Everyone had that subject in school that they hated so much that they never wanted anything to do with it ever again. That was me with math. I hated math and planned to never take a math class ever again until I learned that Fairfield had what they call The Magis Core.
The Magis Core is rooted in Jesuit practices and allows students to take classes of every discipline to be able to be “well-rounded” students.
I personally am a fan of The Magis Core, even if it meant I had to take a math class again. I have always been interested in many different subjects growing up and it’s a way to take classes that you wouldn’t normally think of taking, especially if a class is not required for your major.
Not only does The Magis Core have the ability to build well-rounded students and expand their horizons, it also helps people with what they want to study. When going to college many people have no clue what they want to study and having a core where you are required to take so many different kinds of classes can help people understand what they are interested in!
I personally knew what I wanted to study when I came to school but taking classes like Italian and Philosophy has made me interested in possibly minoring in these disciplines. I would have never thought that I would be interested in these courses if I never took them!
Although I have high regard for The Magis Core, one thing that I wish could be altered was the selection of classes. There are so many different courses that I see in the course catalog that seem interesting and fun to take. The only problem is they don’t offer these classes when you try to register.
Other students have the same concerns. Junior Erica Adams contributes her point of view. “I feel that if these classes were widely available and accessible the pushback from students would not be as strong,” she adds.
Many students enjoy The Magis Core and believe that the idea of it is important to fostering student learning but the class selections seem to be slim which can be disappointing for a lot of students who are very interested in certain classes.
The Magis Core for me has been one of the most exciting aspects of being a student at Fairfield. For me, I like to learn about many different things and taking different kinds of classes makes my academic semester more enjoyable. I love my major but if I only took classes for my major for four years it would get pretty repetitive and I think a lot of people would agree.
Without the core, I would have never taken a math, philosophy, religion or even science class ever again if I didn’t have to. The core has encouraged me to go outside my comfort zone which I think is super important for all college students to learn how to do.
Yes, some of these classes could be challenging and you may think “this class doesn’t matter, it isn’t even for my major” but these classes matter because they make you a better person and allow you to learn more not only about the world but yourself.
Not everyone will agree with me on the importance and praise of The Magis Core but for me, I think it is essential for all college students to be exposed to so many different things. These different classes will help us prepare for the rest of our lives in many different ways and learning is something one should not take for granted. Learning is a privilege and I think that The Magis Core embodies that idea.
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