this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2026
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After not enjoying Applied Calculus, I took Modern Math, AKA Math For English Majors, to complete my math requirement.
It was a great class! Lots of useful, real-world math skills. It didn't use anything much more complicated than simple algebra, but we talked about the traveling salesman problem and ways to fairly split up an estate.
We also talked about election math, and how first past the post is objectively a terrible election system, and how there are several systems readily available that are mathematically more representative of the will of the people. I don't even know if the teacher had a specific political stance, or if she was just mathematically offended by our outdated democratic operating system.
Great class. Wish they would start teaching subjects like that in high school.
As a STEM grad who spent 2 years undeclared, it sounds like a course even STEM people could use.
I'm so thankful that I sort of accidentally backed into a well rounded education. I cannot say the same for the majority of my STEM colleagues.
I think especially STEM students should have lib arts requirements.
100%. Some of the most useful courses that I took were either electives or simply did not count toward my major. Specifically: a logic course, a course about the history of socialism, and a writing course (including research papers)
Critical thinking and logic 101 (syllogistic logic) were infinitely valuable, imo. I think critical reading should also be required.
STEM advisors: "oh yeah, I can override that requirement."
There must be better ways.
We sort of touched on it, here:
https://lemmygrad.ml/post/12070694
Not exactly, but the respondent to my question gave a really good answer I think can probably be extrapolated, somewhat.
I was just ~~fasticious~~ facetious. If you force somebody to learn something, are they still free?
All courses have requirements. No one is going to school, signing up for a bunch of random stuff and getting a master's in a specific discipline. "Discipline."
People aren't free if they don't know how to think.
"Facetious," btw. Not picking on you, I just thought maybe you'd appreciate knowing.
I do. Thanks.
🙏
They should also start teaching basic psych in grade school. Kids need that and adults' bs may be mitigated, but they won't teach it, and that's why.
Unfortunately, HS teachers in places which need to know these things the most are also the most likely to lose their jobs for it. E.g. In my HS, learning 'history' stopped at the beginning of the 20th-century.