I think our understanding of a “general education” needs an update. Living World and Formal Reasoning are, in theory, useful subject matters. But what about Living in the World or Learning to Be Reasonable? Freshman year, I wasn’t worried about filling the College sectors or foundations because I believed there would be copious options for each one. Easy. Yet after a few semesters, I’ve grown disillusioned. Finding a worthwhile class to fill each requirement has proved to be far less straightforward (and far more frustrating) than I initially thought. And judging by Penn Course Review comments and complaints, I’m not alone.
Do I feel more prepared for the professional world because of Geology 103? A GPA–dropping Physical World class consisting of largely empty lectures, a graduate professor who falsely promised “understanding general themes and concepts” would suffice and incredibly detailed exams? Not quite.
Regardless of intentions, too many of these courses overload students with surface–level information and then test them on minute details. Where are the classes that challenge us to be better people?
My high school self–defense class wasn’t only high kicks and roundhouses: it was about intuition and gaining a general sense of self–confidence. SLFD–001. You’d learn to feel secure, whether walking back from Van Pelt late at night or standing up for yourself in a heated debate.
Amidst charged campus discussions of mental health, where are classes that address student needs as they arise? We’ve all got voices we’re eager to share (via Facebook statuses and Twitter rants) so let’s create a forum for mediated dialogue. A required freshman seminar that encourages constructive conversation? Useful. Downright innovative.
If Penn were to insist I join a lecture that follows and dissects current events through news stories, I’d feel more like an active member of society, and less of a college student who reads three free New York Times articles a month.
Our curriculum is rigorous enough. I want to be a more capable individual. Why isn’t that a requirement?
