When I first came to Bishop’s University, I had heard it had a liberal education model, but I never really understood what that meant. I had thought it was simply being in a bunch of different classes from different subjects. My first semester here I had enrolled as a Sports Studies Major and found myself in sociology classes. At first I had found this not very useful, however over time, I realized it extends beyond the individual classes that you take. It’s the variety of the classes that you take that shape the way we think and challenges our perspectives in life. This variety expands our knowledge and gives us more tools to use to form opinions in our life.
Liberal education focuses on broader learning whereas other schools may have a more narrow and specialized way of teaching. At Bishop’s we get the chance to explore all types of disciplines and gain real-world experiences! Drawing back on my experiences I can say a lot of the classes I had here were larger, than simply memorizing facts for exams. And these classes allowed me to show my thinking in other ways rather than just a simple exam forcing us to remember facts.
In my Philosophy class with Bruce Gilbert, we could write about any topic from class and connect it to our own lives. The assignment made me reflect deeply and reshaped how I see myself!
If you find yourself looking for a class to take I highly suggest any class with Bruce! Gaining philosophical knowledge has helped me apply different types of thinking to various situations I’ve experienced in life. I found myself reflecting in class about all the choices I had made in my life and I how I got to making those decisions. If I had not been in this class that is essentially “irrelevant” to my degree I would have a completely different outlook on my life.
Bishop’s Way of Learning
After exploring other universities and talking to my friends from other schools, I started to see the differences between Bishops and other universities in Canada. Our small class sizes provide more intimate learning helping you build a social network. Building a rapport with not only students but professors as well, is essential in getting references for your future.
Majors at our university are not strict in the sense that we have to follow a strict schedule either. This freedom opens up diverse academic paths and unique opportunities not always available elsewhere.
Class Breakdowns
You can find students ranging from sports studies all the way to psychology in the same class. Small class sizes create an interactive environment, and the flexible degree structure encourages exploring courses beyond your major. After my second year of university I had made the switch to psychology and found myself in classes I never thought I would be in like philosophy!
Little did I know that these classes would come to be my favourite. I remember my 3rd year as a Psychology student. I was in a religion class about death and dying and how different cultures/religions had viewed it which was a part of the degree. One of the assignments had required us to go to a retirement house in Sherbrooke and interview some of the residents about their life. It was a way to hear stories from the past that we would not read about in our textbooks. The stories we had heard really made the class worth it. It is outings like this that make Bishop’s a liberal arts school. It promotes free thinking, a rounded education, and even provides awareness to the society around us.
Becoming Better Through Liberal Education
A lot of students are vigorously focused on getting a degree that is specific to a certain job and sometimes end up with a narrow scope of their degree. A liberal education teaches students how to adapt and thrive in different environments. As a Psychology student, I’m also exploring communications, Greek mythology, protest history, and sociology—all in one semester! At first they may seem irrelevant to Psychology but these classes help provide tools to expand your scope and outlook.
Being a part of a liberal institution means we are also a part of a society that promotes diversity and raises awareness of injustices. Bishop’s is not scared to promote diversity and provide safe spaces for their students! This can be seen especially at the library!
Here in the library common space we can see a Pan-African flag which serves as a marker of freedom, pride, and political power of Black Americans during black history month! Our library is an environment that helps students gain awareness of things they may not cover in class. The library also has a showcase of Indigenous initiatives as well. It showcases books that highlight and promote Indigenous cultures! Initiatives like this are what makes Bishop’s have that liberal education and progressive community feel!
Final Thoughts
Being at a liberal arts school isn’t just about taking different classes—it’s about growing as a person. Bishop’s helped me become more curious and open-minded. I arrived focused only on sports, but now I find joy in philosophy and ideas I never imagined exploring. If you want to grow, challenge yourself, and see the world differently, Bishop’s is the place to do it.
