> general studies courses that make up that "expansive view" of college really are repeats of high school with slightly more work
My humanities courses in college were bona fide mind-expanding. The problem is many colleges run their programs more like trade schools, with zero emphasis on balance between the arts and sciences.
I took Junior and senior level history classes to satisfy my social science elective requirements. I found them very interesting and enlightening.
I tutored a few people who took the sophomore level "world history" classes that most kids took to satisfy the requirements. Those sounded like little more than brutal rote memorization exercises.
My humanities courses in college were bona fide mind-expanding. The problem is many colleges run their programs more like trade schools, with zero emphasis on balance between the arts and sciences.