Going to college is one of the most exciting things for someone to do. People are finally able to explore different classes, make new friends and discover who they are. Maybe they’ll even figure out what they want to do in their life. This can correlate with what major people declare, and declaring a major is a very personal choice.
There’s no need for majors to be competitive. The way our society has prioritized some majors over others needs to change.
Every major is important in their own way. It can lead people to a job they love, or a job that will change people’s lives. It doesn’t matter if one is widely believed to be “unimportant.” What really matters is that the person majoring in it chose it and enjoys it.
At the high school I went to, it praised STEM careers and majors. Science, technology, engineering and math. Those were the careers that would make money in your life. Those are what people view as the “smart” option to go with. They’re only for those of us who are intelligent enough to understand and actually pursue that path, because they’re challenging and are highly respected fields to go into. Everywhere you looked was something about STEM and it was common for people to decide to major in something relating to STEM.
What wasn’t talked about as much were the liberal arts, which isn’t very surprising. Writing, studio arts, communications, global studies, journalism and so many more are commonly ignored while STEM takes the spotlight. Being someone who is majoring completely in liberal arts, I frequently felt as though my major wasn’t good enough compared to everyone else.
The thing is, I shouldn’t have to feel that way. I shouldn’t have to feel as though my major, my decision, my passion is lesser to others. I’m not saying that STEM doesn’t matter and that liberal arts majors are more important; that completely defeats the purpose of the argument I’m making. Rather, instead of making majors hierarchical, we should recognize the importance of all of them.
Someone majoring in creative writing might go on to publish a poetry anthology that changes people’s lives in the future. Someone majoring in environmental sciences might discover a way to incorporate solar energy more into our daily lives. Someone majoring in biology might be able to make history with something they spent their lives researching.
Every college major is important, and we have no need to disregard one just because it’s not what you’re interested in. If someone’s following their dream and passion, is there any real reason to make them feel lesser? Someone’s personal decision to major in STEM or liberal arts or both are their own decision, not yours.
No major is better than the other. There’s nothing to gain from making college a competition with who's got the supposedly better and more stable future. It doesn’t matter. Everyone is there for a reason and everyone is doing something interesting and pertinent to them.
All majors matter. No one’s is more important than others.
Sheetal Tadiparty
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