University distribution requirements force all students to take classes in a variety of disciplines. For most Brandeis students who are often undecided about what direction they ought to take through college, this tends to be an overall enriching experience. Being required to learn about social sciences, quantitative reasoning and writing allows students to easily pinpoint what they prefer and excel at while still providing a sense of accomplishment upon completing those requirements. For other students, however, this system is incredibly hampering. Students who begin college with a clear cut mentality of what sort of direction they want to take have no choice but to be forced to take classes that are utterly irrelevant to their interests.

These students are then cornered into piling on courses in their final two years in order to fulfill all of the University's requirements. Ultimately, I think forcing students to fulfill unessential requirements results in lower academic performance and potentially decreased learning. Imagine a fictional student named James who came to college with an interest in the sciences, particularly chemistry. He aspired to conduct biomedical research after graduating.

After taking his first-year courses on the subject, James realized his passion for the sciences and decided to declare chemistry as his major. While taking biology during his sophomore year, he decided that he wanted to add biochemistry as a second major. James would then be facing his requirements for two rigorous science degrees while being distracted by several requirements that do not contribute to either of his majors. Why should James have to fulfill his creative arts or non-Western comparative requirements when they are irrelevant to his course of study? The purpose of higher education is to properly train students and equip them with the necessary skills to help them excel in their desired careers.

If James intended on being admitted to a doctoral program or being employed by a pharmaceutical laboratory, he would be much better served by taking additional courses in chemistry and biochemistry toward his major than he would be by taking a painting or Middle Eastern politics course. Even if James did not take additional courses, the reduced stress resulting from a lighter schedule would allow him to focus on the classes that are necessary to his major and skill set. Similarly, students in other courses of study should not be forced to take classes that contribute nothing to their practical knowledge.

For example, a determined Film, Television and Interactive Media major should be able to opt out of the science and quantitative reasoning distribution requirements because they are not relevant to his or her major. While a liberal arts education is in itself supposed to be a comprehensive study and exploration of other subjects, students who are certain of their career paths and under pressure to complete prerequisites for their majors should be given the opportunity to opt out of certain requirements.

To allow these focused students to thrive and utilize all of their opportunities at Brandeis, I would propose a system that allows students who have declared their majors to petition the registrar to exempt them from fulfilling certain distribution requirements. While the requirements may be beneficial for some students, these petitions would allow other students to pick and choose which requirements they would be able to complete, given the varying complexities of their majors. Each petition would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

They would only be allowed if the petitioning student made a strong case that under his extreme circumstances, he has too little time to complete his major requirements, and additional classes would actually hinder his graduation. Introducing such a system would give all Brandeis students the freedom to take the classes they truly want to take. Without such a system in place, students who have a clear-cut mission are wasting their money and time in coming to a school like Brandeis. While distribution requirements allow students to adequately explore their interests, those who are certain of their career paths should not be subjected to superfluous classes—especially when graduating from Brandeis carries a price tag around $200,000. Granting truly driven students the flexibility to carve their own path through their four years here will help Brandeis to truly live up to its rank as one of America's best value universities.