"Oh, you're an English major, that's so easy!"
If you can't tell me what's wrong with that sentence, I can definitely tell you.
If you're currently pursuing a degree in a liberal arts field, communications, education or anything that doesn't have to do with heavy math, science or physics, you've probably had someone say this to you. If you're anything like me, you probably want to quickly slap that person in the face as soon as those words leave their mouth. Major shaming is not ok! Obtaining an undergraduate degree, regardless of the major, is not an easy task. If only 70 percent of American study at a four-year university, but less than two-thirds of those students graduate with a degree, why is major shaming becoming the "norm?" Why is it becoming a competition to see who has it worse in the classroom?
As someone who recently obtained their degree in English, I'm frequently told that I had an "easy ride" through college and that my area of study was simple, easy and something that everyone can do. I'm told that, because of my area of study and my Bachelor of Arts degree, that I will have trouble finding a job, I will rarely work in my field and that I should just become a teacher if this was my area of interest. Why was my major considered easy and useless? I still took the same amount of hours as everyone else, I still studied hard and I still attended the same university as most of my peers. However, my hard work for this degree was not equivalent to theirs.
Major shaming has become a very real problem in the college world. At what point did it become ok to tell someone that their hard work isn't worth it? At what point did it become ok to tell someone that their area of interest is worthless and won't get them anywhere? When did it become ok to tell someone that what they're passionate about is obsolete? The answer is never, and it's always going to remain never.
Major shaming is rude, disrespectful and unfair. A student who is working hard to pursue something bigger, no matter the degree, has more dreams than you could ever imagine. It's not OK to degrade these plans and these passions. Many students who obtain a liberal arts degree are planning to go to law school, get master's degrees, and more. They work hard to maintain a competitive GPA and stay involved. Does this still seem easy?
No matter the degree you are pursuing, you are a hard-working individual who is going to make something of themselves. You shouldn't be judged or made to feel inferior because of your area of study. Study what you love, do what you enjoy.
