12A: Liberal Arts Education!

https://blogs.emory.edu/omps/files/2013/10/Liberal-Arts2.jpg

Coming into SCSU, I honestly had no idea what a liberal arts education even meant, so I'm glad I'm able to learn about it and see what it's all about. A 'liberal arts education' is general knowledge and how to develop intellectual ability and can be used in many fields in the workplace. The articles that we read this week were all about what liberal arts education is and what it provides students with, and how it is beneficial to students. Rather than developing specific skills, it provides knowledge to many different topics, even one's that you may not think are useful towards yourself, and gives you a rather 'in depth' look at topics and think ways you may not have thought to think about. To have a liberal arts education means you have more knowledge of everything around you. 

In the article "Liberal Arts and the Workplace" by Tim Hall states "...virtually all employers concluded that "a candidate's demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timhall/liberal-arts-and-the-work_b_3055433.html) Liberal arts education provides students with more knowledge than just their specific area of study or work field knowledge. A lot of employers seek out employees who are going to bring more innovation into the workplace, and with a liberal arts program you can be taught the skills necessary to contribute innovation and to have more knowledge to bring into work. Employers seek it also because the skills are helpful to adapting with changes in the workplace, and to work well with others. 

Some people think it's kind of pointless to learn other things that they aren't going to use in their work field, however, the more stuff you know the more you can do things with them. The skills of critical thinking, communication and problem solving also come into play with a liberal arts education, and to have those skills means they can be well equipped with problem solving in the work place and understanding how to communicate with others. Being able to explore different topics in general is something useful for everyone because you never know what you'll get out of it. Overall, a liberal arts education can be very beneficial to students and impact their future in various great ways.