 |
|
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CORE CURRICULUM
by the student editors of FISHING FOR A MAJOR, a Students Helping Students™ guide
You might not like all of the courses you have to take as part of a core curriculum, but it has its benefits too. It forces you to explore different disciplines and gives you a chance to find an unexpected interest.
“If I hadn’t had to take a history core course, I’d be studying engineering right now. My parents are pissed, but I’m happy.”
American History major,
Stanford University ‘02
In the last fifty years, many schools have adopted a “Core System” in order to give their students a well-rounded liberal education. The most common version consists of specialized introductory courses in several broad fields—literature, history, physical science, etc. Within this system, we’re required to take at least a few courses in each of these fields before we graduate.
For many of us, the core curriculum might be an irritating distraction in an already difficult and confusing environment (if you feel this way, you’re not alone, as a new wave of education scholars has come to question the utility of liberal arts requirements). Whatever your view on this might be, chances are that your school will have some kind of a requirement system in place.
If you’re stuck with requirements, you might as well take advantage of them. If you have to fulfill a history requirement, for example, choose an area of the world that interests you. For a literature requirement, consider taking a class that covers a book or an author that you like. There’s bound to be a class or two within each discipline that interests you, so find it.
A core curriculum can be an important element in your quest to find a major—it forces you to take classes in a variety of disciplines, some of which you might have never otherwise considered. If you’ll pardon the cliché—you’ll never know unless you try.
Copyright © 2002, 2003 by NATAVI GUIDES.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more student advice like this, buy FISHING FOR A MAJOR!
Check out more student advice on finding the right major...
• EXPLORING YOUR OPTIONS
• THINKING ABOUT YOUR MAJOR & YOUR CAREER
• USING THE ADVISING SYSTEM
• CONSIDERING A DOUBLE MAJOR
Go to >>> Major Home
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more helpful suggestions from students and recent grads on how to evaluate your options, choose your major, find the best classes, use the advising system, and much more, check out the Students Helping Students™ guide titled FISHING FOR A MAJOR, published by NATAVI GUIDES.
|
|
|
