The College Major Stigma

Every year millions of teenagers pour onto college campuses across the country, seeking out the start to their future. The biggest decision aside from the physical school that you can make is what to major in. The options are endless! The decision is entirely up to each student and that's the amazing part of it. You can finally go to school to study exactly what you want. Whether that is business, fine arts, or education, there is something for everyone. But with all these options, it does not mean every program or major is treated equally. For me personally, I am a journalism major which I completely love. I chose this major because I could be creative and have the opportunity to a vast array of potential career options.

However, I have been judged, and blatantly told "your major is easy," "you think your class is hard, try physics," and "well I'll be making double your salary in four years." Which leaves me upset, frustrated and honestly quite offended. My major may not be the hardest one there is at a university, but I am studying and working through loads of classwork, just the same as any engineering major out there. There is no reason to discount certain majors simply because they "will not make as much." The beauty of being able to choose your major is that you can decide for yourself how you want your life to play out.

I did not choose my major based on the money I will make in four years, instead, I selected something that I not only found interesting but that I was also very passionate about. People will often judge education, sports management or psychology majors by calling them the easy way through college. If you are in college, there is no "easy way" because college is tough for everyone, period. Sure I might not be taking organic chemistry, but I am in classes that people who are computer science or math majors might find to be more difficult than they think. Can we all agree that if you are working hard in college, so that you can make your dreams come true, that what you are doing is difficult in its own right? There really is no need to judge one major, just to make you feel better about how much you dislike yours. Thank you.

Sincerely, a fed up college student.