Natasha is a nursing student with a 4.0 grade point average, a first-generation East Indian American, and the first woman in her family to go to college. Lugging a twenty-five-pound book bag of texts that cause her slight frame to slump forward under the weight, she carries a far heavier burden of familial expectation and pride. She has expressed fears of wasting her family's hard-earned money if she is unsuccessful in school or if she makes the wrong academic decisions. Natasha's challenges are shared by students on college campuses across the country. She represents many of today's students and their families, who see college course selection as the checking off of items on a to-do list. These students often feel pressure to take only required courses in order to graduate within four years and minimize tuition costs. In this article, the author describes the challenge that she faces with Natasha, which is a challenge that educators face with the majority of students in college today: showing the value of a liberal arts education and, particularly, conveying how nonrequired courses enhance learning by creating connections between diverse subjects and by encouraging personal growth. (Contains 2 notes.)