Liberal Arts, Liberal Studies, Liberal Thinking.

Across the social spectrum "liberal" is a term with a variety of connotations. Politically liberal designates a particular set of behaviors and their implied values. Culturally liberal implies loose, generous or easy going. Liberal often packs a significant emotional impact depending on your point of view.

Educationally "liberal" has been used to indicate broad-based or wide ranging. This has evolved from the early established colleges of the eighteen hundreds. When the United States decided to provide an education for every citizen the need for teachers was recognized. Therefore colleges were established to train teachers for the public school system. Initially these colleges were referred to as "Normal" schools but as time passed they were increasingly referred to as Liberal Arts colleges. This designation, "liberal", was meant to show that the students were receiving a wide ranging education. A wide ranging education was deemed necessary for school teachers because of the wide variety of questions they would potentially be asked by their young students.

If you've spent any time with children you know how inquisitive and demanding they can be. A teacher had better be prepared to answer and explain their answer right now. A liberal education was intended to prepare young teachers for this.

As colleges widened their curriculum to prepare students for other careers additional majors were developed. Within the past few decades specific majors have gained popularity. Career minded students have chosen IT or Accounting for Business among many others to help launch their life after Planet College. Employers were thought to respond favorably to the skills such specific degrees required.

So what happened to Liberal Arts? Well it is still in the catalogue and it isn't limited to students who are intending to become teachers. With the current hiring climate as volatile as it is employers are now looking favorably on a Liberal Arts degree. A wide ranging base of schooling indicates a potential employee has a knack for flexibility. Given the rapidly changing nature of even the most basic business practices this flexibility could be a very desirable trait.

So, if you are still undeclared or stuck in your major and thinking of a change consider Liberal Studies. If it is available it might be a way to a degree and a job soon. Give it some thought.

Zs Get Degrees, Or Do They?

Learning while you sleep is an appealing sounding method to acquire Knowledge. Various programs available offer 'sleep learning' usually meaning tapes. These recordings play while the learner sleeps and those available advertise results, sometimes described as 'amazing'. Customers they say have mastered subjects while sleeping and this mastery has assisted them passing difficult courses. One discussion of this subject declared," Z's get degrees." There was no indication whether the students took the test while sleeping.

Looking around any of your a early a.m. classes you will observe many students earnestly practicing another form of sleep-learning. Are these students sleeping? Definitely. Are these students learning? Possibly. Their grade will tell.

Only you can tell the best methods for you to acquire and retain the information necessary to pass any given course. If sleeping helps, well, sleep. What is more likely, though, is the need for you to bring your full attention to any subject you are attempting to master or at least pass. It is also likely that you need to be awake while doing so. Zs may help a student occasionally pass a class. Degrees are obtained through persistence, diligence and an organized approach to studying. And all of this means work. The lure of 'sleep learning' is the implied effortlessness which is in fact very appealing. But, most veterans on Planet College learn nothing worthwhile is achieved without effort.

Ok, now, go take a nap.