Why do college students need liberal arts courses? Is it useful or just a waste of time? Will it make or influence them to become better workers when they graduate or will it just go down the drain and be useless? Student loans increase every year, and every student just wants to finish their studies cheaper and at a faster pace, so they can start working and pay off those debts. In today's society, where some, but most, students are highly career-oriented, they decide to specialize early after graduation, which means taking all the required courses in their respective majors. Students are only required to take minimum courses or subjects in the liberal arts such as humanities, philosophy, communications, etc. Additionally, students are more eager to focus on what they think or believe high-base-wage professions can offer, especially in this current state of our economy. While students majoring early in their chosen major has its benefits, college students would benefit more if they were required to take core courses in the liberal arts to develop not only a well-rounded education but also prepare them for the world real. By choosing liberal arts subjects alongside their field of specialization, students will develop strong critical thinking skills that will be useful in problem solving once they get a job. They will also have oral and written communication skills necessary in any organization and their creativity and innovation will be enhanced. Now let's define liberal arts or liberal education. According to Michael Lind, the liberal arts should be understood in its original sense as “elite skills” (54). We all know that the liberal arts include majors... middle of the paper... specialized graduates?" The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2006. Rpt. in Current Issues and Lingering Questions. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. . Martin, 2011. 555-557. Print.Jones, Roberts T. “Liberal Education for the Twenty-First Century.” Liberal Education91.2 (2005): 32. Complete MasterFILE liberal arts and professionals." Liberal Education 90.2 (2004):12. Completed MasterFILE. Network. May 24, 2012. Lind, Michael. "The Global Race for Knowledge: Why the Liberal Arts Still Matter." Wilson Quarterly Vol. XXX, no. 4. Fall 2006: 52-58. SIRS Issues Researcher. 24 May 2012. Sylvan Barnet Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011. 571-574.