So, the holiday season is coming to a close. With the holiday season comes holiday parties and the family questions like “How’s college?” or “What’s your major?” My favorite is, and always will be, “Why did you choose that as your major?” Because, apparently, a career/degree is useless unless you are going into medicine. What a concept!

Let’s talk about that.

Major shaming is a thing, and some of us may deal with it without even realizing that we are. Other times, it’s super obvious that others do not approve of our degree/career choices based on their reactions when we answer the above questions. (In my case, the reactions range from indifference, to confusion, to complete disapproval.) In essence, major shaming is talking down on someone based on their choice in major, or belittling them because of that choice. It’s a ridiculous idea based on people’s opinions (that they think of as fact) that gives them reason to convince you of the fault in your choices and the correctness in the ones they think you should be making. Major shaming is them thinking less of you because, in their opinion, your major is “easy” or “you could be doing something so much better”.

I could start my rebuttal with the “not everyone is cut out for medical school” speech, but that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Let me start with this: College is hard. No matter what you are majoring in—be it medicine, arts, English, the sciences, etc.—nothing is simple. Nothing (nothing!) is easy. Every major presents challenges in different ways. So, before you look at a student who goes to art school and consider belittling them because of that choice, think about the idea that they, too, are facing challenges in their educational journey. College is not easy, no matter your major. I’m an English major, and I completely admire and respect the people who chose nursing or chemistry as their major. I recognize that they must work extremely hard. That doesn’t mean that I don’t. I didn’t make a “mistake” by not choosing to major in medicine or the sciences.

Not to burst your bubble, but every major has its importance in The Real World. When you put someone down for their choice in major, you are failing to realize that, without English majors, we may have no writers, no journalists, no writing as an art form. You are failing to realize that without nursing majors, we would have no nurses. Without medical students, we wouldn’t have the vast array of medical personnel that we do. Without math, science, education majors, we would have no teachers, no engineers.

The one thing that future professionals do not need to hear is that they should have chosen something else.

Every. Major. Is. Important.