Russell, Lauren. (2009). The Negative Side of Specialized Education

The typical day of an elementary student involves little more than simple reading, writing, arithmetic, and nap time. Those academic basics must be mastered before success can be attained in more complex fields. Such is true in all areas of life. Michael Phelps, for instance, had to learn the techniques of the freestyle stroke before he won his first gold medal. Chemists, too, require advanced training in reading, writing, and arithmetic prior to observing and analyzing, publishing articles, and balancing equations. Adapting colleges to provide custom student-made majors as opposed to a general education would not only allow students to stray away from learning the basics, but it would also mean fewer job opportunities for graduates, inflict an even greater financial crisis on colleges, and put more pressure on the shoulders of already panic stricken teenagers who wish to enroll in college.

Generic majors, such as chemistry, art, and business, open the doors for many occupations. With a major in chemistry, a student can choose a career from many different sectors including research, pharmacy, education, and testing. If chemistry majors encounter jobs that do not suit their desires, many different occupations requiring their chemical expertise are still open to them. Specialization of degrees decreases the number of jobs available, dooming thousands to a career they do not enjoy. The alternative would be returning to school, which many cannot afford. Specialization within an art major would also limit job opportunities. An amazing and diverse talent in the art world could be smothered if that talent could only afford to major in one genre. For example, a student acquires a degree in creating modern abstract art, but is also very capable of drawing still life. Because the student, most likely, cannot afford to pursue two different majors, then, on paper, the student is only qualified to fill jobs involving the creating of modern abstract art. Because of the emphasis employers put on applicant’s résumés, great job opportunities involving the drawing of still life would close to this student, regardless of how capable the student is. Specialization in the world of business and marketing majors would restrict students to a particular company. On the other hand, with a general degree in marketing, business and marketing majors could perform well at a variety of businesses. General degrees prepare students for careers in many different sectors of the job world. Specialized degrees would do nothing more than put limits on qualifications and limit opportunities.

The specialization of degrees would wreak havoc on the majority of colleges. Because the general degrees would be broken down into more specific degrees, different courses would be offered to meet all of the requirements. The number of courses a college or university offers is proportional to the number of professors that college or university employs. More professors employed could either mean a decrease in the payment that any given professor receives or a decrease in money allotted to other aspects of college life such as campus safety and technology. If a decrease in professors’ pay occurs, the increased number of professors needed would be more important than their experience. Colleges and universities would lose the ability to accept only the most qualified faculty applicants in their fields and would have to settle for those willing to accept a decreased salary. A decrease in money allotted elsewhere, such as for student activities, would have a negative effect on the students’ attitudes. Technology is very expensive, yet also very essential in the learning and research process. While parents are generally proud that their child is going to college, they are often more concerned with their child’s safety rather than their education. A decrease in money allotted towards campus safety would cause a decrease in parental approval ratings. When parents see the decline of positive parental ratings, they would encourage their student not to go to that institution and those colleges would have to be less selective. Only colleges with more than sufficient funds would benefit from specialized majors, but the majority of schools would probably wither away in their increasing debt and eventually perish.

The first two years of college are when students supposedly find themselves. Even though most colleges require students to sample all areas of academic study, picking one to be immersed for the greater part of a lifespan is quite intimidating. At many colleges and universities, it is normal for students to switch majors multiple times. Mainstream America defines the college experience as one where people find themselves and also enjoy the greatest experience of their lives. Such thoughts put high expectations on the college experience and many students discover that finding themselves is a lot harder than expected. College is expensive for most and changing majors means more classes and more money shelled out to the university. Picking from a general spectrum of fields of study is stressful enough. Specializing majors into more specific fields would provide students with more options that would affect the rest of their lives when they are still unsure of themselves and what they want.

Mastering the basics is an essential part for success in anything. In order to achieve success, students must enjoy what they are doing, and understand their interests from all possible points of view. Even mathematicians need to be able to write if they want to present research. Not requiring the mathematicians to take English courses would deny them of essential abilities such as speech writing. Requiring most students to take a variety of courses (e.g. Comp. I, College Alg., U.S. Gov.) is essential for a deeper understanding of subjects. Denying students a general education for a more specific one only causes harm. Specialized degree programs without a general studies requirement would limit job opportunities available to the students, put the majority of colleges and universities in financial trouble, and add to the unnecessary stress teenagers are put through.