The purpose of general education (IGETC) courses is to introduce you to culture and society and government so you can be an informed citizen and participate in the government and society of a multicultural and multiracial America.
I fully support that purpose.
I think that everyone should take POLS 301 and HIST 310 and study the history and the politcial system of the U.S. This knowledge will help you be an informed voter. And these two courses satisfy the CSU U.S. History and Constitution graduation requirement.
The purpose behind IGETC butts up against the difficulty of completing Computer Science, math, and science courses.
Everyone recognizes that skills learned in IGETC courses are very different than skills learned in Computer Science courses. My Bachelors degree from the University of Oklahoma lists two GPAs. The first is my major GPA (the specific major, math, and science courses). The second is my overall GPA (including the IGETC courses).
My philosophy for STEM majors is based on what I did as a student. Prioritize the specific major, math, and science courses in your education plan. Plan your time at CRC around these courses.
For the IGETC courses choose the simplest courses you can. Not Honors sections. No labs.
Even though these courses are relatively easy, you'll still learn about how to be an informed citizen. And you'll maximize the time you have for your major courses.
Last updated June 8, 2020