One personal goal I set for myself for this upcoming winter was to place in the top three at the powerlifting meet I’m competing in in January. Although not implicitly related to the liberal arts, I think this goal, and powerlifting as a whole, parallels much of what authors like Bain are describing through the liberal arts. As Bain puts it, a huge outcome of a liberal arts education is the ability to take “ a deep approach to important issues,” (Bain 200). Powerlifting, although not aiding in perspective, citizenship, and critical thinking skills, certainly helps in part of the process Bain has described in that passage. Powerlifting reinforces mental fortitude, integrity, and work ethic, making it just as important as any STEM or liberal arts education in my life.
Another, more academic goal I had set for myself involves procrastinating less throughout the upcoming school year. I think an important part of this will be focusing on taking classes I actually enjoy, for enthusiasm often kills procrastination. Bain talks a lot about this concept in his novel. In reference to a group of students, Bain notes that “they became creative because they became lost in something other than themselves,” (Bain 203). In becoming “lost in something other than myself”, I hope to gain more than just a sense of creativity. I want to genuinely become lost in my studies, turning school work into personal work that I can find enjoyable.
