As a freshman, I wanted to major in everything.
Classics, history, philosophy, politics, religion — each caught my interest, and each required at least two years of dedicated study. I was going to spend my life at Hillsdale College.
Before each semester, I faced a tempting menu of course offerings. How could I possibly limit myself to four delectable classes? I wanted to take Ancient Christianity, Medieval and Renaissance Intellectual History, Artes Liberales, the Politics of Winston Churchill, and New Testament. Not only did I aim for too many, but I wanted all the hard classes.
Then my buzzing freshman mind hit the brick wall of good advice. I can never thank Professor Westblade enough for telling me to limit myself to four three-credit classes each semester.
His argument ran like this: You have 168 hours each week. You need sleep, exercise, food, prayer, and down time. You will develop friendships and extracurricular interests.
When you get to your studies, you will need at least 9 hours per 3-credit class per week. If you take four academics, that’s 36 hours right there. Add in seminars, PE classes, and CCAs, and you’ve got a 40-hour work week.
Unless you’re a workaholic, stick to four classes. If you take any more than that, you’ll probably have to short-change at least one of them and you won’t get a full education.
Westblade’s advice seems counter-intuitive. As a college student, your primary duty is to study. If you take six academics each semester and major in three disciplines, your friends will be impressed, you’ll land a fancy internship, and go on to a stellar career. Just look at the triple-major basketball star, Dr. Kalthoff.
But college is about more than school and a smaller class load won’t consign you to four years of insignificance.
Aristotle explained that virtue lies in a mean between two vices. Take bravery: the lion-hearted man charges into pointless battles, while the timid man cannot face even small challenges. The brave man not only picks his battles, but faces them as well.
The same goes for education. If a student takes 22 credits, stays up until three every morning, and grows addicted to coffee, he will lose his health and his mind. He will not gain a liberal education.
I stuck to Westblade’s rule — I never took more than four academics each semester. The four-class limit also helped me spend time with friends, serve on student government to choose the “club of the year,” make important decisions on the executive board of the College Republicans, and join a music fraternity where I serenade the ladies each semester.
I can tell you what Plato said about love, why science can’t explain everything, and how American colleges became modern research universities. But I can also sing Van Morrison’s “Moondance” and explain why I’m an Anglican. Even better, I have friends all over the country.
I only majored in one subject, but I’m satisfied. The most important thing I learned at Hillsdale is that I don’t know very much, and that it takes a while to learn anything well. But I have a solid foundation and in May I will cross the stage into a new beginning.
