The speech This is Water by David Foster Wallace has actually provided some thoughts as for how the graduation class should treat their education and the degree they are going to receive. From the perspective of David Foster Wallace, it is important for the graduation class to know the meaning of their liberal arts education, which can be embodied by the below few aspects: to know about the choice as for what to think about, to identify that there is not always a problem of right or wrong, to learn how to exercise control over how and what they think.

Firstly, David Foster Wallace has pointed out the meaning of liberal arts education is for the graduates to know about the choice as for what to think about. In this regard, the necessity to think about the value of the totally obvious is emphasized and one has to be less arrogant and have less critical awareness about themselves and their certainties. As far as I am concerned, this really makes sense because what one’s pretty sure about can still be wrong and it is better for one not to take something for granted on most occasions.

Secondly, David Foster Wallace states that liberal arts education can tell them that there is not always a problem of right or wrong. For example, there is no complete standard for which religion is correct or wrong. Personally speaking, I quite agree with this view because each and every person have the freedom and right to choose their own religion and all the religions are equal and should be respected.

Thirdly, David Foster Wallace illustrates that liberal arts education can enable the graduates to learn how to exercise control over how and what they think. The more detailed condition is that one may have the tendency to over-intellectualise stuff and get lost in abstract argument rather than pay attention to what is happening at present, which is not wise. As for me, I belong to the kind of people that promote “seize the day” and I would like to live my life as meaningfully as possible every day and I will cherish every moment from now on.

To sum up, a reasonable conclusion can be drawn that the speech of David Foster Wallace has definitely proposed a lot as for how the graduate class should value their education and their degree.