Part 4: Final Thought

Understanding why general education is required is to accept that we are human beings and constantly evolving and changing. The value of a liberal education may not be truly clear until the end of our lives, which can be frustrating. As William Cronon (1998) remarks, “A liberal education is not something any of us ever achieve; it is not a state. Rather, it is a way of living in the face of our own ignorance, a way of groping toward wisdom in full recognition of our own folly, a way of educating ourselves without any illusion that our educations will ever be complete.” Lifelong learning is more than a catchphrase. It is what it means to be human.

More practically, however, we can do our best to glean as much as we can out of college opportunities at the time we are experiencing them. Adam Weinberg (2017) tells us how to take advantage: “Use every class and every assignment to learn to communicate effectively, especially to write well. Work with numbers and data. Weave disparate ideas into new ways of thinking. Frame questions. Argue. Create. Do research.” This work will have a positive effect on us as students, as people, and as professionals.