Introduction: 

“In the modern version, students explore a host of disciplines from the sciences to the humanities.” This passage reminds me of Scheuer’s three definitions of liberal arts. Much like in Scheuer and Ungar, Bain discusses the misconception of the fundamental meaning of the liberal arts in a college setting. While many think the liberal arts refers to the study of the humanities, all three authors talk about the liberal arts in a broader sense that includes the sciences. 

“But here’s the point: their broad education helped them to make those choices as they learned to see connections between liberal education and the specialty they would pursue.” This passage relates to Ungar’s second misconception on liberal arts graduates having difficulty finding jobs. The point of a liberal education is to create innovative critical thinkers who will thrive in a variety of disciplines, which will ultimately help them in the job search. 

Liberal Arts and Creativity:

“They found something that fascinated them… They became creative because they became lost in something other than themselves.” This passage relates to my own learning experience. As Bain was saying, being interested in what you are learning makes you more creative and courageous to try more things within that field. In my experience, I have found the opposite as well. When one is given the opportunity to be creative, learning becomes more fun. It is easy for a person to become completely immersed in something they find “fascinating” because even if they get something wrong, they still find the subject interesting enough to allow themself to grow.

Engaging with History and Justice:

“By bringing his own, broad perspective reasoned from the evidence and from the insight or others, he could sift critically through a rich array of arguments and keep only those that met the highest standard of reasoning and evidence.” This passage relates to both Sheuer and the Core hand book in terms of critical thinking skills. Scheuer highlights the abilities that the liberal arts allow students to develop, such as the “abilities to speak, listen, write, and think,” all of which make good critical thinkers and “better learners, communicators, team members, and citizens.” The ability to be a good critical thinker allows students to not only recognize a good, well researched argument, but make one on their own which is part of the reason UNE has a critical thinking requirement in the core handbook. 

Freedom to Choose:

“I had been trained in highschool to measure my studies by what the teacher said, as if I was quantitatively mapped on some graph.” This passage is a text to self relationship. I found this quote really interesting because it goes against the mindset that many people have when it comes to education. For many students, myself included for most of my academic career, view grades as the most important thing. This mindset also relates to Dweck’s idea of fixed mindsets vs growth mindset. This also related to an earlier section of Bain’s piece talking about Dean Baker and how grades “never played a large role in his education.” Baker showed a growth mindset when it came to his education. He was less worried about grades and more interested in the subjects he was learning and how they would relate to his life and the other things he has learned. Emma Murphy’s experience emphasizes the mindset that many students develop. This brought me to the question, do grades motivate students, or do they hold them back?

Selecting a Path:

“Reading allows you to expand, to live other lives in other times.” This passage relates to my personal goal of wanting to read more. I want to read more not just for pleasure, but for the educational and mental benefits that it provides. Reading more can not only make you a better writer but helps develop creative thinking and focus.