At Eureka College, the 10 Essentials curriculum is meant to provide students with a well-rounded education. At the same time, degree paths are becoming more unique, and tuition is on the rise, forcing many students to question whether or not these required courses truly support their long-term goals.
This increasing frustration reflects a much larger debate about the relevance of the coursework that lies outside of a student’s chosen field of study.
The 10 Essentials, as stated by Eureka College, not only allows students a greater choice of flexibility, but also provides them with transferable skills needed for careers in the future.
In addition to the courses of one’s desired major, students can choose courses from several content areas designed to gain a deeper understanding around skills like communication and problem-solving. One faculty member of Eureka College, Dr. Ezekiel Jarvis, is very pleased with this idea overall.
“This is the brand that we want our graduates to have,” Jarvis stated. His statement emphasizes the importance of the 10 Essentials, and its ability to guide students in being able to spot problems in their everyday lives and have realistic solutions.
Even through this sense of positivity, many students on Eureka’s campus still feel that most of, if not, all the 10 Essentials do not align with their career goals and even strain their financial situation.
In response to this proposition, Jarvis stated that every college and university in the country has a gen-ed program, so this is not just an issue faced by Eureka students.
“I think we focus on jobs too much,” Jarvis stated. He believes that students should steer some of their attention away from jobs, and claims that jobs will never make you happy or bring you spiritual fulfillment.
Jarvis even went on to talk about the health, fitness, and well-being aspect of focusing on one’s job too often, saying “I don’t care how good your job is, you don’t want to die early because you’re making bad decisions.”
Even so, many students remain overwhelmed with their school’s coursework and are stuck paying for courses that do not align with their future goals, according to ct mirror.
This level of concern, especially in recent years, has continued to rise. With this in mind, colleges and universities may want to rethink their clogged gen-ed systems.
Jarvis emphasizes that life is more than what you do for work; it is about finding happiness. Although not all Eureka students will agree with the curriculum, the 10 Essentials provide them with the soft skills needed to live a rewarding life.
For students who are struggling to put their minds at ease over the 10 Essentials program, know this: this curriculum is always being refined to fit the students’ needs to make sure that it is giving them what it is intended to distribute.
Hannah Coppejans is a Junior at Eureka College in the Nursing program. She is going to Nursing school in the Spring of 2028. As nursing students are going through their prerequisites, they are taking classes that help them in ways that might not make sense to others.
“Some can be more challenging depending on the student’s strengths. For example, skills that involve advanced writing, critical thinking, or complex problem-solving are often harder because they require a deeper level of understanding and practice,” said Coppejans.
Coppejans went on to say that a lot of the essentials focus on certain things that make students participate in school.
“The 10 essentials are useful for college students because they help build well-rounded students rather than just memorizing information. They also prepare students for real-world situations, encourage critical thinking, and improve overall communication,” said Coppejans.
With essentials, they teach things that are able to be used after college.
“These skills can be used not just in college but also in the real world after we’re all out of college. Also, at other colleges, they use Gen. eds that sometimes can’t be picked out,” said Coppejans
While using skills in classes can help in college for other classes, they can help in real life situations as well.
“My major is pre-nursing, and some essentials are helpful, such as a communication class. This can help me communicate more easily with staff and patients in the field. There are other 10 essentials that are important for making accurate, quick decisions in patient care.” said Coppejans.
Coppejans went on to say that being able to learn certain things are able to help her in nursing, examples being scientific reasoning and problem solving.
Brayton Strawkes is a senior at Eureka College. He is an exercise science major and has a psychology minor. He will be graduating at the end of the semester of Spring 2026.
“Some essentials are easy and some you have to put work into. It also depends on what class you take in order to get that capability,” said Strawkes.
Some classes that are for certain majors also carry a capability that students need for essentials.
“I don’t think that essentials are needed. College is to study a certain field and not all of it. I would rather focus on my own major and succeed better in those classes and not have to worry about filler classes are money grabbers for the college,” said Strawkes.
Students come to college to take classes to get the job they want. Most of the essentials that are required are not taught for a specific major.
“Lifestyle, Health and Fitness I believe off the top of my head is good for my major. Anything like spiritual engagement or aesthetic sensibility does not revolve around my major.” said Strawkes.
Some classes here at Eureka College are able to support students and their careers. Other classes are not so much of some help to majors or minors here.
