Anne Russell Assignment 4

While I am not necessarily talented in every subject, I really do appreciate the well-rounded education that the liberal arts academy has given me. Even though sometimes I wished our high school was more specialized as we neared further education, I think it was better for me in the long run to get my feet wet and explore my interest and abilities in each subject before narrowing my focus. Studying literature specifically has benefited me more than I anticipated. Though sometimes the amount of detail we analyze in any given work seems meticulous and superfluous, I have grown to appreciate finding meaning in every minute choice, because if someone went to the trouble to make something meaningful, who are we to ignore their painstaking efforts? I like being in this analytical mindset because it reminds me that people generally put a lot more thought into their every day choices than we maybe give them credit for, and therefore we should not judge before we get the full story (or even then). I have come to realize that having a grasp of all subjects, as liberal arts encourages, is important to understand the world around us, because even though we may not have interest in certain things, they are still going on and are good to know about. This is similar to my lack of motivation to watch the news, but the remaining importance of being informed with that is going on in the world. I also feel that a liberal arts background can influence your character in that it makes you appreciate things that other people have a passion for, even if it does not interest you. For instance, my brother really enjoys the mechanics of cars and, though I don't necessarily understand it or find it interesting, it is still important to listen to him and give him credit for what he knows because it is important to him. Liberal arts education reminds us that there is more to life than just ourselves and to stop and smell the roses every once in a while.