Academic Goal:

One of my academic goals for this year is to start exploring more courses and majors that have to do with environmental science. While I initially thought I wouldn’t be too interested in science courses going into college, I decided to take intro to environmental issues, partly because it is a requirement to take an environmental course in the core curriculum, and partly because I feel as though it’s a topic that is important to be informed on regardless of what path I choose. So far, I have actually been really interested in the content of the course and have enjoyed working on the project we are currently doing. After reading Scheuers piece on the liberal arts education, I’ve realized that environmental science is actually an aspect of liberal education. When discussing the citizenship element of liberal education, Scheuer lists forms of engagement including, “… environmental, informational, moral, or global citizenship…” A liberal education sets students up to be well-rounded, which includes being informed on the environment around us. As stated before, this course is also included in the core curriculum and if it wasn’t, it’s possible I wouldn’t have taken it, meaning this interest could have never been sparked. Going forward, I am curious to see which other courses I’ll end up taking because they are required that I may end up being really passionate about. 

Personal Goal:

A long term personal goal I have for myself is to get a job after graduating college. Being currently undecided causes some anxiety for me when it comes to this goal because while I know I want a stable job later in life, I currently have no idea what I want that job to be or even what field I’ll end up in. Sanford J. Ungars article on the misconceptions about the liberal arts addresses this fear that I, and likely many others have when it comes to thinking about a career after college. Skills developed through a liberal education are actually very beneficial when looking for a job. This is proven in a 2009 survey conducted on the majority of our nation’s employers that found, “… 89 percent said they were looking for more emphasis on ‘the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing,’ and almost as many urged the development of better ‘critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills.’ Seventy percent said they were on the lookout for ‘the ability to innovate and be creative’” (Ungar, 2010). All of these skills are ones that are emphasized in a liberal education. Pursuing a liberal education could be very helpful for me in achieving this personal goal.