Upper-division G.E. courses useless

By Jeffrey Christian
The Collegian

WHEN I WAS a freshman, I never thought that I would be taking a History of Olympic Games class, let alone to satisfy an upper division General Education requirement.

As I approached the time in my college career when I needed to take my upper G.E. classes, that was the only class on the list that fit into my already stacked school and work schedule for that semester.

Like many Fresno State students do when they are planning their schedules, I took it because it fit, not because it interested me.

Upper division G.E. classes lengthen school tenure and add to the staggering cost of college education.

Fresno State students are required to take four upper division G.E. classes in order to earn their degree.

For some students, those 16 units can add an additional semester or year of school. Besides the extra cost of tuition and textbooks, when it comes to upper G.E. classes, students are usually forced to take the classes that fit best with their schedule and not necessarily the ones they are the most interested in.

I completely understand the purpose and necessity for lower division G.E. classes. They give students a well-rounded background and also give them a chance to explore different areas they might not think they ever would enjoy.

Lower division G.E. classes help steer students into potential majors and career paths. The problem with the upper division G.E. requirement is that by the time students are taking these classes, they’ve already chosen a major, making the upper G.E. classes useless.

Engineering students aren’t going to learn anything in an upper division music class that will help them further their engineering career.

I don’t say that with the intent of knocking music classes. They might be helpful to students in relevant majors, but unfortunately most of the students are forced to choose classes based on availability and how well they fit in their schedule, which are usually already full with more important major classes.

Subsequently, students have little enthusiasm for the course and material and professors are left teaching a group of students who are just trying to grind their way out to graduation.

When I started my college education, I was excited as I looked through the catalog at all of the choices of classes that interested me.

But now as I get closer to graduating, I am hit with the appalling realization that I never got the opportunity to take any of those classes because I was so concerned with trying to fit the G.E. classes into my schedule instead.

Rather than requiring students to take an additional 16 units of classes that most likely don’t have any relevant connection to their major, eliminate the upper division requirement and let students save money and enter the job field sooner.

If the university needs the money from the extra semester that bad, at least give students the ability to take the classes that they are interested in.

As of now, the only thing students are learning from taking upper division G.E. classes is that they are a waste of time.

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