The Lion's Pride Volume 9 (January 2018) | Page 14

different parts of the world, and it is necessary for them, to some extent,
to adapt to living in a new country. General education grants them
awareness of the American educational environment and methods of
education. It is also important for them to learn the basic skills that the
country cares about and to learn them in the American way. Further, this
gives immigrant students a chance to become more familiar with United
States culture as well as other cultures. Burbules and Torres define one
of the major goals of modern general education courses as “learn[ing]
about different others as a way of living with them and coordinating
social activity with them within a compact of mutual tolerance and
respect.” In this view, general education creates a bridge between
students of diverse backgrounds. This exposure to new cultures is also
helpful for native students, who also benefit from experience with
multicultural environments. In general education, students often get the
chance to participate in group discussions and teamwork, where native
students and immigrant students work together. This collaboration
increases each student’s knowledge of the cultures of the others and,
ultimately, increases tolerance.
Some students believe that general education courses are a waste
of time, irrelevant to their professional career, and create an obstacle in
the job market. David Becker, for example, a student at North Iowa Area
Community College, argues that “[students] don’t want to be well-
rounded. We want to be experts in our field.” Becker states that the