Many required college courses seem like a real drag. Personally I dread having to take a speech class. While this is just my personal opinion, here are a few reasons I think colleges have a list of required courses:
1. Changing Majors
Since college students typically change their major at least once, colleges may feel the basic, required classes will give them skills they need no matter what they pursue. An art class can help students who choose a degree in graphic design while a math class may prepare students who want a degree in computer science. It also helps students see what they like and might want to do for a living.
2. Weeding out Students
An ugly truth to college is the school wants the best to represent them. A student who can't pass his classes or graduates with all C's looks bad on the college. The general classes weed out the students who are there to party and don't care about doing any actual work.
3. Providing Basic Skills
Finally, colleges believe these classes provide the basic skills everyone should know to get through life, regardless of what degree or line of work they take up. It's certainly debatable whether or not general education classes provide the skills students need in the real world. As with any program, there's always room for improvement!
Personally, I think general education classes need to focus on topics such as managing finances, finding a job when the economy is tough, and dealing with issues such as buying a house or paying off student loans. I think these topics are relevant to student's needs. Anyone else have any ideas about general education or what classes they'd like to see at their college?
January 14th, 2010, 11:49 AM
why are certain courses mandatory 
The mystery of required courses 
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