Did you know that the best-paying majors are engineering, economics, and physics? The truth of the matter is that money isn’t everything.
When exploring different majors, it’s important to enjoy what you study since you might be doing this career for the rest of your life. But what about general education courses?
Why are they necessary and what is general education exactly? Read this guide on understanding what general education is today!
What Is General Education?
As you’re exploring general education courses online, you might wonder what the term encompasses. Whether or not you obtain a general education degree, it’s important to learn different skills before heading off into the workplace.
Many colleges will require you to take a certain amount of general education courses in order to obtain your degree. How many you’ll need to take and how long it’ll be will depend on the school.
General education is about:
- Evaluating physical data
- Understanding cultural diversity
- Emerging technologies
- Social sciences
- Humanities
- Arts
- Problem-solving
- And more
Foreign Language
Your general education requirements might include taking a foreign language. This will not only help you learn linguistic skills but expand your knowledge of the globe. Common languages to choose from include Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.
Science and Math
Whether or not you’re majoring in science or math, your degree might require you to take some of these classes. You might need to learn earth science, college algebra, general chemistry, business math, or others depending on your degree.
Social Sciences
In order to understand how humans interact with each other, social sciences are a great option. You’ll learn problem-solving and analytical skills in order to improve your approaches in the workforce.
Some examples of social science include:
- Geography
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Government
- Economics
- History
- Anthropology
Humanities and Arts
In order to learn a broad range of topics, you have the arts and humanities. Explore a variety of thoughts, knowledge, and human culture. You’ll learn to express yourself better, think critically, and analyze new information.
Some examples include:
- History
- Music
- Religion
- Arts
- Philosophy
- Ethics
How Many Credits Will Be General Education?
Most colleges will require you to take between 42-60 general education courses for your degree. This is out of 120 credits that you’ll need to receive for your Bachelor’s degree. You’ll more than likely take them during your early college years, but you might take them later.
Choosing Your General Education Courses
The great news is that you might have choices when it comes to choosing your general education courses. Many of them might include 101 courses which are much easier than the higher-leveled courses.
Keep in mind that depending on the course you choose, it could impact your overall GPA. You might be tempted to choose the easier general education courses if this is the case.
It’s important though to treat it as a way to explore different topics that you’ll find interesting. Taking general education courses could better help you toward being in the workforce and moving up in your career.
Transferring Credits
The good news is that you can transfer general education credits when you switch from 1 college to another. It’s important to know that you might only be able to transfer over a certain amount. Speak with your academic advisor to ensure that your credits that are necessary will transfer over.
The Benefits of General Education
Not only can general education help you to become more intelligent, but it can help you decide whether your current field of study is right for you. You might wind up deciding that another field of study is right for you, or that you want to try out new hobbies.
Saving on General Education Courses
In order to save on general education courses, consider taking them at a community college nearby. Just make sure that all of your general education requirements will transfer over. If you’re short on time, consider taking the courses online.
What To Avoid When Picking General Education Courses
If you have no interest in taking any of the general education courses required or provided, take the easiest courses that you can. This is especially useful if you know that the class has nothing to do with what you will be studying.
Further Picking Your Course
It’s a good idea to head online to see the average course load per course and see what people say about the professor. Check this before you choose a class. This will help you better decide whether the course load and the teaching of the instructor will work for you.
If you’re not sure which course to pick, consider speaking with an academic advisor. They can guide you and help you pick out which course or courses might be right for you.
Not only will the course itself be determined, but the time and location of it as well. If you’re looking to have more time for other endeavors, then you might want to consider taking fully online classes and courses. Remember that the school you choose including the general education courses could have an impact on the career that you receive in the future.
Answering the Question To, What Is General Education?
After exploring this guide, you should be able to answer the question, what is general education? Take your time deciding what courses are right for you and your needs.
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