When people ask me what my major is, they almost always follow-up my answer to, “Oh wow, what does that even mean? What is that?” People will take classes within my major and talk about how easy they are and how anyone could do this major. I take pride in pursuing something that I love, but why does it feel like others cannot respect that?

I’m tired of hearing it. I’m tired of hearing about how I’m not going to be able to do anything practical with my major, and I’m tired of people acting like I am not as intelligent simply based on the notion that my major is something that is more unique and not as widely known within the college community.

If I were to major in something that is more popular at my university, like accounting or engineering, I know this would never be a problem. But why do people think that it is acceptable to demean others and tell them about how easy their classes are compared to other majors? I don’t think I’ll ever understand this because we’re all in college, and we’re all working hard.

Right now, my peers and I are in the same situation. Some of us are struggling to find a career that best suits us, and others are on the career path that they've dreamed of since they were a kid. Just because I am not 100% sure about the direction I’d like my life to go in doesn’t mean that my major is easy. It’s not. The coursework presented in college is rigorous, stressful, and can sometimes be overwhelming. This is true for any major.

When you look at the list of majors on any school’s website, it can be easy to feel confused. There are so many choices, and you may feel like you’re being forced into picking one! If I were to go back to when I was thinking about different majors, I wish I would have told myself that other people’s opinions don’t matter. The only one that matters is my own.

Too many times I’ve heard that what I do isn’t difficult or as stressful as other majors. Maybe that’s true in their eyes, but I know that I have worked my absolute hardest to achieve what I have accomplished thus far in college.

If I could give any advice to those about to graduate high school and come to college, it would be to choose what your ‘calling’ is. Choose what makes you happy as a person and as a student because, after all, this major could determine what type of job you will earn for years to come. Take time and thoroughly evaluate your choices, and make sure that you’re picking one that really will be worthwhile to you.

My major is difficult in its own way. Knowing that I am learning real skills and knowledge that I can utilize in my future career helps me disregard all of the ignorant comments that I may hear. I am proud to be a student on my way to great things. I can thank my major for that, even if you think it’s easy. At least it has helped me along the way.