Scholar-Journalist of the Week: Benefits of attending a Liberal Arts University

Having completed her education from Apeejay Stya University, India’s first industry-centric and Liberal arts university, Muskaan Malik was confident enough to bag a job at the end of her Bachelor’s course. And that’s what happened. Muskan, who completed her B Tech degree programme from School of Engineering and Technology at the University, was recently hired as a Database Manager by Arete Powertech Pvt. Ltd. Besides her interest in database, she is keen on learning tools and techniques of the marketing sector and is currently exploring the field. 

For the above-mentioned achievement, Muskaan credits Apeejay’s Liberal Arts approach of imparting holistic education with a global vision to young minds and preparing them for the future. Muskaan, who is an avid reader and writer, thus penned down an article on ‘Benefits of attending a Liberal Arts University’. In the Scholar-Journalist of the Week interview series, she explains why students must pick a Liberal Arts University for education and more. Edited excerpts:

Your article has received great views on our platform. What inspired you to write on this topic?

Thank you, I am really happy to know that my article really performed well. Studying in India’s first Liberal Arts University, Apeejay Stya University, has been one of the great opportunities in my life. And so, what better topic than this I could think of writing about. Liberal arts helped me develop my personality and I benefited from it in my B. Tech tenure. So, I thought of writing about it and making others aware about the same.

Why do you think students must pick a Liberal Arts University? How does it help them fight the challenges of the real world?

A liberal arts degree not only prepares students to make a living, but also to lead a life. It prepares students to fight the real-world challenges. It’s like a lifelong resource that students can use to solve human problems and enhance human potential. It is a knowledge that is developed during three to four years when students spend in college, but the learning is never obsolete. In fact, the skills developed by a liberal arts degree help students in every aspect of their life, and not just earn a salary. Liberal Arts University also prepares you for hundreds of careers.

Skills gained from a liberal arts degree?

Critical thinking, communication, creative problem solving, self-expression, innovative research, and lifelong learning are some of the many skills that a liberal arts degree emphasises. And these stand at the core in making a great career for oneself.

Are you inclined towards writing? When did you start your writing journey and how? 

Yes definitely! I am very much inclined towards writing. I started my writing journey when I was in class 6. I used to write daily life updates in my personal diary and from there on I developed a habit of writing something every day. And that actually made me realise my interest in writing. That’s when my writing journey started and I began writing small articles for competitions, school magazines, etc. 

What kind of articles/books do you enjoy writing and reading? 

I love to read suspense and thriller, detective and mystery genres books. In fact, action and adventure also intrigues me. I love to read articles that are informative, based on science fiction and sometimes related to marketing. I love to read and write about the marketing field and new happenings in the sector. My writing involves different fields, sometimes it is educational, sometimes it is informative, sometimes it is about facts, and sometimes it’s about things I love.

Which was the last book that you read? Any favourite author?

The last book I read was  “ 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” written by Stephen R Covey.  I don’t have any favourite author because I feel that I love to read books or articles that belong to my interest, whoever writes them is least of my concern. 

What does writing mean to you? What are the key learnings from writing?

Writing means everything to me.  It’s as important to me as water is to earth, sun is to sky and oxygen is to humans. Writing is the only thing which helps me to express myself, put what I think into words as well as helps me upskill my knowledge. My key learnings from writing are that I became adaptable to many writing styles, my researching skills became stronger, my creativity  enhanced, my communication skills became stronger, and much more. Really can’t define my learnings in a few words.

How do you work towards improving your writing skills? 

I work daily to improve my writing skills by reading books and articles. online. I have a habit of reading the newspaper daily for at least half an hour, which I feel plays a major role in improving my writing skills. I never stop researching on different topics, and last but not the least, I practice daily. I write at least 1 page on any topic every day without fail.