Is Education For Everyone?

Of course.

Before you jump on me for overgeneralizing and assuming I ignorantly placed my ideals on other people without doing sufficient research, hear me out.

According to dictionary.reference.com, education is" the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life." So education is any type of learning, not necessarily institutional learning, and all humans receive education just by living.

Ah-ha, gotcha.

Just kidding. I actually do want to talk about formal education, namely higher education and the liberal arts education. The question: is higher education through a liberal arts method good for everyone?

Of course, it's not for everyone. I don't think there's anything on Earth that's good for everyone, besides oxygen, water, and nutrition. Even then you can argue what constitutes "good" and so on. In any case, the liberal arts education is fun, fulfilling, and life-changing for the right kind of person.
I usually dislike making lists, since I think they take away a lot of meaning by condensing stories and experiences into numbered bullet points, but I think it's the most efficient way to convey my message without making you read six pages of my semi-coherent rambling.

Who Should Take the Liberal Arts Route?

1. Someone has the means to afford all four years at the private institution. This may include grants, scholarships, well-off family, education fund, ect.

2. Someone who has no idea what they want to do with their lives, but knows they want a career someday.

3. Someone who has a general idea of what they want to do, but needs to narrow down their field of interest with opportunities to explore their passions.

4. Someone who enjoys learning for the sake of learning, and who would be ok with exploring areas outside their comfort zone.

5. Someone who needs a transition between complete dependence and independence.

6. Someone who wants to enjoy a tight-knit community and good memories. *I will discuss memorable non-academic things I have experience thus far in my liberal arts education in the next post.

As you can see, the liberal arts education is suitable for a vast majority of people, but not for everyone. A lot of people think that the education is too pricey, but given the right circumstance, you could get a large grant or scholarship which will make the four years much more affordable. Sometimes it's cheaper to  go to a liberal arts college rather than the in-state university. I would say, keep your options open, and research more about it!