Are Gen Eds in college useful or just a drag on finishing? (computers, master's)

[farm fatale]

Probably it was a different class then. I'm not certain about it. It might have been Calculus. It's more than a decade since then. (I took Calculus in high school, 11 or 12th grade, I forgot).

[Hollytree]

Originally Posted by MrRational

Some people, including way too many College graduates, just don't seem to understand what College is supposed to be about.
Most probably never even belonged there.

Too true. So many people confuse a college education with job training.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by farm fatale

Yes, all the classes that I had to take here in the US in college (as an adult student, when I moved here), I already took in Europe in high school. Some even in middle school. At one point I went to the head of Math department in college here in the US. I told him that I studied Beginning Algebra and Geometry in 8 and 9th grade. He asked me were I was from and after I told him, he knew that I was not lying. He gave me permission to enroll in more advanced Math classes and not waste my time..

I've never heard of a college requiring beginning algebra and geometry. What college was this? Most of the people in your college classes had probably had those required subjects in 9th and 10th grade, but didn't get dismissed from your college's requirements. It sounds like a lot of people chose the wrong college. What a waste of money!

edit:

Originally Posted by farm fatale;

Probably it was a different class then. I'm not certain about it. It might have been Calculus. It's more than a decade since then. (I took Calculus in high school, 11 or 12th grade, I forgot).

Trigonometry and probably nowadays--calculus, are also required for college-bound highschool students. Maybe some colleges require calculus anyway, the same way they require a basic biology course or other basic science class covered in highschool. It's covered at a slightly higher level.

[farm fatale]

It doesn't matter. I don't want to go into specific details. My high school diploma was from Europe.

[TMSRetired]

Once college turned into "everyone needs to go to college" the entire thrust of college turned into job preparation.

What happened to the broadening of the mind ? Intellectual stimulation ?
Isn't that what the gen ed classes gave you ?

I was an engineering major but thoroughly enjoyed art appreciation, music appreciation, literature and history classes. I even took a music theory class and piano 101.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by TMSRetired

Once college turned into "everyone needs to go to college" the entire thrust of college turned into job preparation.

What happened to the broadening of the mind ? Intellectual stimulation ?
Isn't that what the gen ed classes gave you ?

I was an engineering major but thoroughly enjoyed art appreciation, music appreciation, literature and history classes. I even took a music theory class and piano 101.

Exactly! That all is considered an unaffordable luxury now. Probably when you went to college, tuition wasn't so horrifically hyper-inflated.

Still, I think the OP has a point, that there seems to be little point in require some of the gen-eds that people already get in HS.

I think the real value of gen-eds is when students expand beyond any discipline their HS studies have covered (or that go deeper into one they did cover, if they have an interest in pursuing that), using them to find a field that resonates with them enough, that they may find a calling. So, for example, as part of the science gen-ed, my uni offered oceanography. Most students in the class were there to tick off one of the science boxes, but most enjoyed the intro course thoroughly. Whether anyone decided to major in it as a result, I don't know, but that's exactly how it happens.

[TMSRetired]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Exactly! That all is considered an unaffordable luxury now. Probably when you went to college, tuition wasn't so horrifically hyper-inflated.

Still, I think the OP has a point, that there seems to be little point in require some of the gen-eds that people already get in HS.

I think the real value of gen-eds is when students expand beyond any discipline their HS studies have covered (or that go deeper into one they did cover, if they have an interest in pursuing that), using them to find a field that resonates with them enough, that they may find a calling. So, for example, as part of the science gen-ed, my uni offered oceanography. Most students in the class were there to tick off one of the science boxes, but most enjoyed the intro course thoroughly. Whether anyone decided to major in it as a result, I don't know, but that's exactly how it happens.

I went to college on the GI Bill. I wasn't rich and the amount was limited.
I went to CC for 2 years and then university for 2 years.

The general ed classes in college (when I went) were not even comparable to HS classes.
The college classes were actually stimulating and much more open to debate and conversation.
HS was more of learn and regurgitate facts.

And in college you can dive into specific eras. For history I took a class on the Civil War era.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Exactly! That all is considered an unaffordable luxury now. Probably when you went to college, tuition wasn't so horrifically hyper-inflated.

Still, I think the OP has a point, that there seems to be little point in require some of the gen-eds that people already get in HS.

I think the real value of gen-eds is when students expand beyond any discipline their HS studies have covered (or that go deeper into one they did cover, if they have an interest in pursuing that), using them to find a field that resonates with them enough, that they may find a calling. So, for example, as part of the science gen-ed, my uni offered oceanography. Most students in the class were there to tick off one of the science boxes, but most enjoyed the intro course thoroughly. Whether anyone decided to major in it as a result, I don't know, but that's exactly how it happens.

I think today most colleges give students a great deal of choice in selecting electives from long lists. There is no reason to take a general education elective course that you already had in high school.

Here are the Arts & Sciences Requirements for the University of Pittsburgh: https://cba.pitt.edu/academics/arts-...ting-jan-2023/

Humanities, for example, requires "Two courses from the following list. Complete a course in two of these three areas: Literature, Music/Art, or Philosophy." There are hundreds of courses on each list.

[TMSRetired]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

I think today most colleges give students a great deal of choice in selecting electives from long lists. There is no reason to take a general education elective course that you already had in high school.

Here are the Arts & Sciences Requirements for the University of Pittsburgh: https://cba.pitt.edu/academics/arts-...ting-jan-2023/

Humanities, for example, requires "Two courses from the following list. Complete a course in two of these three areas: Literature, Music/Art, or Philosophy." There are hundreds of courses on each list.

I think people are leaning more toward eliminating the General Ed classes and you go to college just for your major. Instead of 120 credits you just take the 60 your major requires.

I don't know what something like that would do to CC's...reduce them to tech training ?

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by TMSRetired

I think people are leaning more toward eliminating the General Ed classes and you go to college just for your major. Instead of 120 credits you just take the 60 your major requires.

I don't know what something like that would do to CC's...reduce them to tech training ?

But wouldn't colleges and universities need to make this switch? Are the top colleges ready to downsize their product by 50%, thereby needing half of their current faculty. I don't see any pressure to change.