

Bringing the Liberal Arts to Engineering Education - petethomas
http://chronicle.com/article/Bringing-the-Liberal-Arts-to/229671/

======
msandford
I would have loved it if my "required" courses were more engaging or
interesting. One semester I got three As and a B. The As were in 3000 or 4000
level engineering courses. The B was in a 1000 level "required" course.

If I had questions on why I got homework or exam problems wrong (thus
demonstrating that I didn't understand the material) my engineering professors
or TAs would generally explain the mistake I made. It was really helpful to me
and even though I couldn't retake the exam and get the points back to get a
better grade, at least I (usually) actually learned it the second time. This
also helped me figure out where I wasn't learning effectively and to improve
my ability to study, thus improving not only the value of my education in
school but my ability to learn throughout the rest of my life.

After my first exam in my "required" class that one semester, I got a decent
but not great grade. On one of the questions I looked the answer up in the
book. It corresponded to what I put down on the test. I took this to the
professor and asked, given this information, how I got the wrong answer. The
professor replied "you're supposed to pick the BEST answer" a bit smugly and
would say nothing more.

I get that a college professor doesn't necessarily have the time to explain
everything to everyone all the time (which is why lectures exist, they're more
efficient), but it's not as though there was a line of 50 students behind me
in the hallway outside their office. I was the only one there. Probably a bad
teacher rather than a bad program, but it stuck with me nonetheless.

Anecdotes, data, etc.

------
_random_
I have a choice of not buying fries with my hamburger, but I have to buy a set
"menu" of education, because there is a monopoly.

Anyway, this guy puts it better "The Trillion Dollar Liberal Arts Scam":

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGlwfbZ8mWA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGlwfbZ8mWA)

Comments are great as well.

~~~
czep
You have a choice to go to a trade school instead of a college.

But why not try to learn something new? Engineering may be fun, but it won't
put you in touch with humanity, if that's all you ever study. You may regret
that in 60 years or so.

