“Pointless” Classes?

Are lib-ed courses worth it?

Karina Herrera-Cavazos

If you’re an undergrad at the UMN, I’m sure you’ve felt at some point that you’re taking classes just to pad out your schedule. Take for instance the various liberal education requirements needed to graduate. After all, who hasn’t complained about taking “Intro to Oceanography” just to fulfill their physical science lib-ed? Recently, these requirements have been questioned by faculty and students, with some arguing that they shouldn’t be required when students already have a field of study in mind. I would be inclined to agree, as I myself have reluctantly taken “Intro to Oceanography.” But I’d like to look at this with a different perspective, and make an argument for the other side. I believe there is value in learning a topic that you would’ve never had an opportunity to otherwise. 

Art majors might dread taking a course on physics, and physics majors might fear taking a course on contemporary art, however, there is real value in learning these subjects. In an art history class, you’re taught to analyze the art that we’re surrounded by and to see the deeper meaning in lines and forms. If you’re taking a physics course, you’re being taught to think logically, and to understand how various forces influence movement within the world. If you engage with a course enough, you’ll gain more appreciation for that topic. You may even start seeing it in your personal life. All of these different subjects, more broadly, tell us something about the human experience. Smaller pieces of a bigger puzzle of our past, present, and future. 

When we get bogged down, we have to remind ourselves of why we came to college: to learn. Next time you groan about having to take physics or “The History of Monotype Print in America” remember that you probably won’t have many opportunities outside of college to learn about these topics. When class registration opens up again, try to take advantage of these “pointless” classes, as they’re important opportunities to learn more about the world!