It’s that time of the year again. Post the dreaded board exams, everyone is rushing around, looking for the ‘best’ colleges and courses. We all have our own reasons for choosing a particular institute or course, whether it’s the quality of the education provided, the opportunities we get post graduation, or even if we’re just looking for an awesome college life. Very few courses offer all of this and even fewer give you the opportunity to discover and express yourself as well. Which is where the Liberal Arts come in.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider a Liberal Arts education:
1. It’s the perfect way to explore what really interests you.
There are no fixed majors in Liberal Arts. You’re given a wide array of subjects and eventually get to choose your major through the duration of the course.
2. You’re endowed with more skills than one.
This isn’t a course that promotes rote learning. Critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills; these are the skills you’ll be arming yourself with.
3. Teaching isn’t one way traffic.
The teacher-student relationship is a rather unique one here. Rather than the usual lectures, classes are an interactive arena. You’re actively pushed to question and discuss. Debates, discussions and free expression are routine.
4. Learn what you love, the way you’d love.
From psychoanalysing the Joker, understanding the economics behind the Iron Bank of Braavos to eliminating bias through equations in Moneyball. All of your subjects are taught from a perspective that would make you love them, even if you didn’t before.
5. Your teacher can actually be your best friend.
I mean, come on. A person who can hold his or her own while discussing the politics of the Seven Kingdoms and explain Plato’s theories of governance in the same breath, can’t be all that bad.
6. You’ll be following in the footsteps of some of the biggest achievers in the world.
J.K. Rowling, Steven Spielberg, Jon Stewart, Hillary Clinton. Want me to go on? Too ‘artsy’ for you? Well, did you know that 33% of Fortune 500 CEOs have liberal arts degrees?
7. And it trains you to be a leader.
You’re given the skills to be able to adapt to any situation.
8. You get to see things from a totally different perspective.
A good liberal arts education increases your capacity to understand and enjoy humanity’s cultural and scientific achievements. So, you get to appreciate things from a different view point.
9. The promise of rewards are far greater.
A study by NCHEMS shows that Liberal Arts students are likely to earn higher as they progress in their careers. But ultimately, you’re doing what you love.
10. But above all, it pushes you to think beyond what the world knows and believes.
On March 2, 2011, when Steve Jobs revolutionised the world as we knew it (again), he said, “Technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing.”
It’s good to explore and check out what else the world has to offer, which is why we’re excited about universities like Ashoka. Based in the National Capital Region, Ashoka University is a Liberal Arts institution set up in collaboration with the University Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley and King’s College, London to name a few. They are currently accepting applications for Fall 2015. You can learn more about them by visiting their website here .
Supported by Ashoka University
Feature Image: Aceshowbiz
