Perhaps you have heard the saying, “A child needs to crawl, before he can walk.” But have you ever given any thought as to why?
Although I am no child development expert, I suggest that crawling is necessary before walking, for a number of reasons, including the following: respect for the stages of cognitive development, a need to first experience surroundings from the safety of the lesser need of balance required of movement on, “all fours,” and the need to develop confidence in movement in general, before attempting the more developed form of movement, required by walking.
So what does this have to do with your approach to completing an undergraduate degree? Actually, everything.
Most undergraduate degrees require the successful completion of what I will refer to as, “General,” or, “General Education,” courses. These are English composition, general History, Humanities, etc. courses. For many degree disciplines, these, “General,” courses have little, if anything, to do with the degree discipline itself. So why are these, “General,” courses required?
An often overlooked concept in higher education today, is that earning a degree, is intended to educate the person. To truly be able to consider himself or herself an educated person, the degreed person should have been introduced to a broader spectrum of disciplines and concepts, beyond the knowledge necessary for proficiency within the discipline of the degree awarded. For the privilege of being considered educated, therefore, the person who has earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree, should know something about American, or world, history.
Another value to, “General,” courses, however, is that they are intended to develop in the student, the skills needed for success in the higher level, more intense courses, required within the discipline of the degree. These are the, “Core,” “Major,” and/or, “Concentration,” courses, of the degree.
The skills needed to succeed in, “Core,” “Major,” and/or, “Concentration,” courses, are developed within the, “General,” courses, of the degree. Before a student can expect to succeed in his or her, “Core,” “Major,” and/or, “Concentration,” courses, he or she must have developed, for example, the writing skills demanded of upper level courses. It is no coincidence that, “General, “ courses are lower-level, less intense courses, and, “Core,” “Major,” and, “Concentration,” courses, are upper-level, more intense courses.
Think of the, “General,” courses, as the crawling stage of your academic development. It makes sense to successfully complete, “General, “ courses, as you are introduced to the new environment and demands of higher education. While taking your, “General,” courses, you will develop the skills and confidence needed to walk with your, “Core,” “Major,” and/or, “Concentration, “ courses.
More specifically, “General,” English composition courses, should be among the very first courses successfully completed in any degree. Most courses, even most other, “General,” courses, will require the research writing skills learned in, “General,” English composition courses. Remember, you will need to learn to crawl, before you can walk.
Do some infants walk without ever having crawled? Sure. But most do not. Before attempting upper level courses without having developed the academic skills learned in, “General,” courses, honestly assess your own abilities. Consulting your Academic Advisor may be a good step to take, to determine if you may be one of the few students ready to walk, without having ever crawled.
By H. Brian Strecker
Academic Success Advisor at American Public University
Excellent thoughts. I totally agree that general education is absolutely essential to a good education. It provides for a more well rounded student and more competent in today’s competitive culture. What are some courses you like most within the general education component?
Hey Scott! J. Mason here…I got in touch with Brian, the author, and below are his thoughts:
I am glad you see the value of General Education courses, and the importance of a student becoming more well- rounded through his or her education.
Perhaps the most fundamental General Education courses, are the English composition courses. Many colleges and universities refer to their General Education English composition courses as, “English 101, and English 102.”
The reason I regard General Education English composition courses as so important, is because it is in these courses, that the student learns college level writing skills. At many institutions, the student is taught how to write a college level research paper in, “English 102.” Most college courses, even most other General Education courses, will require the student to write at least one research paper. Learning essential writing skills prior to enrolling in courses that assume the student is capable of college level research writing, is a solid strategy to better prepare for strong academic performance.
General Education Mathematics courses are extremely valuable in teaching a thought process and logic in problem solving, which have many applications beyond the world of Mathematics. General Education History courses offer a unique opportunity to learn about our past, as a means to define ourselves in the present, as we proceed in to our future. General Education Humanities courses offer exposure to the Arts, Foreign Language, or Public Speaking, to reference a few General Education Humanities disciplines.
As you proceed with your General Education curriculum, be open to the possibility that your experience with some of your General Education studies could influence your ultimate choice in Major. I have known of students who, after experiencing their General Education History courses, decided to Major in History.
I hope you have found this reflection on a few of my favorite General Education courses helpful.
This is an excellent take on “General Education” courses and their importance and it would be good reading for all those contemplating higher education. All too often students believe that college course are just for specialization and while that is the case eventually, the foundation must be laid first. Too many students want to pass on the “reading, writing and arithmetic” of university schooling and this is unfortunate.
I believe that Mr. Strecker has made his case very clearly and succinctly for the inclusion of the educational basics. It is evident from his essay that he has had experience with many students and had to consul them on the importance of learning to “crawl first” before they rush to walk. The History major, for instance, who sees little need for mathematics or English Composition would do well to heed Mr. Strecker’s words and take these courses to be as well-rounded a student as they can be.
Kudos to American Public University and Mr. Strecker for a return to the basics
Mr. Strecker makes a succinct and valid point regarding general education courses being both a necessity and foundation for degree candidates. Students must have an excellent working knowledge of core reading and writing skills prior to being able to apply these skills across specialty area curriculum. A working, core knowledge of history, science, math and English skills are essential ingredients in being an “educated” individual. Let us not forget that within these core courses, critical thinking skills must be fostered. Bravo, to Mr. Strecker for his validation of what is truly means to be “educated”.
M. Allaire, M.Ed.
I agree with Mr. Strecker about the importance of general education courses. Too often we are more concerned with getting to the courses in our major, instead of remembering that college is there to help you become an educated individual who is well-rounded in a wide variety of areas. General education courses help give you the experiences you need to become a truly educated individual.
I am not disagreeing with the necessity of general education courses. However, I do disagree with the ratio of general education courses to concentration courses and the skill levels taught. I was under the impression that higher education taught advanced topics. University of Phoenix requires 60 credits to earn an Associates degree. Of those 60 credits only 18 are belong to the concentration. This leaves 42 credits of “general education.” I’m 30 years old and the curriculum is reminiscent of high school. I enrolled expecting to gain an education. I am one month away from completing my degree. The amount of knowledge I’ve gained from this experience is grossly inadequate. I’ve developed more skills outside of the university than I have from the university. In my opinion, I have paid $14,000 to, “go back to high school.” The information and skills I have not learned during my tenure at this school has actually been a step backward for me, resulting in a lessening of my skills. The skills I was developing before enrolling at the university are now outdated (but not as outdated as the curriculum at UoPx) and I have a void of two years that I must now catch up on in addition to staying current. In essence, I have retrogressed instead of progressed. And that is not progress. Now I am faced with another two years to earn my Bachelors degree on top of an estimated $28,000 of debt merely to find out that I will have advanced my skills very little. I used to regard folks with a degree as superior to me, now that perspective has been reversed. The Bachelors courses in IT are all introductory courses. “Intro to Networking, Intro to Wireless Networking, Intro to Web Development, Intro to Software Engineering, Intro to Security Concepts.” I have known this information since I was a teenager. I expected myself to be endowed with knowledge; instead, I am endowed with debt after I just finished a bankruptcy case. I should have started my schooling in the Masters level of courses, the Associates and the Bachelors programs are the equivalent of high school and a few extra-curricular electives.
Hey Clint!
I think a lot of associate programs are essentially designed to cater to the “least common denominator” and assume no prior knowledge. Imagine if you had never really used a computer before; those general classes may have been more challenging. You were definitely ahead of the curve which is why you felt held back. Hopefully as you progress with your education you’ll have the opportunity to take more challenging classes that will arm you with the skills you are looking for…
Why not transfer out of the school if you feel it’s holding you back? There are lower cost alternatives such as local community colleges or even where I work, American Public University (APU). If you’re interested in hearing more information about APU tuition and/or TCE information you can email me at online@apus.edu.
Thanks for visiting us at OLT!
J. Mason