Liberal arts or liberal education is meant to provide you the flexibility to choose the subjects that you want to pursue. Many liberal art colleges have begun to provide many unconventional major-minor combinations. Indian liberal art colleges have tried to match the standards of US liberal art institutions. They have begun to offer many branches such as humanities, computer science, natural sciences, and commerce subjects such as economics as well. This point debunks that liberal art is also meant for humanity related subjects. But the ones interested in branches other than humanities can also pursue it. Steve Jobs had stated that “it is necessary that technology should be married with liberal arts”. What he meant was liberal art provides more problem-solving skills, creative thinking skills, and introduces innovation to technology. Such soft skills and a multi-disciplinary approach can definitely provide you an upper hand over others. The term liberal arts means liberal education that gives you more freedom. The soft skills can potentially make you more employable as well. This article will enlist seven main reasons why you should pursue liberal arts over other disciplines or degrees. These reasons will change your perception of the way you perceive the idea of liberal education.
Creative and Critical thinking
Creativity here implies innovative ways to solve problems. Multi-disciplinary education can allow you to think in more than one way to approach a problem. The courses designed to provide you creative and strange major-minor combinations can create miracles for you. You can possibly discover the unexplored facets of your personality through this education. Critical thinking means a carefully reasoned and logical way of approaching things. Thinking critically helps you academically to go through subjects as well as their life while making career decisions. Many times, the manner of our thinking is prejudicial and biased, however, that can be corrected by the liberal education, it has the potential to remove any biases you have and push you to think using better reasoning and communication.
Holistic Growth
Holistic Growth through liberal education happens in more than one way. You might end up taking a hobby and develop it further as you learn new disciplines. You can also enjoy reading and excerpts about particular subjects that can lead to all-rounded growth. Admissions in many of the liberal art institutions are based around the holistic qualities of the candidate, that is because they intend to promise a holistic growth education to the student they can into their institution.
Increased Chance of employment
This point may sound strange to some because the myth is that liberal arts do not have much scope. However, many surveys suggest that liberal art candidates are more employable due to their soft skills. At a time, when automation has increased. Problem-solving, effective communication, and critical thinking can be very strong skills that can make you reach new heights in this rapidly changing world. Many technical skills can be learned online today as well, with platforms such as Udemy, Coursera and Skillshare booming. Having these skills along with those technical skills can create wonders for you.
Rigorous and Enhanced Academic Skills
Career and Jobs are crucial however they should not be the only outcome around which higher education should be based. Academic skills such as creative writing, Academic writing, Critical writing, etc. are also developed effectively in liberal arts. They prove instrumental when one applies to higher education. The Indian Job market is valued more for the Post-graduates than under-graduates. Having a solid and multidisciplinary academic background can provide you a clear path as to what to do about your higher education. Academic growth and development can provide a beneficial career for those who intend to take up the role of an educator in their career.
A Clearer path ahead for graduate school
Many people In India intend to apply for higher education or education abroad after their undergraduate and not land up directly in jobs. Taking a multi-disciplinary education will clear out a lot of apprehensions regarding the subject you want to study later. You may have decided to study a subject before joining the liberal arts course and changed that perception as you bump into different interesting and engaging disciplines at a liberal art school. The clear vision that you obtain is definitely going to help you make a more informed choice for higher studies.
You become an effective communicator
Communication does not mean you talk in a better way. It implies that you can understand other people’s ideas in a nuanced way. Presentation skills, expressing ideas carefully orally or in writing. The way you share and ideas, thoughts will have more clarity.
