Major shaming needs to be scraped off of our campus like a dead bug. 

Too often I have witnessed students belittling others for their choice of major. Comments like, “You have no right to complain, you don’t know what being a ____ major is like,” or “Be glad you’re not me, I actually have to do work,” are far too commonplace, especially when finals approach and everyone grows even more tense. A lot of times, statements like these are made to friends in jest, but they can also be harmful and, in my opinion, are just plain silly.

We all have our individual life paths. Some people are content with their choice of major, some haven’t even chosen yet, and others are contemplating selecting a new major. The point is, choosing a major is a personal decision that depends on which subjects excite you and what your desired career path is. Why feel superior to someone else because their personal interests are different from yours? If another student chooses a major that you consider to be trivial, be glad that you chose what is right for you. But don’t criticize them for choosing for themselves. That attitude needlessly divides us when we are all part of the same community sharing this amazing experience of seeking higher education together. Being here is challenging and demanding for each one of us. Keep in mind that everyone has a different idea of success, and focus on where you are; not where someone else is. 

In other words, stop comparing yourself to others! If someone expresses how stressed out they are, don’t try to one-up them with your own laundry list of assignments. No matter your major, it is valid to feel overwhelmed. And let’s be real here, we’re all at the same school, we all had to work our butts off in high school to get here, and we are all intelligent. Every major is going to require a lot of effort. Sadly, there is no major for people who just want to lie in bed all day.

I feel that a lot of the belittling comes from a lack of understanding. I’ll admit that I don’t understand the work that goes into being in another major. There’s no way I can comprehend how challenging it is to be a statistics major, because I have never been a statistics major. Likewise, I don’t believe that anyone else can, with certainty, deduce the level of stress that is involved in being part of a major outside of their field. It’s like comparing kangaroos to tacos. Trying to explain to someone how your studies are so much more stressful than others is not only rude, but it is absolutely pointless. 

Yes, be proud of the long hours you spent in the library! But know that it’s okay if other people are proud of their work ethic too. Please, don’t act smug, and don’t say to someone, “You never do any work, I do so much more than you.” Okay, maybe you do have a heavier workload than someone else. But why even bring it up? Does it really matter? They chose their major not because they couldn't handle anything “harder”, but because their major interests them and makes them happy. And if the way your major is organized really bothers you, change it. It’s your life. 

Trust me, just because I’m not doing the same thing that you are, I do not get to spend my day staring aimlessly at the wall. I still have projects to finish, deadlines to meet, and notes to take. My major is not your major, but that does not mean that it can’t be fulfilling. I know that you didn’t choose your major because of how impressive it might sound to other people, so why should anyone worry about others think of what they want to dedicate their life to? 

If we were all the same profession, the world would be uninspired and unproductive. We would have to assign districts to fulfill each occupation and Suzanne Collins already showed us how that turns out. So you do you, and let me do me.