The Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education
A liberal arts education can open many doors for you. However, it may not be for everyone. A four year liberal arts degree is meant to make you a well-rounded person, but many people don’t feel the need to take classes that don’t directly apply to their career. Liberal arts exercises your mid; it makes it stronger. It helps develop an ordered mind and good thinking habits. You may never use the things you learn in a computer programming class, but it will make you a better learner.
It also teaches you to think for yourself; your fellow students and teachers will challenge what you know, think and believe. Imagine the doors of creativity that will be opened for you. You may not have known how much you enjoy paining until you took a mandatory general education art class. It can enhance your faith. Maybe you have an interest in taking a theology class so you can be closer to god, at a liberal arts college you can have that opportunity. You can better understand the bible, who wrote it, and why they were inspired to do so.
A liberal arts education will not only make you a better learner, it will also make you a better teacher. The more molded your mind becomes, the more easily you can explain things to people. Even if you don’t plan on becoming a professional teacher, this can help you help your children with their homework, help train new employees, or even teach a Sunday School class. It will cultivate your mind; opening doors to art, music, symbolism, or even language, things you may not have even had an interest in before. You will learn to appreciate these things more.
A Christian liberal art education may be the right thing for you. It can send you in the right direction if you want to teach in a private Christian school, want to be a missionary, a pastor, or even if you just want to be education with fellow Christians. Some of your classes may cause you to question not only your faith, but why you have it in the first place, which will make you see why you fell in love with God in the first place. But does this mean a liberal arts education is right for everyone? I don’t believe it does.
A single mother going back to school may not have time for the required number of classes, most of which, she will never use on the job. A 40 year old works at a factory that is being shut down and he needs to learn a new skill quickly so he can go back to supporting his family. For people like this, a liberal arts education may not be the right road for them to take. A liberal arts education can do many more things for you than what I have mentioned. It’s like a treasure trove; you have the key, all you have to do is open the door and that wealth of knowledge could be yours.
