I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be getting myself into when I applied to a liberal arts university. Looking at just those words, I pictured myself in a studio, flinging clay on a wheel and “making” some kind of misshapen vase or pot.
Thankfully, that was not the case at CNU.
Simply put, a liberal arts school gives its students an opportunity to explore many areas of concentration before settling down in a particular major. Think of it kind of like an ice cream bar with lots of toppings. Everyone finishes with the same thing (ice cream), but everyone’s finished product is different. I could choose to experiment with a couple history classes, while you could look into a chemistry lab.
Because of CNU’s liberal learning core curriculum , all students have to take courses in literature, composition, economics, mathematics, foreign language, science and American history/government in addition to their major classes. I was disappointed, at first, to have to dive back into Spanish and statistics. Those were high school things, right? Since I wanted to study English here, shouldn’t I only have to take classes about reading and writing in English?
Not quite!
You see, to graduate as a well-rounded, intelligent, disciplined person, it’s EXTREMELY beneficial to know a little bit about everything (not just everything about one thing). Yes, I have learned a lot from my English classes here. But, I’ve also learned much more than I thought I would from random classes in the Communication Department or the American Studies Department.
So, don’t freak out about having to take a course in something that’s not your cup of tea. In the end, you’ll have an informed opinion on it, and you might even discover a new passion!
