Course requirements and majors have been inseparable elements of the education system in the United States that has worked rather successful for many years now. Removing them altogether from the system seems to be a more than radical step but what if it could be justified by the realities of the modern world and younger generations, who have a difficult time finding common ground with the education system in act today? Removing majors and course requirements may be necessary in the near future in certain spheres at least, because the students should be given full control over their study program so that they could have full freedom in shaping their personality and career.
Removing majors allows for much greater flexibility. It is often underestimated how many students are unsure regarding what they are willing to do in life. The stereotype that one should make up one’s mind regarding the matter towards the graduation from high school has long been imposed on society. Nonetheless, many students cannot make up their mind due to a variety of factors. A student may not be sure regarding future career due to dwindling economic situation, certain conditions within family (conflicts with parents regarding the decision making in this matter), lack of confidence in one’s abilities… the list can go on. Despite having no clear vision of the future, freshmen are forced to choose a certain path in academics usually on the basis of picking the most plausible solution, which is yet far from ideal.
Countless students pick a major, make a mistake in choice, realize after a year or two that they are completely uninterested in what they have to study as the primary subject. They are willing to change it but the process of switching major has its complexities and is often deemed too much of a fuss to get involved into. So, many students keep on doing what they are indifferent to at best or loathe in the worst case scenario. Despite the ability to pick some of the subjects, the major still presupposes a great deal of a student’s study path, and if the major is not right – most of the university experience is spoiled.
Course requirements also take away from the flexibility of the education system. It is great that course requirements are widely available for students so that they could understand fully what they are getting themselves into when picking this or that subject, however, system requirements is something that should be tailored according to the individual needs of every single student. Course requirements cannot fit everyone universally. What is more, course requirements often depend on the subjective tastes of the tutor. A major improvement can be made meaning that the student applying for English literature major should be able to pick the literature he wants to read and study in-depth.
It is necessary to specify that course requirements should be removed in their modern incarnation. It is dangerous to remove them at once, because the structure of classes will be in tatters. A student could be given the right to determine the requirements, but due to the lack of experience and knowledge in methodology of education, a student does not know what is best to pick and how to structure one’s program. For this purpose, special consultants could help each student to work on the program so that it could cater to all interests and ambitions. This is naturally utopia, because creating immensely individual programs and requirements for each student will demand huge finances. The approach will not work in such spheres as medicine or exact sciences where requirements are much stricter and revolve around clear cut notions and facts that have to be mastered by a student under any circumstances. This means that a student looking forward to become a doctor cannot skip, for instance, biology or anatomy. Much more flexibility can be allowed for humanitarian disciplines, where freedom to pick a set of requirements will lead to better specialization within one broad sphere. For example, a student studying medieval era should be able to pick a particular country and era and study it with all of its nuances and intricacies. Therefore, students will be learning material that is interesting and become a great specialist in a particular spectrum of medieval history.
A valid opposing argument will point out that the system with majors and course requirements has worked for a great amount of time and has produced many students who are happy with what they studied and the chosen specialty. Moreover, lack of clear cut direction and structure to studies will undermine the student’s ability to concentrate on one subject, meaning that one semester the student will pick photography as a major, and the next one – physics. Yes, the structure is important, but students should not be deemed individuals unable to make sane career choices. It should be no problem to try different directions throughout several years for the sake of finding a perfect fit.
Moreover, students are adult people, who should be given the right to be in charge of their studies and choice in the academic career. As far as lack of finances to create customized programs for each student, this issue can be solved with the help of internet. Online education has already become a valid form of education that is home based, allows for easy communication between tutor and students, allows for easy access to all necessary materials. Online education can be the answer to the necessity of creating personalized courses for each student, because there will be no need to accommodate timetable at the campus and make other money consuming adjustments to fit everyone.
Removing majors and course requirements will be a positive phenomenon that would give the ultimate freedom to students in the matters of determining spheres of interest, customizing course requirements and switching majors if the need be. More students happy with what they are studying will cast a positive reflection on the development of nation as a whole.
