By Jenna Moede

I know a lot of people out there want to start school, and get to their major course of study. Immediately. But, the list of classes looks daunting. To earn your degree, you will need to take classes specific to your major, as well as general education classes such as English and math.

And it may feel like these classes have nothing to do with your dream job.

I completely felt that way when I started college too. I didn’t think general education classes had any real purpose. I felt like taking them would waste my time.

Luckily, it turns out, these classes can really can help you in college. And, they can help you when you choose a major.

I went into college as a business major. Looking back, I wish I would have gone to college undeclared. At the time, however, I didn’t have a clear understanding of the college structure, and I underappreciated the required general classes. 

Now, looking back on my undergraduate experience, I find myself wondering what would have happened if I had put some thought into picking those required general education courses. I have a couple of thoughts that I’d like to pass on to you all.

First, let’s look at the purpose of general education classes. I didn’t believe it at first, but they really do serve a purpose.

General classes exist so that you can gain basic skills and knowledge that many employers in almost every career field look for in employees. 

Employers want their employees to have basic skills in communication, both spoken and written.  Science, math and courses in humanities are needed because whether or not the job focuses on those areas, most likely, they will all come into play to some degree in every career.

General classes also help students gain critical thinking skills. The subject matter will push limits and immerse students in varying subject matter. This forces students to think about old subjects in new ways. Many employers tend to look for capable employees with this skill because it shows the ability to think independently.

Last, like I mentioned last week, general education classes can help students find and understand an interest in material that they didn’t know they had. 

High school classes don’t always offer enough in-depth exposure to subject matter, and therefore, students may unknowingly overlook a field of interest. General classes may help unlock that interest.

After I understood the reason I had to take general classes, I started to appreciate each subject area individually. It gave me perspective to understand what I would, and should, have done differently.  

First, I would have challenged myself. I think that I could have discovered my passion for teaching and English long before I did if I had taken my general classes more seriously.

If the list of classes intimidates you, embrace the general studies. Try to take new classes with material you haven’t seen before. Even if it turns out you really don’t like a class, remember that a semester doesn’t last very long.

Not only did I try to take the easiest courses, but I also tried to skate by in them. I got good grades, but I didn’t put my best effort forward. I just figured I would save my energy for the business courses since they seemed more tailored to my future job. 

I never thought I would need to know the information the professors taught during general classes, and more than that, I never realized the training and skills would apply to my career in future. 

I also tried my hardest in high school to take as many AP classes and tests as my schedule would allow. While I think AP classes really help get extra college credits, I should have taken other generals in college in place of those classes I tested out of.

Additionally, when I started college, instead of taking my generals first, I dove right into taking classes for my major. I squeezed the general classes in, rather than focusing on them first, like I should have done. 

If I could start my undergraduate studies again, I would go in undeclared and really dedicate my time and energy to my generals in the beginning. 

Even if you know what you want to study, knock the general courses out first so that you have time to consider everything about your field while not changing the course of your education.

Finally, I wouldn’t have followed the crowd. I would have chosen the classes that interested me even if my friends hadn’t taken them or knew nothing about them.

Make sure you try your own things because you never know when something will fit your personality perfectly.

Overall I don’t know if I would have discovered that I didn’t want to pursue business, but I do know that if I had taken everything seriously, I would have realized that I needed to soak up every skill possible.   

Even though I thought I knew my goal in life, life can take a lot of unexpected and random turns.