I believe that there is an ongoing list of things that students should learn in college whether it is going to prepare them for their specific area of study or for life in general. There are lots of things that college students are required to do throughout their time in college. One    of these requirements is that students must take many prerequisites, mostly in their first two years. During this time students take many different classes that they may not think apply to their major and they will probably be annoyed that they have to “waste” their time on classes they don’t think are important. However, there are many people who would argue that having these prerequisites is helpful because this is a broader part of your studies. By that I mean that these classes will be helpful in life beyond your specific major. Nussbaum, who is an American philosopher, reminds us that “instead of entering college/university to study a single subject, students are required to take a wide range of courses in their first two years, prominently including courses in the humanities.” (Nussbaum “Education for Profit, Education for Democracy”). Nussbaum claims that “we have a liberal arts model of university education” (Nussbaum “Education for Profit, Education for Democracy”). I believe that Nussbaum is arguing that the prerequisites are a students liberal arts education. Having an education in the liberal arts prepares you for things beyond your major. For those high school juniors that would fight against this and say that these classes are useless unless you’re a liberal arts major, you should reconsider how they might benefit you after graduation. It can help in your major and to one day get a job. According to “A 2009 survey for the Association of American Colleges and Universities actually found that more than three quarters of our nation’s employers recommended that college bound students pursue a “liberal education”” (Ungar, “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts”). This tells college bound students that their future employers are looking for the liberal arts education meaning those prerequisites may not be a waste of time.

If you don’t believe that these classes will benefit you, you should consider how they could help after graduation when you are trying to get a job. Many employers will be looking for specific skills. Some of these skills include “critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/ work ethic”(West Michigan University “Career and Student Employment Services) and many more. These are all skills that can be learned within these prerequisites which will then help you later on when trying to get a job.

Another important thing for students to learn in college is about the five essential areas of learning within the Degree of Qualifications Profile. The Degree of Qualifications Profile is a document that describes what a student show know/how to do at each point in their education, showing different things, such as skills, they should know with an associates degree, a bachelor’s degree, and a masters degree. Along with those, the DQP includes these five essential areas of learning. They are specialized knowledge, broad and integrative knowledge, intellectual skills, applied and collaborative learning, and civic and global learning. Specialized learning would be things that are specific to your degree. The other learning areas are more broad and can apply to more than just your major. Each of these categories gives a description of what it is and essentially shows why it is important for college students to learn it. For an example, within intellectual skills the writers insist that “The DQP describes a set of proficiencies basic to evidence based reasoning across fields of study, including: analytic inquiry and operations, use of information resources, engaging diverse perspectives, ethical reasoning, quantitative fluency and communicative fluency.” (DQP 12). I believe these are all things that can easily be applied to a student’s specific area of study but also to life in general. 

Chronicle.com, www.chronicle.com/article/7-Major-Misperceptions-About/64363.

“Connect – Sign In.” McGraw-Hill Connect, connect.mheducation.com/connect/hmStudentCourseList.do?showSniffer=true&fromPage=login.

“Skills Employers Want in College Graduates.” Skills Employers Want in College Graduates | Career and Student Employment Services | Western Michigan University, wmich.edu/career/students/transferableskills.