Sure, I have always been slightly irritated by the fact that those of us studying (and pursuing degrees in) the humanities and/or education (or ones of that nature) never get as much credit as those getting a “STEM education.” But today, the commonality of this obvious split in respect between different types of majors really hit me. I was at work, ringing up an older gentleman and we somehow got on the topic of school. He asked me what I was studying. I told him that I was studying English and Spanish, and he literally said “uhhhhh… okaaay…” (Please read that rudely and as drawn-out as you possibly can. You probably wouldn’t be over-exaggerating.) He proceeded to tell me about how he studied genetics—as if his degree (and his passion) was much more relevant and obviously much more esteemed than mine.
Let me say: props to those individuals for tackling that obviously challenging and time-consuming course load. But where are our props? A student studying English (and I can vouch for this) will have work just as demanding and laborious as the work of a computer science major. Is the type of difficulty different? Definitely. Are the assignments, expectations, and exams different? Obviously. But every major is difficult in its own way and their types of difficulty will never be the same. Does that make one major lesser than the other? Not in my opinion.
Lacking respect for my major means lacking respect for my passion. Was I really intrigued by the fact that he (the older gentleman) had to take home multiple jars of fruit flies for his experiments in one of his science courses for his genetics degree? No, not really. Did that sound better than writing a ten page research paper for one of my English classes? Not at all. But I’m sure he would say the opposite. If studying fruit flies (well, genetics, really) is his passion, if that is something he enjoys and loves and wants to do for the rest of his life—then I respect that.
How come the only time when we can react with amazement and admiration and respect is when someone wants to be an engineer, lawyer, doctor, or something in a STEM career? Some of the most intriguing, intelligent, and interesting people I've ever met have degrees in the humanities. Now, do people in STEM fields commonly make more money? Sure. Are prospective job outlooks typically a little more promising in most of those fields? A good amount of the time. But does that mean I won’t get a job with my degrees in English and Spanish? Uh, no. People react as if there is no way we will ever be able to find a job.
Someone with an English degree for example, has extremely transferable skills, with a wide variety of career choices and possess the ability to work in almost any industry. Being a teacher isn’t my only option. Humanities majors learn: great communication skills—which are pertinent and crucial in being a desirable candidate for any position, writing skills—which are extremely invaluable and also important in any job, critical thinking (and research) skills—which are transferable and vital for success (and who will analyze anything more in-depth and then explain said analyzation in a more efficient manor than an English major?) and lastly, empathy skills—which are becoming more and more valued in every field. I could go on.
A Spanish degree opens doors. Not only do you get the skills of a humanities major, but you are far more marketable and desirable, and have the opportunity to work in virtually any field. The presence of hispanics (and the use of the Spanish language) is growing at an astonishing rate in the United States. Fluency in a foreign language (obviously not just Spanish) requires a skill set that is impressive and important to many employers. I would go as far to say that learning a second (or third, or fourth, whatever) language is imperative to our lives. Am I a little biased because of my absolute infatuation and admiration for the Spanish language? Maybe… but that doesn't make it untrue or crazy.
So, good for the fruit fly guy, good for me, and good for anyone who is studying something they love and are passionate about. We will make great doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, writers, directors, journalists, counselors, translators, linguists—the list could go on forever. And hey, STEM majors? How about some respect? I’ve never heard a humanities major dismiss the difficulty or completely bash a STEM major. A degree, regardless of the type, is highly valued, important, and impressive, and shows passion, determination, and incredible perseverance. So, props to all of us! Let’s all respect each other, please. There is already enough negativity in the world (and we all know that.)
