I am currently a HS teacher but had 25+ years in the private sector prior. When I hear some of more STEM oriented students dismiss their English and humanities courses I tell them that good ideas don't count if one can't communicate and/or sell them effectively. How many careers get stalled because of this? I know I supervised more than several engineers who were "technically" smarter than me. They were great at executing projects for the most part but rarely initiated and/or found the capital for them.
ALL of their courses matter. Of course, they roll their eyes at such nonsense, much as we did when we were in the North Avenue Trade School. Most of life's lessons need to be learned by one's own self.
The humanities are vital. I agree. I was fortunate to actually "pad" my GPA with the ability to write and communicate. One of my favorite classes ever at GT was Civil War in Literature. Without my communication skills, I would have been "out" of employment a long, long time ago. My technical skills are ok, but where I stand out compared to most engineers is in the ability to communicate and help others understand. I do love math and statistics as well, but they would not have sustained me through the years without the excellent communication skills.
You and I are very much the same in this regard, and when I decide to retire from my 35+ years in industry, I also plan to teach/train young people. I tutor young people for SAT/ACT for many years now, and it is so rewarding.
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