Mathematics should be optional in post-secondary education.

Pro has posted their argument for round 3, but did not rebut anything said in round 1. I will limit my rebuttals only to round 1 material, due to the loss of round 2, in order to keep the debate fair. Definitions used: 1. Liberal Arts - "college or university studies (as language, philosophy, literature, abstract science) intended to provide chiefly general knowledge and to develop general intellectual capacities (as reason and judgment) as opposed to professional or vocational skills" [1]. Note: 1. Instead of arguing simply for a requirement to take mathematics in college, I will argue for the requirements to take core subjects in general, which is typical in liberal arts colleges. Now for my argument: Liberal Arts Education Better Prepares Graduates for Work According to a study done by Hardwick Day, consultant for the Annapolis Group, "seventy-six percent of liberal arts college graduates rated their college experience highly for preparing them for their first job, compared to 66 percent who attended public flagship universities" [2]. While the graduates in this study did not specify what about their college experience prepared them for their first job, the fact that graduates in liberal arts education felt more prepared is worth noting. Students may not specifically use the knowledge acquired in these general courses in their job; however, these courses can provide the ability to view things from different perspectives, which can be useful in their careers. The Courses Are Not a Waste of Time Being a Pre-med major in a College Algebra or Social Science class may seem like a waste of time; however, those credits ultimately go towards that student's total credit hours needed to graduate, which is usually higher than the required credits for the major. In order to illustrate, I will use an example based on my college. I am currently attending a four-year college and am majoring in accounting. My major requires that I get 64 credits [3], but in order to graduate from my college, I need a total of 128 credits [4], which is double the amount needed for my major. Those extra credits can be met by adding a minor or another major, but my general education requirements also assist in reaching that goal; therefore, no time is wasted on taking those courses. Not all Course Requirements in a Major are Directly About It For this part, I will refer back to the requirements of my major [3]. My accounting major not only requires that I take courses on accounting, but that I also take courses related to marketing, business administration, financing, etc. Con argues that "If you already know what you want to do with your life, you should invest your time and studies in that field." Using that logic, why should I have to take classes about marketing? I want to be an accountant, so should all my classes be specifically about accounting? If I did that, I would be very specialized in accounting, but that would be all I really know how to do in the world of business. Focusing on one specific field of study only serves to narrow the mind to a single point of view, which could potentially inhibit a person's potential to grow in the future. Very Few Graduates Find Jobs in Their Major According to some data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, only 27% of college students work in a job that requires their college major [5] (this only includes those with undergraduate degrees). If it is really that difficult to get a job in a student's major of choice, then is it really wise to only focus on that major? If people did that, what could happen when they are unable to find a job within that major? It is possible that they would be less desirable compared to those that have a wider variety of knowledge; therefore, I would argue that it is more beneficial to be well-rounded on top of a specialization, in order to expand the career opportunities. Students Tend to Change Their Majors It is not uncommon for college students to switch majors during their study. In fact, "research by Penn State and other institutions has shown that . . . up to 50 percent of college students change their majors at least once before graduation, and some change several times" [6]. This is important to note as it shows that even when people are sure of what they want to do with their life, their minds can still be changed. Taking a wide variety of courses can assist a person in finding their true passion. Works Cited: 1. http://www.merriam-webster.com... 2. http://www.albion.edu... 3. http://lec.edu... 4. http://lec.edu... 5. http://www.washingtonpost.com... 6. http://dus.psu.edu...