The path to your major has been one fraught with boring gen ED’s and the easiest basic science classes you could find. At long last you’re staring down your dream major, ready to take on everything your professor will throw at you. But just as you’re about to sign up for your courses, you think back to some of those basic requirements. They were mind-numbingly stale but a great boost to your GPA. For a split second, you think about taking the easiest core classes your major offers. Despite how relaxing that may seem in the moment, the long-term consequences of taking easy core classes are dire.
Goodbye Money
Whether you go to a public or private school, college costs a good amount of money. You could cover a down payment on a home with the amount of money necessary for an education, and the sheer reality of that should get people working hard. When thinking about signing up for easy-A classes, remember the cold, hard, limited cash you’re sacrificing to get a degree. Despite the relaxing schedule, you’ll still be dishing out the same student loans and paychecks to pay for a degree that could cost you less elsewhere.
One-Time Access to World Class Minds
Not only does taking basic core classes throw away your money, it throws away your opportunity to engage with brilliant professors. All professors attempt to prepare their students well, but some do it better than others. While that easy professor your friend recommended might sound like a nice way to bump your GPA, the academic benefits will be slimmer. Tougher professors usually cover harder material that will better prepare you for a job. There’s a big difference between writing a paper about how a reading made you feel than what it means to your major.
Potential Working World Issues
Breaking news: Employers look for the cream of the crop from universities, and they don’t just want a degree. They want students who can think outside the box. The reality is clap-for-credit and easy core classes don’t encourage creative thought through academic growth. By taking challenging cores, the extra knowledge you’ll gain from wrestling with difficult material will be invaluable when the working world becomes your reality. With extracurricular activities and campus duties, it can seem overwhelming to include those tough classes in your schedule but employers look for time management skills. That crazy stress in college may lead to a better job.
The Easy Road is Not Hard to Find
Humans love patterns. We schedule, sit in the exact same lecture seat and attempt to go to bed at the same time every night in vain. When it comes to choosing classes, especially after completing a semester that wasn’t challenging, it can seem enticing to replicate that experience. Sure you’ll be less stressed for the last few months before graduation, but what happens when a hectic post-graduate work schedule rears its ugly head? Shifting from relaxation to high commitment can be a shock. The busy road can seem intimidating but it teaches you how to drive under stress.
Long Waste of Time
Four years is more than just a passing period to spend thousands of dollars to do easy work that won’t help your future. Granted, while most universities don’t offer overly easy core classes, your attitudes and participation play into your success. As a place to mature intellectually and academically, it seems in our best interest to push ourselves. Sure, that will be difficult when work starts piling up, but think of the rewards: a good education, the satisfaction of achievement and years of collegiate knowledge. Don’t waste a world class education for easier readings and papers.
