“Tell me an issue you are passionate about, and then argue against it,” said Gregory Mader, my father’s employer, and, coincidentally, an alumnus of the University of Chicago, as he gave me a glimpse of the intense critical thinking atmosphere I would experience at the University of Chicago. I was hooked and I began to crave the intellectual diversity the university would offer, as I sought to learn more about it. One day, I came across a curious booklet in the mail: The Life of the Mind. As I gleaned enriching information from the booklet, I envisioned myself in a new community that I could explore and simultaneously call home. The University of Chicago is a hub of cultural interaction, multidisciplinary insightful discussions, and amazing discoveries. At the university, I see myself pioneering in new frontiers of research, through the Beckman Scholars Program, while involving myself in community outreach programs, as I have done locally in my city's Human Relations Commission, by playing an active role in the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community. Located in a vibrant city with a multitude of resources, the University of Chicago is the ideal gateway for me to continue making an impact in society and pursuing scientific research opportunities. …show more content…
This is what I love about the university; its emphasis on liberal arts through the Core will broaden my interests and prompt me to engage in new ways of thinking, not with the standard textbook method, but through exposure to Socratic seminars, fascinating discussions, and fieldwork. The Core will give my mind plenty of food for thought, so that it can thrive in the intellectual atmosphere that characterizes the University of
In the article "The New Liberal Arts", author Sanford J. Ungar takes a stance on the benefits and the need for students to pursue a liberal arts education. Ungar argues that despite modern day critique of liberal education, from his point of view as a liberal arts college president the criticisms and naysayers are futile. He swiftly and authoritively defends the affordable cost of a liberal education, employers desiring graduates with liberal education degrees, and the ability for those holding liberal arts degrees to compete with those pursuing science and mathematics majors. While Ungar's work has a great general idea, some of his specified points lack the evidence to truly stand on their own two feet. A liberal arts education is a useful
David Leonhardt, an American journalist and columnist, wrote an article published by New York Times, “Make Colleges Diverse,” on the need to enroll more working-class students at elite universities. Universities have implemented a different racial and ethnic student body, but lacked the acceptance of students with low financial status. The financial burden from colleges has discouraged students from achieving their goals at Ivy League schools. David Leonhardt mentions that universities should work with the middle class students of all races. Overall, he uses rhetorical questions, stylistic language, and an informal tone to emphasize the need for colleges to be more diverse starting with the financial status of each person.
By being a part of the organizations listed above, I encounter many opportunities of community service and volunteer work that contribute to enhancing CSU and its community. Being a member of The Competitive Premedical Program, we are given the opportunity to volunteer
AP English and Dual Enrollment Government have prepared me the most for college. My AP English teacher opened my eyes to different types of literature and sources that is constantly referenced in my first college classes at Tidewater Community College. for example, Karl Marx is quoted a lot in the many theories of sociology. My Dual Enrollment Government course prepared me for this ample amount of reading in college. My professor would provide my class with multiple reading assignments to push our reading limits.
In his commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005, David Foster Wallace was tasked with the responsibility of imparting some wisdom onto the graduating class. Wallace’s message to a room of full soon-to-be college graduates at the precipice of the of their impending true adulthood, he offers them a message that cuts through the mess and concisely delivers a message that many would ironically overlook, which is for the students to realize that at times, imperative life lessons are not only the ones that they cannot conceive or believe, but the ones that are obvious but hard to acknowledge let alone discuss. The lesson in this is that no matter how instinctive that cynicism is, it is imperative that people must try to more honest and open
My desire to attend and conduct research at the University of Michigan is because of its reputation for being academically rigor and this ability to challenge me to my ultimate abilities to help me build and strengthen the requisite learning and skills so I am better prepared for work, life and the challenges tomorrow will bring. A Michigan educational experience will help me better understand why people struggle and provide me with the tools to develop solutions these challenges. I grew up understanding that certain structural barriers could alienate people whether these be: race, ethnicity, religion, or income. For example, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan was a man-made humanitarian disaster rooted from economic constraint and it seemed to be something that should never have occurred. Americans citizens, who lived less than an hour away from me were being poisoned — deprived of clean water; a human right.
I can already see some of the contributions my education in liberal arts has had on my life. At work I listen open-mindedly, I communicate better both at work and at home. I feel my liberal arts education has helped me grow in my problem solving skills and my ability to understand other people’s points of view. Another area in which I have begun to notice some changes in my life is my attitude towards others. I will be honest and say that before starting my education at Ottawa University I was more judgmental in my attitude towards others.
David Foster Wallace is an American writer. He spoke at the Kenyon Commencement Address in 2005, where he gave a speech to the graduating class of the year. David tells the graduates of Kenyon College what the true meaning of a liberal arts degree is, and how they should go about finding it. David Foster Wallace’s appeals to credibility, emotion and logical reasoning in his speech – “This Is Water” – to strengthen the idea that the meaning of education is learning how and what to think, independently.
Ungar’s essay, Charles Murray discusses why a liberal arts degree is unnecessary in his essay, “Are Too Many People Going to College?”. Murray believes that the basics of a liberal education are indeed important, but that students should be provided the basics of liberal arts in elementary and middle school (Murray 223). In this essay, Murray cites E.D. Hirsch Jr.’s book Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know.” Hirsch Jr. and Murray believe that there is a “body of core knowledge” that all students should have, and that “this core knowledge is an important part of the glue that holds the culture together” but that this core knowledge should be taught in grades K-8 (Murray 224). Murray discusses how young children are much better at memorizing facts than adults are, to support his position that kids should be memorizing this core knowledge at a younger age (Murray 224).
In David Foster Wallace’s “ Kenyon Commencement Speech,” he discusses the importance of liberal arts education in “teaching you how to think” (Wallace, 199). He mentions how education is beyond the knowledge we learn, but about simple awareness will impact the choices we make for better or worse. The real value of education cannot be found in a career (you may or may not be fired from), but it can be found in the way you view things through a different perspective and by considering how other factors can contribute to everyday life. This new approach in thinking will allow us to appreciate our lives and overcome our inner “default setting” towards the world (Wallace, 199). I agree with Wallace’s argument because the purpose of higher education should not be about having career-specific skills and obtaining a degree, but about intellectual and personal growth will help us survive in the real world.
Ever wanted to throw down that textbook and read something enjoyable for once? Well, go ahead! Chunk that dull textbook out a window and pick up a comic; it will be more beneficial to your education than you think. The skills and values that liberally educated people should posses can vary from different views, yet the list of ten qualities that William Cronon created in his article, “’Only Connect…’ The Goals of a Liberal Education”(1998), is an inspirational goal for the liberally educated. Cronon’s list of qualities includes solving problems and puzzles, empowering others, and understanding how to get stuff done in the world.
By valuing a diverse intelligence, we allow innovation and an expanded, more open mindset to create a better world. However, as a student conditioned to treat academia as the highest expression of intelligence, I am adapted to place a higher level of respect on academic subjects rather than value the expressions of the psyche. As both a student and a person, I want to expand my perception of the world, and discover what it means to be human. To do so, I need help from others to give me new perspectives and experiences of the world, rather than my own limited frame of mind.
I want to help the black community excel and the study of sociology encompases the study of race and ethnic relations and the patterns within different ethnic communities to give me the skills to do so. Having this knowledge will help me be a successful and articulate in my profession. Not only would my work inside Howard’s classrooms help me to achieve my goal of becoming an activist, but Howard’s student life and the surrounding D.C. area would offer me a community of support and unity. An HBCU environment is ideal for my education and personal growth because of the professional career I plan to have and because of the the like-minded individuals that strive for and support social justice for the black
Our world is like a card game. We get dealt our hand. Win, lose, or draw, the game continues to unfold. Society is filled with a myriad of opportunities that act as cards waiting to be revealed. With the exposure to a plethora of opportunities in a university, from a global reach to academic centers on six continents to having the city as a classroom, one can easily unearth their passions at NYU.
Seeking a liberal arts education presents an opportunity for me to grow as an individual in today’s modern world. It will prepare me in our frequently changing society which has grown more diverse than ever before with the help of the internet. A liberal arts education can provide me a greater view of the world. Day to day I mindlessly go through the motions of life like it’s the back of my hand. I have found it difficult to live a life with no real surprises or challenges.