What the Freshman Class Needs to Read - The Atlantic
archive.today webpage capture Saved from history←priornext→ 28 Jul 2026 13:18:22 UTC All snapshots from host www.theatlantic.com WebpageScreenshot sharedownload .zipreport bug or abuseBuy me a coffee SKIP TO CONTENT Site Navigation Popular Latest Newsletters Sign In Subscribe IDEAS WHAT THE FRESHMAN CLASS NEEDS TO READ It is no small part of a liberal education to show students the broad range of meaningful lives they might aspire to lead. By Niall Ferguson and Jacob Howland Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani AUGUST 24, 2024 SHARE SAVE You’re in. You’ve been admitted. And soon your parents will drop you off at your new university. It’s thrilling. It’s daunting. But what will you actually be studying in your freshman year? All universities claim to provide some kind of intellectual foundation for their students. Sadly, the reality of what freshmen and sophomores are required to study usually belies the admissions-office propaganda. In our view, liberal education requires that stu