h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think (know) that common curriculum requirements in college are pointless. Follow my logic here:

I am paying an institution nearly $100,000 to prepare me for my place in the work force. They say, "Yes, we'll take your money and provide you with professors, labs, and courses designed to do just that, but wait... there's more. Tell 'em what they've won, Johnny."

Johnny: "Well, Wink, in addition to the education they need and want, they get to take several classes in subjects that have nothing to do with their future..."

People say that it makes you well-rounded. There are two problems with this. First, they are going on the assumption that taking one or two introductory courses in 8-or-so fields will make you well rounded, but I find that most of these courses are just memorize-test-forget-repeat. Second, they are going on the assumption that being well-rounded is something to aspire to. How can this be? When I go to my first job interview as a senior, I am pretty sure that "Did you take First Year Seminar: Religion and Science?" or "Please give a formal analysis of this painting" won't come up. If they do, I can assure you that the interviewer will be presented with a cartoonish trail of smoke running from that office to my car.

I think my mother (a proponent of common curriculum) summed it up rather well when she said: "I think that anybody in a technical field should be exposed to the humanities, but I admit that I never should have had to take math and science."

I am open to your opinions, but that doesn't mean I'll like 'em

i think that all of us here today understand just what well-rounded really means. it means you've been smoothed over, sandpapered back so that your edges are, yes, what's the word?....DULL
it means that when you participating in conversation with someone quite fervent about one of the subjects you've taken an introductory course to, you can neither participate in a depthy, action-packed dialogue nor ask, "reeeeally? what's it all about?" you will come out with something along the lines of "yehs..i took an introductory course in tha..once...can't really remember much about it..bit of a waste of time really..now i'm petering off as i don't have all too much to say on the matter.." thus putting off the person with the ferve, who will later, upon participating in conversation with a mutual friend who asks "so how do you find old so and so" will reply "well, a bit..well...DULL really..ah hah!"
you're neutral. you're not niave, but you're not aware. you're an adolescent all over again. suddenly you've gone spotty and you don't know what to say all over again.
my advice to you is to stay away from these classes altogether for fear of picking up any titbit of information that you may pass off as none too interesting in future interactions. by attending these classes i believe you will you not only decrease the chances of landing your super-dream job, due to your constant inclusion of irrelevant facts, but you will jeopardize the likelihood of stumbling into new and exciting relationships because of the title of 'a bit boring' that you have somehow secured within several social circles
and you stay away from lenny