One argument posits that tertiary-level students ought to study courses outside their departments. Despite the time and effort needed to pursue this feat while pursuing a degree in a particular subject, I fervently support the stance since the courses usually mandatory in a university curriculum are general education courses that do not require much specialised knowledge and are arguably essential to thrive in the twenty-first century.
The first argument some people give, and one I echo, relates to the general content nature of most courses that are encouraged and offered to university students outside of their core courses. Such subject matter content is quite basic, providing students introductory lessons to computers, general mathematics, and the history of their nation, to cite three examples. Even if some individuals are interested in higher-level subjects – like Advanced Statistics – quite deviant from their concentration – which may be Law – such course content is not at all made obligatory by any university authority, and is simply optional for a minor along the way. Most supplemental courses separate from university students’ main subjects, therefore, are fundamental and can be completed with relative ease instead of requiring esoteric knowledge.
Another argument, perhaps more significant, in favor of students at the university level having to learn about subjects outside of their choosing is that the knowledge gleaned through such courses is fundamentally important to prepare students to face modern life. It should come as no surprise that success in this digital age hinges on the need to adapt, the resourcefulness of possessing the bare minimum of digital skills and quantitative and verbal reasoning, to name just a few. Competence in this twenty-first century skills is vital to thriving in today’s competitive professional field, which is something that universities try fostering through general education and extra-departmental courses.
To conclude, I agree with the statement that there is a need for students at the tertiary level to take extra-departmental courses due to the fact that most such courses are relatively low in difficulty and general in scope, and also because a university qualification in the twenty-first century ought to signify someone’s skills not only in their hyper focused subject choice but also as global citizens in the broader scale of society.