Why Are Gen Eds Required for My Degree and How Can I Save Time and Money Completing Them?

If you’ve never been to college, you may ask yourself that question. Most people would much rather focus on courses that relate specifically to their chosen field of study and their career choice. The reality is that colleges and universities require from 30% to 50% of coursework to be general electives (gen eds). I know when I was younger and began my degree in engineering, I was anxious to start my core classes, but I soon learned that those courses would begin in the fourth or fifth semester. Many students may question whether gen eds are a waste of time, but is that true? First of all, all university programs require gen ed courses, so you are working your way toward your final goal. Secondly, you will learn new subjects, and you may develop a new passion. Elective courses also allow you to explore topics that interest you.

Colleges and universities want “well-rounded” graduates, and gen eds provide a comprehensive education. They promote critical thinking across multiple subjects. General education is more than what it is often perceived to be. Fundamentally, the purpose of education is not to train a student for a specific job but equips them with the skills they need to live life (Walters & Bockorn, 2018).

Once I started my gen ed curriculum, it began to make sense. I was experiencing high-level learning and then saw the value of these courses. For those of you who may not have any experience with post-secondary education, and those with limited knowledge of this subject, here are some examples of general education courses by category:

English Language and Literature:

College Composition, Oral Communication

Arts and Humanities:                                   

Arts, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Ethics, History

Social Sciences:                                    

Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics

Natural Science:                                            

Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology

Mathematics:                                                

Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Statistics

So, we understand that gen eds are required and why, but how can we expedite the completion of these courses and save money? I’ve found that most colleges and universities nationwide provide access to and accept virtually the same courses to satisfy this requirement. One very good and very affordable option for completing these courses in the shortest time possible and for the lowest cost is through Distance Learning Systems.

Here are some of the benefits of utilizing Distance Learning Systems to satisfy this requirement.

  1. Distance Learning Systems provide a wide assortment of general education courses that satisfy most, if not all, general education requirements.
  2. All courses provided by Distance Learning Systems are ACE (American Council on Education) recommended.
  3. Distance Learning Systems has partnership agreements with over 30 of the nation’s finest universities. This guarantees the transferability of all courses completed with Distance Learning Systems into the degree-granting institution.
  4. All courses are delivered 100% online 24/7.
  5. Distance Learning Systems provide an accelerated path to over 450 online degree programs.
  6. The cost of these courses is about 56% less expensive than the average cost of university tuition.
  7. You have options when beginning a new program or returning to complete your degree. I absolutely see and appreciate the value of these general education courses, but my position has always been and will always be to maximize value and minimize time. Good luck!

 

Written By: Dave Christy

Gender Definition Through Biology or Sociology

One of the justifications for creating discriminatory regulations and public requirements on the basis of gender is that men and women are not the same and so they should be handled in a different way. It’s true that men and women have different systems (it’s essential to comprehend there are plenty of resemblances also. For example, we all have two hands and two feet, don’t we?) But does that mean one type of human is better than the other?

gender_sociologyWe come across many content in the press that discuss experiments that show males are better at math, while females are better at languages; men do not talk much, while women talk a lot. Many of us agree to these outcomes as fact without examining the ‘proof.’ Is it because of biology that one gender is better at something, or is it because of sociology? Often it’s challenging to separate your scientific identification from your sociological one because public training starts from a very young age. Once you are old enough to analyze yourself, you will discover that you have already adopted many stereotypes. Does a six-year-old female work with baby dolls because she has a natural tendency towards doing so, or because baby dolls are what everyone presents her and baby dolls are what other females of her age are playing with? Does a boy not cry when he hurts himself because he’s a ‘tough’ kid, or because he’s been taught that boys shouldn’t cry? Does a man not talk as much as a lady because he is not chatty, or because he’s been trained to keep his feelings to himself?

Let’s take the commonly organized idea that young children are better at left-brain actions like math and reasoning. If one were to take a general look at the student inhabitants in technological innovation universities or the ITs, one might think that this is indeed real. But this supposition is a very simple one and does not look at the complicated aspects that make up our social standards. We reside in a community where a girl’s right to nourishment and knowledge, among other factors, is prioritized over a woman’s. Even if they are from a well-to-do family and do not experience such primary discrimination, women are often raised to be less committed and more home-oriented so that they can be ‘married off’ early. When there is discrimination at so many stages on the basis of gender, it is not amazing that the variety of women in challenging professional programs is reduced than that of young children. This has more to do with sociocultural and sociology aspects based on gender identification, rather than biological gender.