500 Word Draft

9/22/21

GUST FYS

The goal of an education in the liberal arts is to teach students how to think critically within all aspects of their life so as to be an active member of their society. In a society, the liberal arts act as a tool that helps people understand and interact with the world around them. There are numerous facets of a liberal arts education that differentiate it from an education in the STEM field. Much of the liberal arts is qualitative and requires critical thinking and inquiry. The liberal arts are important for everyone and every career. The scientific and mathematical fields do not apply to everyone’s lives or careers, the studies from a liberal arts education however, will be important to anyone, no matter their profession. This is because the skills and knowledge you gain from a liberal arts education allows you to be engaged as a citizen civically, economically, and culturally. If you do not wish to live your life passively and on the sidelines, then you need to educate yourself in the field of the liberal arts. 

The importance of a liberal arts education will continue to grow as we advance further into the future of the workforce. The job landscape is always changing, especially in the United States. The types of skills and abilities that employers are looking for are always changing and altering depending on current trends and ideas. As we advance into a future of increased AI and technology, the traits of a good employee are on the verge of changing again. Many simple and tedious jobs that require someone to do the same generic task over and over again will not exist in the coming years. Jobs that require interpersonal skills, communication, and deep thinking and inquiry will become more common and popular in the coming years. This is exactly what a liberal arts education prepares students for. President of Goucher College Sanford Ungar believes wholeheartedly in the liberal arts education. He says in the article “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts,” “one could argue that the traditional, well-rounded preparation that the liberal arts offer is a better investment than ever–that the future demands of citizenship will require not narrow technical or job-focused training, but rather a subtle understanding of the complex influences that shape the world we live in.” He realizes that future employers are not going to be searching for someone who can do one simple task and move on. The people that will catch an employer’s attention will be those who have analytical reasoning skills, can think critically, and can communicate effectively. 

A liberal arts education is not only important for finding the jobs of the future, but also for being an engaged citizen in the present. Jeffrey Scheuer, author of “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts,” expresses his views on why we need the liberal arts. He says, “The liberal arts have traditionally been defended as instrumental to two key elements of democracy: critical thinking and citizenship.” Scheuer explains that “we all need to be well-informed, critical citizens. And the liberal arts prepare students for citizenship in all three senses–civic, economic, and cultural.”

1000 Word Draft

9/28/21

GUST FYS

The goal of an education in the liberal arts is to teach students how to think critically within all aspects of their life so as to be an active member of their society. In a society, the liberal arts act as a tool that helps people understand and interact with the world around them. There are numerous parts of a liberal arts education that differentiate it from an education in the STEM field. Much of the liberal arts is qualitative and requires critical thinking and inquiry. The liberal arts are important for everyone and every career. The scientific and mathematical fields do not apply to everyone’s lives or careers, the studies from a liberal arts education however, will be important to anyone, no matter their profession. This is because the skills and knowledge you gain from a liberal arts education allows you to be engaged as a citizen civically, economically, and culturally. If you do not wish to live your life passively and on the sidelines, then you need to educate yourself in the field of the liberal arts. 

The importance of a liberal arts education will continue to grow as we advance further into the future of the workforce. The job landscape is always changing, especially in the United States. The types of skills and abilities that employers are looking for are always changing and altering depending on current trends and ideas. As we advance into a future of increased AI and technology, the traits of a good employee are on the verge of changing again. Many simple and tedious jobs that require someone to do the same generic task over and over again will not exist in the coming years. Jobs that require interpersonal skills, communication, and deep thinking and inquiry will become more common and popular in the coming years. This is exactly what a liberal arts education prepares students for. President of Goucher College Sanford Ungar believes wholeheartedly in the liberal arts education. He says in the article “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts,” “one could argue that the traditional, well-rounded preparation that the liberal arts offer is a better investment than ever–that the future demands of citizenship will require not narrow technical or job-focused training, but rather a subtle understanding of the complex influences that shape the world we live in.” He realizes that future employers are not going to be searching for someone who can do one simple task and move on. The people that will catch an employer’s attention will be those who have analytical reasoning skills, can think critically, and can communicate effectively. 

A liberal arts education is not only important for finding the jobs of the future, but also for being an engaged citizen in the present. Jeffrey Scheuer, author of “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts,” expresses his views on why we need the liberal arts. He says, “The liberal arts have traditionally been defended as instrumental to two key elements of democracy: critical thinking and citizenship.” Scheuer explains that “we all need to be well-informed, critical citizens. And the liberal arts prepare students for citizenship in all three senses–civic, economic, and cultural.” The liberal arts are important because they are the platform that students can fall back on throughout their lives. They cover all aspects of life, and give students the tools to navigate a multitude of scenarios and situations they will encounter throughout their life. Both Scheuer and Ungar believe that the liberal arts are key to the futures of current students, and that they are a pathway towards becoming an engaged citizen. 

As an undeclared freshman in college, I do not have a clear vision for my future career; I do know that I want to be someone who is well educated and informed in all facets of life. Studying in the liberal arts will provide me with that. As I progress through college, a long-term goal of mine is to decide on a major that excites me and motivates me, as well as taking classes that will expand my knowledge outside of my major. It is important for me to be well rounded and experienced in many different fields. When I think about how I want to live my life, I come back to the speech “This is Water,” by David Foster Wallace, and think about how he believes we should approach our lives. Many of his ideas revolve around his belief that the liberal arts in college should teach you not what to think, but how and when to think. It teaches you how to control your own thinking and not fall victim to living passively. He believes that an education is a tool to help you from becoming “a slave to your own head.” David Foster Wallace believes in critical thinking, and similar to Scheuer, believes that it is misunderstood and not used enough. Critical thinking allows you to experience your life at the highest level of satisfaction. It allows you to see into someone else’s perspective, and realize how your actions are impacting other people and the environment around you. Being a critical thinker will be one of the most crucial things I can do to achieve my long term goals. If I want to find a major and career that I am excited and passionate about, I need to do the work now to find which one will be best for me. I will only be able to accomplish my goals if I do this. 

A liberal arts education will be beneficial in all parts of my life, not just in academics. I have many personal and extracurricular goals that I hope to achieve throughout my time at school. Some of these goals are simple like calling my parents and keeping in touch with friends and family. Others are a bit broader and more difficult like becoming a club leader and being active in out of class activities. I will be able to accomplish these goals if I apply myself and dedicate myself to the process and work that it will take. Being in the right mindset will be important, if I am willing to work and face setbacks, then anything I want to accomplish can be done. The “growth mindset” idea brought up by Dweck offers the best example of a mindset that will help you reach your goals. The mindset focuses on what is yet to be done, instead of what wasn’t or can’t be done. The idea is that if you focus on your failures or your shortcomings, then it will be difficult for you to move forward and improve. Instead, if you focus on what you did accomplish and realize the rest is yet to come, then you can have a positive outlook on your learning and ultimately achieve more.

Peer Review

Final Draft

Scott Clemons-Baker

9/22/21

Professor Miller

GUST FYS

Personal Goals and the Liberal Arts

The goal of an education in the liberal arts is to teach students how to think critically within all aspects of their life so as to be an active member of their society. In a society, the liberal arts act as a tool that helps people understand and interact with the world around them. There are numerous parts of a liberal arts education that differentiate it from an education in the STEM field. Much of the liberal arts is qualitative, and requires critical thinking and inquiry. The liberal arts are important for everyone and every career. The scientific and mathematical fields do not apply to everyone’s lives or careers, the studies from a liberal arts education however, will be important to anyone, no matter their profession. This is because the skills and knowledge you gain from a liberal arts education allows you to be engaged as a citizen civically, economically, and culturally. The liberal arts not only help you become a better citizen, but they are necessary to achieve your goals.

The importance of a liberal arts education will continue to grow as we advance further into the future of the workforce. The job landscape is always changing, especially in the United States. The types of skills and abilities that employers are looking for are always changing and altering depending on current trends and ideas. As we advance into a future of increased AI and technology, the traits of a good employee are on the verge of changing again. Many simple and tedious jobs that require someone to do the same generic task over and over again will not exist in the coming years. Jobs that require interpersonal skills, communication, and deep thinking and inquiry will become more common and popular in the coming years. This is exactly what a liberal arts education prepares students for. President of Goucher College Sanford Ungar believes wholeheartedly in the liberal arts education. He says in the article “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts,” “one could argue that the traditional, well-rounded preparation that the liberal arts offer is a better investment than ever–that the future demands of citizenship will require not narrow technical or job-focused training, but rather a subtle understanding of the complex influences that shape the world we live in.” He realizes that future employers are not going to be searching for someone who can do one simple task and move on. The people that will catch an employer’s attention will be those who have analytical reasoning skills, can think critically, and can communicate effectively. 

A liberal arts education is not only important for finding the jobs of the future, but also for being an engaged citizen in the present. Jeffrey Scheuer, author of “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts,” expresses his views on why we need the liberal arts. He says, “The liberal arts have traditionally been defended as instrumental to two key elements of democracy: critical thinking and citizenship.” Scheuer explains that “we all need to be well-informed, critical citizens. And the liberal arts prepare students for citizenship in all three senses–civic, economic, and cultural.” The liberal arts are important because they are the platform that students can fall back on throughout their lives. They cover all aspects of life, and give students the tools to navigate a multitude of scenarios and situations they will encounter throughout their life. Both Scheuer and Ungar believe that the liberal arts are key to the futures of current students, and that they are a pathway towards becoming an engaged citizen. They both realize that the liberal arts allow anyone to become an engaged, educated, and impactful citizen.

As an undeclared freshman in college, I do not have a clear vision for my future career; I do know that I want to be someone who is well educated and informed in all facets of life. Studying in the liberal arts will provide me with that. As I progress through college, a long-term goal of mine is to decide on a major that excites me and motivates me, as well as taking classes that will expand my knowledge outside of my major. It is important for me to be well rounded and experienced in many different fields. When I think about how I want to live my life, I come back to the speech “This is Water,” by David Foster Wallace, and think about how he believes we should approach our lives. Many of his ideas revolve around his belief that the liberal arts in college should teach you not what to think, but how and when to think. It teaches you how to control your own thinking and not fall victim to living passively. He believes that an education is a tool to help you from becoming “a slave to your own head.” David Foster Wallace believes in critical thinking, and similar to Scheuer, believes that it is misunderstood and not used enough. Critical thinking allows you to experience your life at the highest level of satisfaction. It allows you to see into someone else’s perspective, and realize how your actions are impacting other people and the environment around you. Being a critical thinker will be one of the most crucial things I can do to achieve my long term goals. If I want to find a major and career that I am excited and passionate about, I need to do the work now to find which one will be best for me. I will only be able to accomplish my goals if I do this. 

A liberal arts education will be beneficial in all parts of my life, not just in academics. I have many personal and extracurricular goals that I hope to achieve throughout my time at school. Some of these goals are simple like calling my parents and keeping in touch with friends and family. Others are a bit broader and more difficult like becoming a club leader and being active in out of class activities. I want to challenge myself to become a leader, someone with responsibilities beyond myself. It will be a great challenge for me, but I think it will be very rewarding as well. I have never thought of myself as a leader or someone who should volunteer to be in charge, but when I have been given the chance to lead, I have enjoyed it. My goal is to become confident in myself and my abilities to lead others.

I will be able to accomplish these goals if I apply myself and dedicate myself to the process and work that it will take. Being in the right mindset will be important, if I am willing to work and face setbacks, then anything I want to accomplish can be done. The “growth mindset” idea brought up by Carol Dweck in her Ted Talk, “The power of believing that you can improve,” offers the best example of a mindset that will help you reach your goals. The mindset focuses on what is yet to be done, instead of what wasn’t or can’t be done. Dweck says of students with a growth mindset, “They engage deeply. Their brain is on fire with yet. They engage deeply. They process the error. They learn from it and correct it.” The idea is that if you focus on your failures or your shortcomings, then it will be difficult for you to move forward and improve. Instead, if you focus on what you did accomplish and realize the rest is yet to come, then you can have a positive outlook on your learning and ultimately achieve more. 

I am hopeful for how the liberal arts will impact my life. My goals of becoming a well-rounded student, and positive member of society, align perfectly with the ideas of the liberal arts. Scheuer, Ungar, and DFW all share the same central idea about the liberal arts. They believe that the liberal arts are not only important, but necessary. They know that critical thinking is and will continue to be important for people who wish to be actively engaged with their lives and the people around them. Critical thinking is one of the main aspects of the liberal arts, and anyone who has goals and aspirations for themselves or others will need critical thinking to succeed in those goals. The liberal arts prepare students for any scenarios they will face in life. No matter what challenges you are facing, you can always fall back on what you learned in the liberal arts to help you get through.