Should Undergraduates Specialize

Patrick Allit, a professor at Emory University and a former student at Hertford College Oxford, states that undergraduates should specialize (Allit, 2006). According to the professor, undergraduate students should not be forced to undertake liberal arts in their freshman years. Instead, they should be allowed to choose a major in their freshman years, in order to study the chosen major in deep. Allit goes on to argue that while in campus, he only majored in history right from his freshman year until he graduated, a move which allowed him to study history in depth without any distractions. Allit often compares his college life with that of his daughter’s Frances who is about to join college. He says that studying liberal arts distracts students from focusing on their major, henceforth making them to learn in breadth rather than learning the chosen major in depth. In order to improve the American education system, Allit suggests the American system should make liberal-arts optional for those who prefer it and are not sure of the course to major in. This paper will consequently argue against Allit’s argument, and also provide a counterargument on specific areas of professor Allit’s argument which are important for undergraduate students.

According to my point of view, undergraduates should be allowed to undertake liberal arts owing to the fact that it provides them necessary skills to become appreciated members in the community. In addition, as freshmen, most students do not have a clear idea of what they want to major in. In order to avoid such mistakes, it is necessary for them to study liberal-arts, which enables them to create time to choose the course they want to major in. For instance, most students tend to admire professions while at high school, only to major in different courses while in campus. This happens particularly after a student joins the university and gets to understand what it takes for one to study a specific course (Garcia, 2010).

Secondly, in the current world, Universities are producing more graduates than the compared to the jobs available. It is therefore necessary for an undergraduate to possess additional skills. For example, nowadays most employers recruit people with good communication ideas, those who are able to gather and analyze information, and also those who are able to adjust to the new technological and professional trends. These traits can only be possessed by a person who studied liberal-arts and sciences, hence gaining tips on how to survive in complex and fast changing world. Furthermore, liberal arts requires the use of class discussions, which is relevant in making students to think critically. Similarly, in group discussions, students get the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas, listen to different perspectives a move which aids in thinking critically (Walden University, 2019). In so doing, the students becomes able to think critically, hence being able to come up with new ideas in situations where he or she is supposed to think outside the box. On the other hand, professor Allit states that Frances will be sited in a class with more than 100 students, which to him is a disadvantage. This is advantageous to Frances, since she will be able to interact with different people, thus being able to not only learn new ideas, but to also get an understanding of different people and cultures.

On the other hand, it is necessary to allow students to pursue their interests in depth without any distractions. This is for the reason that most students tend to focus on other areas which makes it impossible to study there interests deeply. Secondly, it is time consuming since students spend most of their time on liberal-arts rather than on what they actually want to focus on. As Carol Geary Schneider the President of American Colleges and Universities Washington suggests, students should be allowed to pursue what they are interested in, in their first year of college (West, 2006). Nonetheless, they should work in order to improve strong knowledgeable and hands-on skills which will be of help to them once they complete their studies. This helps in making students to focus on their desired course, henceforth gaining the necessary skills to perform what is required of them once they become employed.

The inclusion of liberal arts into the American system has only made the cost of higher education expensive. For instance, 32 years ago, professor Allit’s parents paid a total of $400 as tuition fee since he only majored in history. Currently one may be forced to pay a total $150,000 in order to study at one of America’s best colleges. In as much as college education seems very expensive, one is not able to fully pursue the desired course, hence being presented to the job market as a half-baked student. Lastly, with freshmen undertaking liberal arts, it would be near impossible to get the best of the best from different courses studied in most American universities. It is consequently necessary for the American education system to look for ways of improving the skills gained by undergraduates while in campus, through coming up with new strategies.

References

Allit, P. (2006, June 16). “Should Undergraduates Specialize”. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from login.libproxy.umflint.edu website: https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.umflint.edu/docview/214667597?accountid=14584&pq-origsite=summon

West, E. (2006, August 4). Educating Students to Earn a Living, and to Live. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from The Chronicle of Higher Education website: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Educating-Students-to-Earn-a/7236

Walden University. (2019, January 28). Top Advantages of General Education Requirements in College | Walden University. Retrieved from Waldenu.edu website: https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/resource/top-advantages-of-general-education-requirements-in-college

Garcia, E. (2010, December 8). Liberal Arts/General Education. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from login.libproxy.umflint.edu website: https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.umflint.edu/docview/816788221/fulltext/86ACB4BFAECB41EDPQ/1?accountid=14584