The Benefits of A Liberal Arts Education
Choosing where to attend college can be a difficult task. There are many factors that may complicate the process, such as geographic location, which schools are offering scholarships, preferred field of study, school size, and many others. Something that many people may not think about, however, is whether the education they will receive at a particular school is a liberal arts education or vocational or technical training. A liberal arts college, such as Lake Forest College pictured below, will aim to impart general knowledge in a wide variety of subjects and develop intellectual skills as opposed to technical knowledge in one particular field.
Often times liberal arts colleges are smaller than universities, and they specialize in undergraduate education, not graduate level research. Liberal arts colleges are also typically residential campuses, where the students live at the school itself; this is typical of many larger universities as well, but liberal arts colleges may have a requirement for living on campus for a minimum amount of time. Liberal arts schools will also often be freer with the course requirements, but require that the students explore many fields of study before declaring a major.
At first glance, it may seem as though a liberal arts education will put graduating students at a disadvantage in the job market, but the very reasons it seems that way are the reasons that that assumption is not true. The breadth of subjects studied in a liberal arts program, as opposed to intense study in one subject, will likely result in a more well-rounded intellect, an asset not only in any field of work the student wishes to pursue, but in life in general. The exposure the students gets to a variety of subjects also encourages them to pick what they enjoy the most, as well as what they have the greatest aptitude in, even if it is something they didn't expect to enjoy or be good at. In addition, by constantly being exposed to new subjects, the students learn to adapt quickly to new sets of information; they learn how to learn in a variety of fields as opposed to figuring out how to work in one field and becoming complacent in the years of familiarity.
Beyond the subject matter liberal arts schools typically focus on developing intellectual skills that are non-specific. These skills often include how to write and communicate effectively, how to work within the scientific method, how to think analytically and problem solve, how to appreciate art and music, how to debate, as well as many other intellectual skills that not only increase your mental aptitude, but your quality of life.
If you are considering going to college, I would encourage you to look into some liberal arts schools. They may not have the name recognition that some big universities have, but they offer an education that does more than prepare you for the job market, it will prepare you for life in general. Individuals with a liberal arts education can literally pick from the gamut of careers, since they will be able to communicate effectively on a wide range of topics, and learn quickly and efficiently in whatever field they choose.
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