It’s not so uncommon these days to find people battling with the idea of changing streams after school. As it happens to be, I am also one of them, having made a shift from Science to Arts after my 12th grade.
Regardless of their reasons to be motivated to do so, does this change ever help them? On a more personal note, did that change ever help me?
Without a moment’s pause, I can assure you that it did. 3 years of being an Arts student has indeed helped me become a better person in life.
Here goes how my shift from Science to Arts has helped me grow as a person:
Developing Knowledge In Multiple Fields
I study in a Pune college, where students are given a pretty good number of subject choices. Even though after our first year, we venture off into different specializations, we still manage to develop interests in multiple fields because of the minor subjects we choose.
Moreover, since Arts colleges themselves encourage students to engage in open discussions and debates, we are automatically taken into an interdisciplinary system of sorts.
For instance, even though I don’t study Philosophy, I have friends majoring in that subject who always give me snippets about Kant and Nietzsche and what not! Even a simple classroom discussion about a Shakespearean play can pave way for an existentially empowering discussion!
Importance Given To Critical Thinking
Perhaps the most important aspect of being an Arts student, this is a feeling that many people echo.
As Arts students, we are constantly asked to widen our thinking and to literally ‘jump out of the boxes.’ A simple 10 mark assignment for an Arts student involves so much work, beyond just a simple Google search.
But that doesn’t mean that what we do is burdensome. In fact, unlike in my school days, working for projects in my college only gives me an adrenaline rush like never before.
When even your teachers ask you to be unapologetically you while analyzing and decoding stuff, you can’t help but go all out on that piece of work!
Also Read: How To Pursue Masters In Arts From A Top Indian University
Imparting Value Education Like Never Before
In an Arts college, value education doesn’t only mean teaching morals or codes of conduct. It actually involves thinking about what kind of values need to be professed in the first place.
This reminds me of a subject in our third year that involves critically analyzing different versions of fairy tales. One of the best things about our course, this discussion has opened our minds immensely to the kind of values we’ve been holding on to, without even thinking about its consequences.
Perhaps the stepmother from ‘Snow White‘ was only deemed wicked because she was an assertive woman. Perhaps marrying Prince Charming right after a single meet and greet was never gonna turn into a ‘Happily Ever After’ for Cinderella.
Gaining perspectives in order to accommodate to a changing world – that’s the kind of value education we get.
It’s Not Just About The Syllabus
As much as we get frustrated at the thought of studying our syllabus for the end semester exams, I’m pretty sure our teachers are frustrated thinking about completing the syllabus on time. Yet, that doesn’t stop our teachers from actively engaging us in discussions about virtually everything under the sun.
This is again why Arts students are more adept at critical thinking than most others (I am gonna say that out loud!). Being able to talk about life events or even political issues, without having to fear harsh criticism or repercussions is something I’ve only experienced as a student of Arts.
In short, these 3 years of my life were undoubtedly the best so far. I don’t know if this is going to help anyone, but if you ever feel doubtful about a possible shift from Science to Arts, I’d suggest that you lay your fears aside and just go for it.
Because trust me, it’s a mixture of fun, drama, and education and who wouldn’t love that? (wink wink)
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