Reflecting On General Education
Introduction
Rigorous education courses have the ability to deepen our educational experiences and enable us continued success (Austin 2011).General education classes help students build a solid foundation .They are designed to harness a base of knowledge to carry students through a lifetime ,not just a specific career .These are valuable assets in a new era of workers. In the modern world it is common for individuals to shift careers seven times throughout their life (Bialik 2010).The general education classes here helped me to build my critical thinking, computer and writing skills, as well as, grow my interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, outward perspectives and moral reasoning. I found this to be especially useful as the difficulty of my courses increased.
My Bachelors in Environmental Studies will make me eligible for a job market that I otherwise would not even be considered for. As a student I have gained a deep, comparative knowledge of the world’s peoples and problems. And am able to, Explore the historical legacies that have created the dynamics and tensions of the world .Recognize the construction of my own identity as shaped by currents of power and privilege. Develop intercultural competencies so and I can move across boundaries and unfamiliar territory and see the world from multiple perspectives(Bialik 2010. Sustain difficult conversations in the face of highly emotional and perhaps uncongenial differences. Understand and perhaps redefine democratic principles and practices within a global context. Students also gain opportunities to engage in practical work with fundamental issues that affect communities not yet well served by their societies.
Most jobs in this market require a four year degree at a minimum. This alone will not be enough to get me the job I seek. I will heavily fall back on the enhanced interpersonal and critical thinking skills I developed via my courses to increase my chances. I will need these skills to prove myself in today’s competitive job market. I will not be the only one out there looking so I will have to think of how to carefully make myself standout.
References
Austin, M. W. (2011, April 13). The value of general education [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ethics-everyone/201104/the-value-general-education
Bialik, C. (2010). Seven Careers in a Lifetime? Think Twice, Researchers Say. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704206804575468162805877990.