A liberal arts education is an educational approach that focuses on broad general knowledge, as opposed to vocational or professional training. General topics are written about in depth in order to make sure students have a firm understanding of them.
Many universities now require at least one year of such study for graduation. Some even require two years because they combine both undergraduate and graduate levels. The most common subjects included in this category are literature, humanities (history, anthropology, sociology), art, music, languages, mathematics, and philosophy.
These studies focus on how ideas flow through different mediums, how beauty can inspire change, how people relate to each other, and what it means to be human. They also emphasize logic, reasoning, and discourse as integral parts of learning.
A liberal arts degree does not necessarily prepare you well for a career in business, teaching, medicine, law, or any similar field where academic qualifications matter more than anything else. But it will help you become someone who communicates effectively, uses logical thinking, and knows how to evaluate sources and materials.
It will also broaden your horizons by exposing you to new concepts and ways of looking at things. What’s important in life isn’t always practical, and studying the works of great authors and artists can only enhance your sense of aesthetics.
General knowledge is valuable in and of itself, whether you use it immediately or not.
Creative thinking
A liberal arts education is not only about learning how to read, write, and do math well, but it also teaches you how to think more broadly. You are taught to analyze different topics from many perspectives, to draw conclusions based on what you learn, and to consider alternative points of view.
This creative thinking skillset can be applied in every area of life, including school. In fact, one of the most important things that high school students should learn is how to evaluate the quality of educational resources such as courses, lectures, textbooks, and apps.
They must know how to distinguish good materials from bad ones, so they can choose better alternatives. This applies even if the existing material is free or paid for through student fees.
Furthermore, higher education is becoming increasingly digital, which makes it easy to access lessons, videos, and podcasts. Therefore, knowledge no longer needs to be concentrated in expensive classroom settings.
There’s very little reason to pay close attention to an academic lecture when you can find the same information online for free. And since most college students these days have their phones, they can easily review content anywhere at any time.
However, teaching mobile technology, social media usage, and literacy isn’t limited to professors either. Students need to be able to locate, evaluate, and use appropriate educational tools themselves. They also need to recognize poor quality opportunities and avoid them while looking for help with studying.
Emotional maturity
A liberal arts education is not only about learning how to read, write and do math- it’s also about educating you emotionally. This isn’t just telling people that they are good because they finished their studies, but rather teaching them how to relate to other people.
A degree in art or literature teaches you about emotions. Artists use colors, shapes and textures to evoke different feelings in their audience. Literature uses stories to motivate others.
This emotional literacy can be applied to all areas of life, not just career paths. For example, if someone close to you has been diagnosed with cancer, your loved one will probably want to know what types of treatments work for you.
By knowing which therapies have worked for you or others like him or her, he/she will feel more confident in those approaches. The same goes for finding the right doctor to treat his or her disease.
Generalist doctors don’t necessarily deal with very many diseases, while specialists focus on few but top quality ones. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing between the two, but most health professionals agree that generalists are better at giving you honest answers than specialists who may not fully evaluate certain treatments for cost reasons.
Public speaking
Speaking in front of groups is something that most people need to do at some point in their lives. Whether it’s giving a speech to promote your product, delivering a funeral eulogy, addressing a crowd for an anniversary celebration or asking individuals for donations, many people require significant practice before they feel comfortable doing so.
Academic institutions across the country offer training in public speaking as an activity outside of courses typically given in school “speech and debate” programs. This type of education teaches students how to speak clearly, convincingly and with appropriate level of intensity and emotion.
Public speaking is also a valuable skill for professionals who will likely have to give talks occasionally (think about someone like Elon Musk, who has to talk about his company frequently). The more you practise, the better you get!
There are several ways to improve your skills when talking to crowds. First, know what kind of audience you are speaking to and study them thoroughly. Are there any potential issues such as religious beliefs or politics? You should be able to prepare ahead of time to avoid these distractions.
Second, understand why people attend events where speeches are being made. Is it because they enjoy listening to others talk, or is it due to a reward program for business sponsors or membership fees for a club they belong to? If possible, finding out whether people come for the speaker or the incentive can help motivate you to try harder to inspire them.
Commercial awareness
A liberal arts education is not only about learning how to read, write, and do math- it’s also about educating you on the fundamentals of business. You will learn about marketing, finance, economics, and even accounting!
All of these are important skills that every person needs at some point in their life. Business people must be aware of the basics of marketing, finance, and economics, for example. Accounting professionals have to know basic concepts like margin, variance, and debt ratio!
In fact, many large companies actually use accountants who don’t have a degree in accounting, but rather received a general BA or BSc in commerce, business administration, or management. So there is no need to limit yourself to just one type of educational background!
Liberal arts students gain other important soft skills such as communication, reasoning, and problem solving.
