I didn’t choose Hope because it’s a liberal arts school– in fact, I didn’t really know what liberal arts meant at first. Now, as a sophomore (almost junior!) it’s so easy to see the benefits of such an education in my life.
The liberal arts curriculum at Hope requires a number of general education courses to be taken by students, including credits of art, history, philosophy, and science (among others).
The liberal arts curriculum also allows me to have two majors and two minors, while still having space to study abroad or graduate early if I choose.
This semester especially, I’ve loved my classes. A good amount of them are things I wouldn’t necessarily have had space for in my schedule without the liberal arts requirements that make them more of a priority. I’m taking a philosophy-based English class that lets us analyze texts of our choosing (anything from books to popular tv shows to Taylor Swift songs) with critical lenses. I’m also taking a Spanish class where we have the opportunity to volunteer at a local nonprofit and use our Spanish with native speakers every single week.
For art credit this semester, I’m also taking a creative writing class. It has grown to be one of the classes I look forward to most each week. Being able to use my brain to write poetry and prose has been such an amazing outlet. As a kid, I was constantly writing stories, and being in this class has allowed me to come back to that. I’ve also loved meeting people from all different disciplines, and reading their stories or poetry. We share and offer feedback to one another on a regular basis. It’s been a beautiful thing to connect with people from across campus, reading their work and understanding more about their worlds.
Maybe your childhood passion was a certain instrument, you always wanted to learn a language, or you’re a humanities major wishing for one more math class. The liberal arts education makes all of these things possible for students, stretching us and helping us become global citizens as we engage with students and fields outside of our “normal.”