It is often said that science and math are harder than the humanities. In some ways, that is true. STEM classes work some parts of the brain while humanities work others. As a global superpower, one would think that the U.S. is doing pretty well in education. Wrong. The U.S. is actually far behind in education, especially when it comes to math and science. This is why they put such an emphasis on those areas of study in school. However, by doing this we have created a divide between STEM and the humanities. As we continue to focus on science and math, studies in English and history are falling behind.
As a college student and someone who recently got out of the public school system, I can tell you two things: in school, humanities classes aren't taken as seriously and if you decide to focus on them, it is presumed that you are "too dumb" to focus on math or science. I came into college wanting to be a doctor. This is because I wanted to help people, and being a doctor was the most hands-on career I could think of. After taking a few classes, though, it became clear to me that's not what I'm supposed to do. This led to a lot of thought. What am I supposed to do with my life? To be completely honest, I'm still not entirely sure. But I thought to myself, "What am I good at and what do I enjoy?" Literature. History through stories. Seeing the world through others' eyes. That is what I enjoy.
The humanities are important because they teach us something that science or math can't -- they teach us about humanity (hence the name). Sure, science can tell us what humans are made of. Math can tell us how much of that we are made of. But Literature teaches us about our world and how we view it, and it does it through the perspectives of people not only from different regions but from different time periods. Jane Austen teaches us how women found ways to be smart and influential even when society said they could not be. J.D. Salinger teaches us about the strength and fragility of the human mind. Lewis Carroll teaches us the importance of imagination. Oscar Wilde teaches us about the so-called "rules" of society and how ridiculous we can be. Stephen King teaches us that we are capable of more monstrosity and more resilience than we can imagine. J.K. Rowling teaches us that we can overcome anything through friendship.
I believe that by bettering education we can pave the way to a better future. Education in all fields. You have to have all four subjects balanced; otherwise, we're going to keep see-sawing back and forth. If I can help to create a better future, that's what I'll do. We have to raise generations of thinkers, of people who can form their own opinions and not just blindly follow whoever sounds the most confident. For me, English is one of the best ways to do that. With English, we are able to see many different sides of humanity. By seeing different sides of humanity, we are able to form our own opinions. By forming our own opinions, we can create a society of thinking people. And by creating a society of thinking people, we can create a better tomorrow.
