After nearly eight semesters of college, I have become very thankful for my broad course requirements from the College of Arts & Sciences.
I can’t believe I just said that.
I, like many others in my department, have spent much time complaining about the classes I’ve had to take to earn my Bachelor of Arts in communication. I want to write, edit, read and produce for a living. Did I really need to take three science classes and one with a lab?
Those classes had nothing to do with the writing and editing classes I’ve taken within my major, but I’m thankful I took them.
We chalk our frustration of having to take sciences and other “unrelated” subjects up to blaming how left-or-right-brain dominant we are, but in reality, those classes make us well-rounded, informed students. At least it should.
As crazy as this may seem, I wouldn’t call Earth science unrelated to my major. I may not be a paleontologist, but I’m a journalist (at least I’m on my way to becoming one). If I’m ever required to report on climate change, I’ll have a basic scientific understanding of what I’m writing.
I understand more about recycling, natural resources and the importance of energy conservation than I would ever understand without taking a class on the study of the Earth.
Our generation relies on immediate satisfaction.
The idea of taking classes for the sake of learning has become less popular. We want to take the classes we think we need for our major to graduate and then move on.
We don’t want to waste our time with classes that may not immediately peak our interest.
I think my disdain for the “core classes” comes from more than a generational attitude. I despised taking math because my math teachers in high school made me hate it. I can remember the exact moment I started hating math, in fact. I was in the eighth grade.
The entire first semester of algebra I was doing well (at that point, my grades in math were exceptional so I was allowed to skip ahead to a high school level) and midterms were right around the corner. I took the test and found out I made an 84 … which was a C. I was devastated.
I studied so hard and didn’t get that beloved A. I didn’t even get a B. In my book, I may as well have failed. I was used to making good grades. But instead of feeling like I could talk with my teacher and get some help understanding what I missed, I felt intimidated by my teacher. I felt like he didn’t care about me. So I kept quiet. Math has been a struggle ever since.
Am I grateful for the two grueling math classes I was forced to endure in college? Yes, I am.
I hated every second, but for the first time in a very long time, I understood what I needed to learn. I was able to move past my high school bitterness about math and actually learn the material.
Teachers lay the foundation for how well you perform in a class, sure. But I think the big moment for me was understanding only I was responsible for how well I did in classes.
If we care enough about getting the best education we can and learning as much material as possible, taking the “unrelated” subjects won’t discourage our learning. 
Regardless of whether I will use the quadratic formula as a journalist, at least the eighth grader inside triumphed when I did well in the college classes.
Understanding the value our liberal arts education could change our future. We shouldn’t complain about taking classes like history, literature, politics or social sciences, in spite of our previous performances such courses.
If we take these classes seriously, instead of skimming by with minimal effort, we’ll leave college with not only a specialized education in our major, but also a working knowledge of much more.