As students at the University of South Carolina, we are all familiar with the required Carolina Core courses. Carolina Core is a wide range of classes covering different fields. Depending on which college you fall under, the requirements vary slightly, but overall it provides a university wide common course requirement. Some students frequently complain about having to take classes which they are less familiar with and have nothing to do with their area of study or topics. However, I believe the Carolina Core provides an advantage for our students.
One of the reasons the required Carolina Core classes are beneficial to our students is that they increase their experience and knowledge of different disciplines, some of which they may have never been familiarized with. As a criminal justice major, I had little knowledge about statistics and the process of gathering and interpreting forms of data. After taking two courses in statistics to work towards fulfilling the Core, I now have an increased degree of knowledge and can further apply that to my major. It is easy to find areas of overlap between different studies, and expanding knowledge helps in problem-solving and bringing distinct perspectives to the table.
Another advantage the Carolina Core presents is the building of a community upon arrival at the university. Without the Core in place, students from different majors would not have the opportunity to be in similar classes. Since students utilize their first few semesters to fulfill the Core requirements, it is a perfect time to meet new friends and fellow students they would not have the chance to meet within their major-intensive classes. For first-year students, it provides the chance to make friends throughout campus.
Additionally, the Core provides a way to further your degree progress and allow room for adjustment down the line. Since the Carolina Core is mostly same across majors at the USC, it allows students to sample classes in the major they desire to and see if it is the right fit. For those students who find that they would benefit from changing majors, the Core allows them to do so while having already worked towards their degree.
The community building that the Carolina Core provides is representative of the increased globalization today. As students in an interconnected world, a broad knowledge base is vital to success both in the university and post-graduation.