Gen Ed Classes: How to Survive Requirements You Don't Care About

TL;DR

Gen eds feel pointless when you have a clear major, but they build skills you'll use everywhere. Pick interesting professors, find connections to your interests, and don't blow them off — gen ed GPA counts just as much as major GPA.

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Why Gen Eds Exist (And Why You Should Care)

Gen eds (general education requirements) are the courses every student must take regardless of major: English, math, science, history, arts, social sciences. They typically fill your first two years.

Students complain about them constantly: "Why does a computer science major need art history?" Fair question. Here's the answer:

Gen eds make you a well-rounded person. The world's problems don't fit neatly into one discipline. Engineers need to write clearly. Business majors need to understand psychology. Scientists need to communicate with non-scientists.

More practically: gen eds build skills that employers consistently rank as most important — communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and adaptability.

Strategies for Making Gen Eds Bearable

1. Choose Your Professor Wisely

The professor matters more than the subject. A passionate professor can make philosophy fascinating. A boring professor can make even cool topics painful. Use RateMyProfessors.

2. Find Your Connection

Ask yourself: "How does this connect to what I care about?" You'd be surprised:

• Art history → Understanding visual communication (useful for design, marketing, or UX)
• Philosophy → Logical argumentation (useful for law, programming, or debate)
• Statistics → Data literacy (useful in literally every field)
• Literature → Storytelling and empathy (useful for leadership and communication)

3. Use Gen Eds as GPA Boosters

If you're strategic, gen eds can be "easy A" classes that balance out your harder major courses. Choose sections known for reasonable workloads and clear grading.

4. Explore

If you're undeclared, gen eds are your exploration vehicle. Take a psychology class, a philosophy class, and an economics class. One of them might spark a passion you didn't know you had.

5. Don't Phone It In

Gen ed grades count toward your GPA just as much as major grades. A C in "boring" gen eds drags down the same GPA you're working hard to build in your major.

6. Get Them Done Early

Putting off gen eds until senior year means you'll be taking intro-level courses alongside advanced major courses. Get them out of the way in your first two years.

The Hidden Benefits

After college, graduates consistently say gen eds were more valuable than they expected:

• The writing skills from English Comp get used daily
• The statistics course helps them understand data at work
• The psychology class helps them understand coworkers
• The history class gives them perspective on current events

You might not appreciate them now. But future you will.

Let Gradily Help With Every Class

Whether it's a gen ed or your major, Gradily helps you write better papers, understand readings, and submit stronger work.

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Gen eds are a rite of passage. Approach them with curiosity instead of contempt, and you might actually learn something you didn't expect. 🎓