“I never let my schooling interfere with my education,” a quote commonly attributed to Mark Twain, may sound like the theme of the teenager who is at the height of her rebellious attitude.  Like most of the profound,  if not banal, expressions of the American teenager, the quote does have a modicum of truth to it.

The evolution of the modern university may actually hinder the applicable elements of a comprehensive education.

The university is constantly characterized as a place where idealistic students experiment with the different avenues of life. In reality, college campuses are evolving into vocational training grounds where the only avenue of thought is one that leads to “real-world success.”

For many high-achieving students who are admitted into some of the top colleges in the U.S., a comprehensive education can mean taking the maximum amount of AP courses offered and preparing for standardized tests over the course of many years. Although there is nothing wrong with preparing for exams over the course of a lengthy period, it becomes easy to confuse priorities in high school: is the student taking advanced high school courses merely to do well on a standardized test in order to be admitted to a “competitive” college?

The answer is a resounding yes for many students. Perhaps the mentality of colleges are to blame. Almost every college requires a certain level of SAT/ACT scores to determine if a student is eligible for certain opportunities at the college. However, the American Conference on Educational Leadership stated that the basis of these tests is formed by generalizations which cannot accurately determine the educational level of an individual.

This mercenary approach to education, the idea of taking a class for the sake of earning practical knowledge alone, is pervasive across high school and college campuses. Though practical knowledge and training is good and essential to real-world success, it is too often considered to be the entire purpose of a college education.

An alternative to the capitalizing approach to education exists.

Liberal arts education is defined by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as an “approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity and change.” More simply, it is a broad education in several subjects, including arts, humanities, science, math and literature. Learning and practicing these subjects in college helps students develop a lifelong love of thought and inquiry, allowing them to make informed decisions and judgment throughout their lives.

Additionally, a broader undergraduate education teaches students how to think with greater clarity, a skill which can be applied to all areas of life, including making a more informed career choice after graduation. Students can apply a vast quantity of knowledge spanning core areas of study to any career, and in doing so contribute more to their field than they could with a specific set of skills acquired at age 18.

Education of this sort can still be found in America. Though many  college campuses fall victim to the glamour of vocational training and trendy classes, a number of colleges offer at least a few classes in traditional core subjects, and others even focus their entire curriculum around a broad undergraduate education in Western thought and tradition: the liberal arts.