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ygao's picture

Sounds fresh

After reading the Bryn Mawr College mission statement and current requirements, i feel that the requirements define the statement quite well. The college requires six divisional requirements which correspond to the mission statement "through considering many perspectives do we gain a deeper understanding of each other and the world." The variety of divisional courses that we are required to take really do " emphasize learning through conversation and collaboration, primary reading, original research and experimentation," and the language requirement really do "encourage students to be responsible citizens who provide service to and leadership for an increasingly interdependent world" as stated in the mission statement. I feel that by fulfilling the requirements, students really do accomplish the mission of the college.

However,I do feel that the new proposal for the requirements is much more liberal, wide-spread in academic areas and practical for a college curriculum. It gives students more varieties of perspectives of academic life in college, which makes it more interesting for the students and really brings new ways of thinking in that it specifies each category more clearly of the mission or the knowledge to be learned. More opportunities and freshly categorized areas of studies can satisfy the need of a new start for college students. Students can explore different divisions instead of really taking classes quite similar to the senior year of high school, which fall into the current divisions quite well, as many freshmen do. I feel that the proposal gives a new and even more liberal definition to the mission statement, because it really does elaborate and suits more of the goals than the current requirement. The current curriculum is out-dated, and I believe as we step into this fast-paced century, change has to be made in the way college educate students. Holding on to the traditional requirements will work, but just might not match up with the new ideas and values of the world, especially the new generations of students, at contemporary times.

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