ken Robinson states that all children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as they grow up (Robinson, 2007). According to Robinson when children attend school, they start to frighten of being wrong, as in schools it is the worst thing possible. Finally, this fear leads to the loss of creativity, thus less chance for pupils to discover and develop their extraordinary abilities, different from basic academic education. So, schools tend to increase academic intelligence, which sometimes kills children’s creativity, providing unequal conditions for pupils with different abilities and

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of The New Liberal Arts By Sanford Ungar

    395 Words  | 1 Pages

    All though “The New Liberal Arts”, Sanford J. Ungar uses seven misconceptions about liberal arts on why learning the liberal arts. And explain why is still relevant and will be for coming years. The first misperception that he advocates is that a liberal arts degree is no longer affordable. Vocational training is better alternative to liberal arts in today. In this recession it is a financially wise decision to obtain a career oriented education instead. Students may not able to find jobs in the field that they are training after graduate. Ungar argues that especially collage students find it harder to get good jobs with liberal arts degrees, which is not the case. Which is the second misperception is that graduates with liberal arts degrees

    Read More

  • Sanford J. Ungar's The New Liberal Arts

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    In ancient civilization, a liberal arts education was considered essential for free people to take place in civic life; without them people would not be willing to disregard one's traditional values, and analyze a broad variety of arts, humanities, and sciences to create new opinions and ideas. In the 21st century many Americans are doubtful that liberal arts degrees are actually worth the cost of college. In his essay “The New Liberal Arts”, Sanford J. Ungar discusses seven “misconceptions” of liberal arts degrees in modern-day America.

    Read More

  • David Dewey A Model For High Schools Summary

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    If they are taught correctly, liberal arts classes have the potential to help “students cross social boundaries in their imaginations. Studying a common core of learning will help orient them to common tasks as citizens; it will challenge or bolster… their views and, in any case, help them understand why not everyone in the world (or in their classroom) agrees with them,” explains Gitlin in his article “The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut.” By exposing students to this in high school, they will be more prepared when this moment occurs in their careers. I, along with many students throughout the country, have been exposed to incorrectly-taught liberal arts classes. Students taking English, for instance, must read specific novels while assessing a theme that is already pointed out to them.

    Read More

  • William Cronon's The Goals Of A Liberal Education

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Liberal educations benefit students in the long run, long after students have paid their loans. People are able to be informed on national topic, while also being able to be self dependent. Two qualities that are essential in the modern society. I believe it is important to have such a basic understanding of education and knowledge, just like what Nussbaum agreed too in her essay. However, I also believe the curriculum should be centered around making students a better person. Institutions should try to produce good people with the right intentions instead of just focusing on testing intelligence, similar to what Cronon focused on in his essay. If we can incorporate both of these important features into our liberal education system, then and only then, will we be thriving as a society. Graduates will have a good understanding of knowledge from an array of different fields, as well as having important traits that will carry on for the rest of their

    Read More

  • Myth: A Liberal Arts Education Is Becoming Irrelevant By Carol T. Christ

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    In modern times, the importance of liberal arts is questioned. The article “Myth: A Liberal Arts Education is Becoming Irrelevant” by Carol T. Christ makes the argument that a liberal arts education provides a broader range of knowledge which is useful because it produces a critically thinking student. Obtaining a career is the main focus of college education. Knowing this, Christ emphasizes how a liberal arts education is useful when looking for employment. She refutes the conception that a liberal arts education is irrelevant in today’s society by identifying the useful qualities it provides the employers look for such as, “Flexibility, creativity, critical thinking, strong communication skills (particulary writing)” (Christ,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The New Liberal Arts

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar presents the argument of why liberal arts schools are still competitive and useful today. The beginning of the article immediately addresses the problem that Ungar is defending, “Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around liberal-arts education has been especially hit hard.” The author provides credibility through his time of being a liberal arts presidents, applies statistics about the enrollment and job security outside of liberal college, he addresses the cost factor and how a student may find compensation, and that a liberal arts college is not preparing students for success. The article “The New Liberal Arts,” addresses

    Read More

  • Three Reasons College Still Matters By Andrew Delbanco

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    In recent years, many have debated whether or not a college education is a necessary requirement to succeed in the field of a persons’ choice and become an outstanding person in society. On one hand, some say college is very important because one must contribute to society. The essay Three Reasons College Still Matters by Andrew Delbanco shows three main reasons that students should receive their bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, many question the point of wasting millions of dollars on four years or maybe more to fight for highly competitive jobs that one might not get. Louis Menand wrote an article based on education titled Re-Imagining Liberal Education. This article challenges the main thought many americans have after receiving a secondary education. Louis Menand better illustrates the reasons why a student should rethink receiving a post secondary education better than Andrew Delbanco’s three reasons to continue a person’s education.

    Read More

  • Why Are Many Young Americans so Uncomfortable With Liberal Arts?

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sanford J. Ungar, a journalist and president of Goucher College, is one of those faculty members actively trying to disprove the accusations against liberal arts colleges and educations. In his February 2010 article from the academic journal The Chronicle of Higher Education, Ungar gives readers many examples of common misunderstandings about liberal arts and then informs them why those examples are incorrect. Appropriately titled, Ungar’s “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts” is an easy go to guide when a person wants to learn more about liberal arts. These readers, mainly students and parents looking towards a higher degree of education, can read Ungar’s essay and find new knowledge about the liberal arts discipline.

    Read More

  • Analysis: The New Liberal Arts

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    Liberal arts education produces analytical thinking, and professions are looking for that as an alternative to just specializing in one subject. “Who wants to hire somebody with an irrelevant major like philosophy or French,” but in reality, everyone is finding it harder to find a job in this economy, not just liberal arts majors. He then answers the question about “being a low income, or first generation college student,” and Ungar begins to state that it is ignorant to consider that just because an individual is the first generation that they cannot be given the same kind of education as someone else who is not a first generation. Some may believe that liberal arts does not take part in the mathematical and scientific side of education, but it does in the broadest parts. Sanford Ungar has the right idea that more people should major in the liberal arts, and I definitely like how he put his essays into the “seven misconceptions.”

    Read More

  • Liberal Education: Why is it important in today's workforce?

    1617 Words  | 4 Pages

    Now, let us define liberal arts or liberal education. According to Michael Lind, liberal arts should be understood in its original sense as “elite skills” (54). We all know that liberal arts include cour...

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Do Schools Kill Creativity By Sir Ken Robinson

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this notable Ted Talk video "Do schools kill creativity?", Sir Ken Robinson discusses how public education systems demolish creativity because they believe it is essential to the academic growth and success of students. Robinson created a broad arrange of arguments to persuade the viewers to take action on this highly ignored issue, and he primarily focuses on how important creativity is. There are classes within schools that help utilize creativity, but they are not taken seriously by adults in society. Therefore, the value of creative knowledge decreases. Robinson uses an unusual combination of pathos and ethos to make an enjoyable dispute for implementing an education system that nurtures rather than eats away at creativity.

    Read More

  • Summary Of David Foster Wallace's Commencement Speech

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    The commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace in the autumn of 2005, is a very deep speech that examines the whole idea of a Liberal Arts education at an extremely deep and intellectual level. In the 22 minute long speech Wallace talks about how higher education not only teaches you to think but “how to exercise some control over how and what you think.” (Wallace). Wallace later in his speech stresses the importance of this level of thinking by saying “if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed” (Wallace) What he means by saying this is that if you cannot think at a higher level and make sense of real world problems your life will become meaningless and you will become dead inside your head.

    Read More

  • The Creativity Crisis Analysis

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    Teachers can show films such as Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink) about a seven-year-old boy who is bullied by the kids and adults in society because he identifies as a girl. This movie can lead to discussion that challenges a student’s understanding of concepts such as identity and the priority of being yourself over conforming to the expectations of others around you. Students might finally realize the ways society limits acceptance and imagination. Although creativity may seem of concern to only the youth of our population, artist Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” Children will grow up to be become the working class of their generation, but without creativity to guide them and society constantly dragging them further away from their creative childhood, the world will decay into mundaneness rather than blossom with

    Read More

  • Arts Classes Should Be Mandatory for Schools.

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” -Pablo Picasso. This quote is pretty straightforward. It says how all children are artists and how they grow older are not an artist anymore. A child’s drawing can tell so much about what they are thinking and feeling about their surroundings. They see things differently from adults and teens because when they are drawing or doing some sort of art they are not told that it is a “bad picture” or what ever they are doing is “not right.” They don’t have a limit upon their thoughts and ideas, but when they grow up, they do. Starting from the first day of school they are taught about the wrong things and the right thing. As we grow older there are more classes that have right and wrong answers to a question like for example math. We learn to follow the steps, use the formula, and get the right answer but because of these classes we forget about the arts. If the arts are forgotten then student’s way of expressing what they feel is taken away. Which brings more pressure to students in classes like math, physics, geography, and etc. That is why schools should make arts classes mandatory because arts classes help students build their artistic and creative skills, makes them better learners, and encourages them to find other ways of expressing their thoughts.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Art Education

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    Art Education is not always valued in school settings. Although some may see it as an unnecessary use of school funding, there are many who believe it is beneficial to students in more ways than one. There are many different studies that have been conducted to test the effects that art education has on school-aged children. Some studies have proven that art education can help students to improve in other academic areas. In a journal article from Ohio State University’s “Theory in Practice,” Karen A Hamblen states, “There are linkages between art learning and learning in other subjects areas and that art study can promote creative behaviors, critical thinking skills, and academic achievement.” It has also been found that the arts can teach children better self-regulatory strategies, and even foster more confidence and self-efficacy in school which relates to confidence in academics. Overall, art education in schools has been very beneficial and has proven to ignite creativity, confidence, critical thinking skills, and academic achievement in students.

    Read More

More about Benefits Of Liberal Arts Education Essay

Open Document