“… I realized the beauty of this education isn’t the wide variety of classes. But, it was the ability to learn how to learn.”
Yugen recently completed his freshman year at Oxford College at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He intends to major in Business Administration (Finance) and Sociology. Yugen is a Resident Assistant (RA) of his dorm at Emory (It is very common for on-campus housings to have Resident Assistants). This basically means that he is the Big Papa of the dorm. As a RA, Yugen is the go-to-person if any of his dorm-mates have any academic, personal or roommate issues.
Fun Facts about Yugen: He LOVES nasi lemak. He is learning how to ride a bicycle (haha!) and desperately wants more Malaysians to come to Emory! He is also starting to develop a romantic relationship with Fried Chicken only because he goes to a school located in the South.
Check out Yugen’s liberal arts education experience at Emory.
How has the liberal arts education changed your approach to learning?
You know something is wrong if all you have to do to get an A is memorize your textbook.
My high school learning experience was no different than an average Malaysian student. Only that, I never really understood why I had to learn some subjects in school. To me, learning should start from passion, not compulsion.
The liberal arts education in America was my own “refreshment”. Instead of taking prescribed classes, I had the freedom to dictate the classes I wanted (or at least fits my schedule). I found myself taking random classes ranging from Yoga to Art History. Instead of deciding how to “get-through” a class, I learned how to pick classes. More importantly, I learned to how to decide on things that matters to me the most.
The further I experienced this education; I realized the beauty of this education isn’t the wide variety of classes. But, it was the ability to learn how to learn. Taking random classes challenged the traditional “study hard and memorize” formula. In fact, you are forced to unlearn and relearn different skills.
Now, I no longer memorize facts. I question them.
