<p>What is the point of General Education classes?</p>
<p>Good question, I think the UCI website answers it quite well:</p>
<p>[2008-09</a> UCI Catalogue: Information for Admitted Students](<a href=“UCI General Catalogue Archives”>UCI General Catalogue Archives)</p>
<p>"UCI is committed to the values of a liberal education. One component of that commitment is the requirement that all undergraduates complete a set of general education (GE) requirements. General education courses introduce students to a range of ideas and intellectual activities that engage UCI scholars, providing both scope and balance to a University degree beyond the study of a specific major.</p>
<p>The general education requirements are intended to help undergraduates place the specialized study undertaken in the major within a broader context. They are designed to cultivate the skills, knowledge, and understanding that will make students effective contributors to society and the world. The general education requirements should enable UCI undergraduates to apply the abilities developed in their studies to identify significant issues, gather and evaluate available evidence, analyze alternatives, reach conclusions, communicate the results effectively, and take considered actions."</p>
<p>Hmm, I see. So then I know that choosing a college based on your major is a good idea but what about GE classes. Is there a difference, lets say, taking GE classes in UCLA and UCI, or any other college? Or taking GE classes in a community college than a 4 Year University?</p>
<p>I’ll add a global perspective. In most other developed countries high school students have to take classes like calculus and statistics, calc-based physics, several years each of two foreign languages, a history course that relies heavily on reading and interpreting historic documents (instead of memorizing a sequence of events and dates) etc before they may go to college. In the US most high school graduates haven’t had that kind of exposure to academics yet. Instead they take these classes in the first one or two years of college to satisfy their general education requirements.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Different colleges have different general education requirements. One college might say, “Take any two classes each in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and a foreign language, and you are done.” Other colleges will give you a very specific list of classes you have to take, or give you a few options for every requirement (e.g. pick one of Western Civilizations, History of Academic Thought, or Survey of Ancient Rome and Greece). The looser the requirements, the easier it is to take them elsewhere (e.g. at a community college) and transfer the credits.</p>
<p>to get more money from you</p>
<p>so they some kind of standard that everybody has to follow… And wouldn’t be like a complete idiot in one subject.</p>
<p>HOWEVER it is total waste of your time and just takes money from you to be honest. Except for like 1 of my GEs I didn’t enjoy them or learn anything from them.</p>