Which skills should I hone in college?

Dear Students,

There is much that vies for your time and attention these days. Where should you put your precious attention? Well, an interesting book that examines that ways in which our world is swiftly changing  suggests that you focus in the areas that your liberal arts degree is trying to focus you. Here's a quote from an article about the book, titled Robot-Proof, by Joseph Aoun (President of Northeastern University) on the insidehighered.com website:

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"Aoun believes that in an economy where smart robots do much of the work that people do today -- including the information-based service work (accounting, legal services, etc.) that was previously protected from automation -- that the skills prioritized in a liberal arts education will be increasingly in demand. These skills include judgment, collaboration, curiosity, communication, empathy, team work, leadership and many others. These creative, social and leadership qualities represent tasks that can’t be automated.

These classical attributes of a liberal arts education, however, will hold little value, Aoun argues, unless students have the opportunity to apply these skills. The learning cycle between abstraction and action needs to be shortened. What you learn in college and what you do with that learning are not separate things. They reinforce one another."

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Talk to your professors about how you can apply your learning so you can hone these skills.