However, the advantages of having enhanced knowledge of one subject carry with them some obvious weaknesses. This ease of procrastination is forgivable, but the real flaw in the system goes much deeper. Studying only one subject means that students often cannot cross-reference their information or draw from different stores of knowledge. They can discuss their specialty until they go blue in the face, but ask them to discuss anything outside their field, and they usually fall silent. These students are taught one subject, not necessarily how to learn.
British students leave university well-armed for one specific field.
But the absence of a focus on learning skills like writing and problem-solving, which come from studying very different areas, leads to a lack of versatility and does not give them the advantage that liberal arts graduates have. Opportunities for British students are often not as numerous. After taking general requirements and Foundations courses and fulfilling an Exploration outside my major, the British curriculum seems admirably focused, but also incredibly limiting. Yes, I hated having to take core courses as much as anyone else, but in retrospect, they offered insight into new fields and helped me see that I had made the right choice of major. More importantly, I learned skills that will make me a valuable asset when I look for a job.