How often do English professors use trigonometry in their day to day lives? How many times per year does an accountant write a literary analysis? The answer is simple, never. Every year thousands (maybe even millions) of students partake in what the US calls “Gen-Ed” or General Education Classes, and it’s extremely stupid.

Now, colleges always like to butter up and sweeten Gen-Eds, but their motives are pretty obvious. It’s money, no surprise there. Gen-Eds take an extra 2 years of College, that’s tens of thousands of dollars for classes we don’t even need. You’ll often see a paragraph next to most college’s Gen-Ed requirements, something along the lines of “It will help you gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of different fields and ways of thinking”, what the heck? That’s some real BS.

I’m going to use my college’s Gen-Eds as a basis for this blog since I only go here, other colleges may have slightly different requirements. It is absolutely essential for me to complete; English 152, Essay Writing; English 202, English Literature; At least Mat 135, College Algebra; One history class; Two “Aesthetic Classes”, I picked poetry writing and mass communication; Some basic science class; Two language classes; and a few other classes in the category of “ways of knowing”.

Now I have to admit, some Gen-Ed classes have merit. Basic Economic classes, communication classes (public speaking), language classes. These are useful skills that can help you no matter what field you choose to work in. In fact, these classes are so important there shouldn’t even be a choice, and why aren’t these classes thought in high school? Why basic economics is optional when it’s so pivotal in everyday decision making is beyond me.

But then we have the really problematic classes. Essay writing, sure, once again should have been thought in high school, why are you going to college if you can’t write an essay. Literature…seriously? How often does it happen that someone with no interest in English literature by 18 years of age takes this class and then starts to love it? Not enough to justify EVERYONE having to do it. Why does this even need to be a class, what’s stops people from enjoying literature in their own free time? The same thing goes for creative writing, poetry, music appreciation and all those other aesthetic/creative subjects.

Math and science, those are important subjects. I do agree everyone should have a basic understanding of them, but again, high school! What’s high school even for anyway, is it just a daycare centre or are students actually going to learn something. The math and science that we learn at high school (if thought properly) is more than sufficient, learning additional math and science during college if it has nothing to do with your major is just another waste of time and money.

The justification for these classes is to broaden your horizons. But we all know what the real reason is. Gen-Eds are 100% crafted to squeeze additional dollars from already poor students and their parents. Everything that Gen-Eds claim to do should have, for the last time, been thought at high school, not at college. If these classes were free, that would be a different story, but they are just as expensive as your relevant classes, not to mention they take up 2 years of your life.

Gen-Eds need to go and the system needs to change.