The Benefits of an Education in the Liberal Arts

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It is a common misperception that a liberal arts education may not be obtainable for the majority of people, but community colleges allow any person the opportunity to explore and to test their interests. An education in the liberal arts provides an individual with a whole set of employable skills, including communicating/ writing effectively, to think critically, to think creatively, and to adapt to new situations. An education in the liberal arts produces a well-rounded person with a set of transferrable skills they can take with them to any job, opposed to the type of single track education with only one job field in mind.

One of the main reasons people choose vocational training, or “career education” over the liberal arts is the price tag that comes with it. If more people knew about community colleges, or as Liz Addison calls them, “America’s hidden public service gem,” they would know there was a place that is affordable where they can begin to explore and discover their interests. Community colleges offer a wide variety of classes at an affordable price, so any person is able to cater to the education that they seek. This means, there is more opportunity for someone to take a class and discover a new interest, something they are good at they otherwise never would have found. Liz Addison says, “Just follow any one of the 1,655 road signs, and pop your head inside-yes, they let anyone in.” Since classes are cheaper, students are able to take classes based upon interests without losing out on too much money. The ease of exploration in community colleges brings hope to those who may never thought it possible to go to school. It provides a hand for newcomers to express their ideas, and as Ungar says, “But in my experience, it is often the people who are newest to certain ideas and approaches who are the most original and inventive in the discussion and application of those ideas.” On the other hand, there are vocational schools that are directed towards a

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