General Education Reflection

Throughout my time as a student at Iowa State, I have learned a lot in the field of computer engineering, but I also took general education courses outside of my major, which allowed me to break up my engineering courses with other perspectives that diversified my knowledge. These courses challenged me in different ways than computer engineering and introduced me to more perspectives in the classroom.

In ECON: 321 Economics of Discriminations, I learned more rigorous economics than the basics taught in entry-level micro and macroeconomics. This class taught us to think about externalities often ignored in economics. This class taught us why discrimination was present in past economies and still present in modern economies. Understanding the motivations behind discriminators allows us to enact certain policies to prevent discrimination in the future. These skills aren't just relevant to economics and improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

I also learned about international political perspectives in POLS 241: Introduction to Comparative Politics and RUS 375: Russia Today. These classes helped explain international perspectives and how different countries differ from our own. These skills are useful to have as our world becomes more interconnected. Understanding other people's cultures are beneficial to provide inclusive environments to people whose cultures and backgrounds may differ from ours.

I appreciate Iowa State's general education program in the ECpE department. It allowed us to have a wider breadth of knowledge, which is important for becoming well-rounded. My general education classes also introduced me to many different perspectives I wouldn't have gained without them.