When I decided to take philosophy, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. All I knew was I wanted to learn to think. I thought it would help me with my creative writing. Man, was that class a lot harder than I had expected!

We started out with about 20 students in that class and ended up with three. I struggled during those two years of philosophy, but now that I’m done with it, I realize I learned so much more than just philosophical theories or the lives of philosophers. It helped me grow as a person and I will never forget the important lessons I took away from it.

1. Learning different viewpoints, not just what is in the textbook

I learned how to read a text and not just accept everything it says, but interpret it and consider other viewpoints. That’s what the philosopher’s job comes down to anyway-- questioning what you know and what you learn.

2. Debating skills

Debating was a big part of philosophy class. Every time we read or learned something, we would have an open discussion about it and everyone would express their viewpoint or their thoughts. We all got so much better at debating and I know that is a skill I will use a lot for the rest of my life.

3. The special relationship with my classmates and teacher

It was a small class and the constant discussions and debates made us grow closer and get to know each other extremely well. We sort of created our own philosophy squad, we dedicated classes to trying to answer impossible questions so we understood each other in a ways others couldn't, and I knew I could rely on my teacher when I had a problem or needed guidance. She was always there for us and I am very grateful I had someone like her looking after me.

4. There doesn’t always have to be one correct answer

You don’t always have to go searching for that one correct answer. In many occasions, and in life in general, it all comes down to different perspectives and opinions. That’s why there are so many philosophical theories, everyone had their own viewpoint and nobody was necessarily right or wrong.

5. Everything is related

Something I keep noticing after having taken that class is that I can constantly see how everything relates to each other, and it all takes me back to that philosophy course. It is amazing to see how it changed the way I see things and situations, I can relate everything as if it is all part of one whole.

6. Critical thinking

The most important thing this class emphasized was knowing how to think for yourself. A philosopher could say something, but why do you have to believe it? What do you have to say about it? Could the philosopher have gotten something wrong? Maybe you have something else to bring to the table and you should never just agree with something without thinking it over first (except when your mom tells you to do something, then you should probably just do it).