A liberal arts education is an incredible way to develop your understanding of the world. It’s also a great way to develop other skills like communication, reasoning, and self-knowledge. While most people agree that a college degree is important these days, what kind of degree you get depends on which areas matter the most to you.
If you want to be a doctor or lawyer then studying business, psychology, or sociology are very helpful. If you want to be in media then courses in journalism, advertising, or public relations are essential.
But aside from those obvious career paths there’s one area that many students don’t focus much attention on but can help them achieve their goal more quickly than they think: the humanities.
A lot of students drop out before taking too seriously how important literature, philosophy, and history are for developing higher level thinking. They may even go as far as saying that it’s not because they just weren’t interested enough!
So let us take a closer look at why this perception is so wrong and what the humanities really teach you. We will talk about some specific benefits of the different subjects covered by the term “humanities.” Then we will discuss some strategies to combine all of them into a meaningful experience.
This article will hopefully change the way you feel about the importance of the humanities in your educational journey and beyond.
Watch more movies
A great way to give yourself an education is by watching as many films as you can. Many colleges offer free movie tickets or student discounts at nearby theaters, so attending a film festival in your area could be the best way to start learning about society, politics, and humanities.
There are several ways to watch most films for free. You can use streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu where you can access all of their content freely. Or you can visit your local library and check out a DVD box set. Lastly, you can connect with other students or community members and invite them to a show that one of you watches.
Many people enjoy listening to music while they watch a movie, so using headphones and/or earbuds will make it much easier to follow what happens. There’s no need to spend money on expensive equipment!
Given how much media our culture produces, there’s always something new to explore.
Listen to more music
A major part of being an artist is listening to other artists’ work and incorporating what you learn from it into your style or genre. As mentioned earlier, learning about art makes for great entertainment so why not apply that knowledge towards developing your artistic skills?
There are many ways to do this. You can read books or magazines about different styles and techniques in drawing, painting, or sculpture. Or you could watch YouTube videos on how to draw or paint different subjects.
Alternatively, you can find new songs with lyrics that discuss various themes and you can use those lyrics as inspiration for creating your own artwork. The same goes for musical genres; you can study what elements they contain and apply them to your music.
All of these applications require no formal education beyond high school. There are plenty of free resources available online that anyone can enjoy.
Do art
Art is a medium that cultivates many things; it fosters creativity, expression, and self-reflection. It can be painting, sculpture, music, or any other form of artistic production. Creating artwork is an excellent way to begin exploring other genres and styles.
Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Vincent van Gogh mastered their craft by practicing daily. They would spend hours creating something new every day. This constant process helped them hone their skills and push themselves to achieve success.
You can do the same by setting a regular time each week to create. You may want to try making sketches first to get your feet wet before moving onto more advanced drawing and painting.
Whatever you choose to make yourself feel comfortable with, keep trying new things! The important thing is to enjoy what you are doing and take pleasure in the process.
Learn to laugh
A liberal arts education does not mean learning how to put together IKEA furniture or how to use Photoshop to fake tan yourself, it is much more than that. It means being able to identify beauty in things beyond pure aesthetics, it means understanding other cultures, it means reading and writing well, it means developing your reasoning skills and coming up with new ideas.
It also means knowing how to learn, which is one of the most important qualities you can have as an adult. You are going to be spending lots of time studying so you better get into good habits and establish routines that work for you.
Give yourself a little bit every day and eventually you will reach your goal, but don’t expect quick results. Take your time and invest in yourself and this will pay off later.
There are many ways to give yourself a liberal arts education, from taking classes at the university level to investing in educational materials such as books and YouTube videos.
Whatever route you choose, just make sure you are doing what you want to see results in. If you are looking to read more, pick out some novels or do some research on something specific. Or maybe you would like to take some art courses, learn how to draw or color using different methods.
Whatever it is, there is no wrong way to go about it as long as you are trying to improve upon already basic skills.
Spend time with friends
A liberal arts education is not about how much knowledge you have, but more importantly what kind of knowledge you have. It’s about educating yourself in all areas- art, literature, music, humanities, social studies, etc. Why should you invest your hard earned money in this school system if you don’t want to learn history or read books?
There are many ways to make close friends at college, just look around you. Some people organize trips outside of class, some organize activities with other students, some find groups of students that share similar interests and become friends there, and some make friends through their major.
Whatever method you choose, be open and friendly! Don’t worry about being best at something, we’re all not always the best student, artist, musician, or whatever. But when you try your hardest, you will succeed because you invested into things you loved and learned it.
Try new foods
We learned how to cook in high school, but most people don’t learn much more than that. Sure, they may know what recipes are like chicken parmesean or grilled cheese, but beyond that there is a wide world of culinary possibilities.
Whether you want to make pasta dishes or soups or stir fries or dessert, by trying new things you will find out about yourself and your appetite for learning.
Start with something simple like eating raw vegetables or fruits as snacks or add some ingredients to your cooking repertoire like mushrooms or chickpeas.
Then move onto other foods such as fish or meat that contain less fat. If you are already able to eat meat or seafood then try to limit themselves to one source per week to see if you can identify it.
And for sweets, cut down on junk carbs (like bread and pasta) and start experimenting with healthier alternatives (try coconut sugar instead of white sugar).
See more nature
Many people have conversations with themselves, thinking about all sorts of things. This is what makes talking interesting!
Conversations are an important part of human communication. We’re always speaking to someone or something, even if it’s just our own thoughts.
Given that we spend a significant amount of time alone, listening to ourselves can be very entertaining.
Studying other languages gives you another way to enjoy your inner conversation. Even better, studying English as a second language opens up new opportunities for self-expression and introspection.
So why not give yourself an education in the liberal arts? You don’t need any formal training in these areas to do so, but learning some basics can help you connect with the world around you.
Do yoga
What is the value of studying art, literature, or history if you cannot apply what you have learned to your daily life? If you are not practicing these lessons in everyday life, then they are simply wasted studies.
Art teaches us about shapes, colors, and textures; literature teaches us about storytelling and character development; and history reminds us that no matter how rich or powerful we become, everything was once part of something bigger than just ourselves.
All three of these areas require students to be able at least to describe and understand their concepts, so this makes them good training grounds for self-education.
Yoga is an excellent exercise tool and a great way to relax, but it also has lots of different styles which all focus on body unity. This style focuses more on internal balance and understanding yourself as one with the rest of the world.
There are many ways to practice yogic philosophy, such as meditation, mindfulness, and ethics. All of these can help you learn more about yourself and the true nature of being human.
This article will talk about some easy ways to add onto your current yoga education by exploring other parts of the liberal arts.
