By JC Casarez
Students must be willing to step out of their comfort zone and take classes that challenge the mind.
This helps develop students into an intelligent person. As I go through the day, I encounter a variety of people from different walks of life.
The one thing I usually look for is a good conversation when I meet new faces. To me this is very telling about a person in general, not just someone who is in sync with the latest headlines of the local newspapers, but someone who has a broad range of knowledge. This is something I feel happens to the select few that choose to pursue higher education in their lives.
I understand that most students prefer to take the bare minimum of classes required to transfer, without having to engage in those that require you work hard toward a passing grade. As opposed to just earning an easy grade elsewhere. The reality is that these classes and subjects that are disliked so much are actually good for the development of a person’s critical thinking.
It’s the reason so many students of today’s youth aren’t able to focus on anything worth talking about beyond what happened on last night’s episode of the latest reality show. I’m a firm believer in the saying “steel sharpens steel,” which means that if you want to be better at something you have to be challenged by someone who is better at it.
So why not apply this to those classes that are considered tedious and not useful? Challenge yourself and make your weakness a strength. So you don’t want to become a scientist or a math professor, but would it really hurt to actually take an interest while taking the class?
With the economy still not where it should be and the job market uncertain for many, why not add invaluable knowledge to your curriculum which could spark an interest in another subject? Most students focus on what major they want to declare and in some cases know very little about the field. Math, science and other classes serve a purpose because sometimes the spark an interest in a topic which otherwise would have went ignored.
A perfect example is a friend who swore she was committed to her major and having taken classes in that subject was all but ready to transfer when she discovered a passion for psychology while taking the class as a requirement. Had the class not been an option of the transfer requirements, this wouldn’t have been possible. As a result she has since changed her major in pursue of that degree when she transfers in the fall.
We may not all have the same interests in topics but this is your chance at higher education. The name of the game is learning. Not every subject you study will be one where you are the expert or something that is easy. Some students may not transfer to a four-year university, others will, but we should all try to challenge ourselves while we have the opportunity.
With the rising costs of tuition and budget cuts inevitable every semester, why not take these classes before they are limited to a select few. Challenge yourself and give your mind a chance to grow.
Not only will your mindset and topics of conversation improve, but so will you over time with your new found knowledge.