Rebecca Mccrea

General Education, according to "A philosophy of a university education" and my opinion, are the basics we learn that help us daily in living, understanding ourselves as beings, and interacting with society, including the entire world. It is the foundation in preparing for the future. After reading the first few paragraphs, I get the impression that General Education is similar to the first few courses or semesters at a college or university. It is a process in which a person begins to understand the world around them, where they came from, and how to successfully interact with others who share this planet. But, because it says "We attend a university to receive a general education," I feel as though it is saying a person must attend a college or university to get a start to this "General Education". To me, General Education is a process that starts when a person is young, and continues to grow and change as the person matures and develops. Of course, not all characteristics of general education can be learned without schooling.

General Education is defined by Joanne Waugh as "giving us knowledge about the world and those who live in it, and the ability to continue pursuing knowledge..." It seems as though a person could learn this "General Education" on his/her own if they use that specific definition. It is comparable to a combination of street smarts, recognizing change that surrounds us, and being able to exhibit the simple skills we learned when we were small, like not to talk to strangers. The article also says "...having received a general education, we are able to learn throughout our lives. This puts us in a position to be effective in whatever life requires of us." By this I think a few examples of problems that living brings: disasters such as hurricanes, and stress. Both are things that almost no one in the world (or Florida at least) can hide from. But, is it really necessary to attend a university or college in order to understand these things that seem so simple?

I do agree, however, that General Education, no matter where it's learned, is important. Without it, many more people would be confused or even irritated at the stark differences and similarities in the world surrounding religion, sexuality, and race or even something much simpler, like stress.

General Education is like Math class, starting from first grade. Math almost always builds on something else before it. Therefore, we need the basics of General Education before we can move on to more complex subjects, studies, or understandings. If you think about it, it's also similar to how we act as people. Before a person can really grow and understand another, he or she must understand him/herself. General education helps people unfold these topics. All in all, general education is a broad educational experience. It usually consists of an array of introductory classes that give the student insight into a subject that is much deeper in actuality.

The End

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