People have been telling me that a Liberal Arts education is useless because dozens of liberal arts graduates from USA comes out with no jobs. And moreover, for a conservative and traditional society such as Singapore, a liberal arts degree seems hopelessly futile.
But you know what’s wrong with today's education?
People don't chart their own education. They don't think and question.
They only think within the spheres and confines of the boundaries set by their society.
Let’s share the common basis that education is an investment, you may get greater returns and you may not. But throughout history, there have been a pretty good indication of reaping larger marginal returns from being educated, that’s why the pattern of ‘greater marginal returns’ have led people to erroneously assume that ‘If you get into college, you will be guaranteed a job.’ It’s true to some extent, because a degree used to reflect your intelligence and critical thinking.
But in our generation today, there are the unemployed, degree holders, dozens of them, What happened? The mindset of the people.
It's presumption. It's almost bordering on arrogance and superficiality but the people that undergoes the college process are what’s wrong. People come into college with the assumption that college would guarantee a job. But the reality is, at the end of the day, college is a tool. An university is supposedly meant to educate the people to become thinking global citizens and not guarantee high paying careers. University is not meant to make careers, it is meant to shape you to become a better, serving citizen and individual to the community. The high-paying career is not the true purpose of higher education, it is only an additional reward and incentive.
The problem is people take up degrees with such misconceptions and assumptions in their mind. A liberal arts education, or in fact any education, can only benefit the user when the learner knows how to apply the teachings in his or her life. Liberal arts (studying about Aristotle, Socrates, Renaissance etc.) educates the mind and the soul only if it is internalized. A Medicine discipline supposedly trains and equips the students with the specialized medical skills and the right aptitude for moral reasoning. The discourse and tackling of ethical issues are part and parcel to a Law student. All these disciplines demands rigorous and intellectual exercise of the mind.
Education is essentially all about internalization, assessment and reflection. Never study for the sake of acing your examinations or even passing it. . When you hold this belief in your mind, you limit yourself and subsequently diminish the value of the education because you are no longer studying for the joy and pleasure of learning. You no longer learn and improve your mind.
Being educated is questioning, challenging your opinions, world views and then synthesizing these lessons into your life. An university education is for the mind.
So if you go to a college having the wrong assumptions, any college degree and education would essentially be worthless. My advice? Don’t study for a sake of a degree: learn, educate yourself. The German word ‘bildung’ encompass the philosophy of a life long search and pursuit for self-improvement . See college as another station in your life long discovery and improvement and the magic will happen. You will eventually reap the greater returns.
Make the most out of your education.
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