After four years of papers, late-night snacks, planners with to-do lists as long as the assignments themselves and piles of books nestled behind a mountain of Converses by the foot of my bed, I find myself questioning whether the investment in a traditional liberal arts degree merited the out-of-state tuition and never-ending question: “What is it that you do with an English major?”
You can hand me a spreadsheet, and more than likely, I’ll hand it right back. I have no investment-banking job lined up next year, and no consulting firm in Chicago or New York awaits my call. I am a woman lacking the “hard” skills that University Career Services so desires on a resume.
But, with this softening of curriculum comes a simultaneous softening of the heart. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we really do know. There is humility inherent in a liberal arts education — a recognition that self-discovery stems from pondering.
I allocated resources equitably in my public policy and economics courses and then strove to define what “equity” even entails. Philosophy, chemistry and women’s studies impart a sense of interconnectedness, of inclusiveness, that leaves an imprint on the student’s soul. We learn to love a novel’s protagonist by listening to his or her story, and we adore our fellow humans in a parallel fashion — recognizing that you, they and I are all characters in this world’s still-unfolding history.
I remember sitting in Biology 101 my freshman year, pen flying as I scribbled to copy Dr. Hogan’s explanation of mitosis, meiosis and cytogenesis. As illustrated by this most scientific of courses, we exist in a world intricately interwoven. And with this interconnectedness comes a sense of moral responsibility.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in English from one of the top public schools in the nation — but to what end? Mental energy, shaped by the liberal arts experience and molded by the need to constantly mature, constantly question, is a precious resource to reallocate in our obligation to protect our fellow humans, our codependents in this ecosystem of life.
Sheer number-crunching has its merit. But a world governed by the “bottom line” of budgets and spreadsheets cannot value the beauty of this world. A well-rounded liberal arts education produces citizens and students ready to think critically and carefully about the consequences of their actions.
I accepted my degree with pride, and I welcome any lingering questions about my future. There is no set path for an English, history, geography, physics or even a psychology major — but whatever you do, go forward with a sense of accountability and acknowledgement that to ponder, to question and to wonder are invaluable things indeed.
