Being Well Rounded

            This week’s discussion about well roundedness and preparedness was one that really peaked my interest. It is something that I feel is important to discuss because while being well rounded and prepared are characteristics that are expected of individuals, the requirements for both are rather hazy.

            I could not help but to think about college admissions when the word well rounded came up in class on Tuesday.  In high school, you worry so much about what schools to apply to and which of those are your “reach,” “attainable,” and “safe” schools.  For most of us who applied to “reach” schools, there were a number of requirements that had to be met if you even wanted to be considered as a candidate. The one thing that my guidance counselor always emphasized was that schools were looking for a well-rounded individual.  For example, Harvard wanted someone who not only scored incredibly high on his/her SAT’s and had a high GPA, but they also wanted to see that that individual was involved with sports, academic clubs, music, student government, volunteer activities, and maybe even have a job.  I never understood what super human could ever accomplish all of these things but, apparently, it has been done. 

            With all this in mind, it makes me wonder whether or not quality or quantity is valued when it comes to being a well rounded person and, in turn, a prepared person.  While being involved in a lot of things can be wonderful and fulfilling, it is not necessarily what everyone is interested in doing. What about the people who have an extreme love for science and immerse themselves in that field.  While they might not be the most “well rounded,” they might be the ones who are heading NASA or constructing new technologies that we all benefit from.  Is it wrong, nowadays, to focus on one craft? Or does the lack of “well roundedness” equal ill preparedness?

            In a society where today’s students are preparing for 11 careers, how is it necessarily possible for them to be great in a particular field if it is expected that they dabble in so many others? I feel that society sees well roundedness as something that prepares an individual for all the obstacles the world has to offer. And, in a way, it does make sense because I suppose the logic is that the greater variety of experiences you have, the more tools you have to face the world.  But, as Ryan mentioned in class the other day, how thin are we spreading ourselves? If we are part of so many things, how can we become experts in the one field that interests us most? I think it is amusing that while being well rounded is highly regarded, within one particular field, one is also expected to be at the top. If you’re not one of the best, then you are not as successful as someone who lives and breathes that one particular craft.

            I do not want to give the impression that being well rounded always means that you must sacrifice something else or that you could never be great in one particular field. The point that I wanted to make is that I think we have a very specific idea about what well roundedness is in today’s day and age.  Maybe it is our job as individuals to not buy in to what the typical well rounded individual needs to be and, rather, figure out for ourselves what life experiences we want and can take on.  This will lead to our own personal design of what it means to be well rounded and prepared for our own lives.