Easy majors simply do not exist.
"Major Shaming" is a real thing in the life of a college student. Immediately after informing anyone that you're a college student the question is asked... "Oh, so what's your major..."
I can't count how many times I've been asked what my major is and I've only been at a University for seven months. And I don't mind the question. In fact, I love answering it. I love sharing my major choice because I'm passionate about it. I love my major and I'm proud to be in the department I'm in.
What I don't love, however, is the look of disgust and/or disproval of the answer I receive more often than is acceptable. As always, there are some judgemental people who feel the need to cast their opinion...
*Eye roll insert.*
I'm a Psychology major and no Psychology, in reality, is a far cry from the introduction to Psychology class you took in high school.
It's so much more.
I didn't choose Psychology because it's "easy." I chose it because I'm passionate about mental health. I'm passionate about making a difference in those suffering from troubling and traumatic events. I didn't choose my major to become wealthy or to receive recognition and status.
I'm just passionate about people and making this dark world a little brighter...
Just like me, every college student (well for the most part) chooses their major based on their passion and/or ambitions. We all have different life experiences. And those life experiences have gotten us to this point and made us the people we are.
We are all so different.
It's such a beautiful thing to have the opportunity to attend college with people of every background and with various career goals. We're all in one place for a few years, only to be spread across to globe into the career we've worked so hard to get to.
It would be a boring world if we were all attending college to become doctors and lawyers.
We NEED every single major. We need students to choose varying majors. Yes, doctors and lawyers help the world go round, but so do artists, therapists, engineers, actors, teachers, social workers, bankers, contractors, farmers, designers and so on.
Without the diversity of different majors, we wouldn't be able to operate as a functioning society.
Fine Arts aren't easy. Interior Design isn't easy. Nutrition isn't easy. Construction isn't easy. Psychology isn't easy. Sports Management isn't easy. Education isn't easy. Journalism isn't easy. Biology isn't easy. Law isn't easy. Chemistry isn't easy... Do you get my picture?
College. Is. Not. Easy.
You see, if college was easy, everyone would come. It takes a lot of time, dedication and effort, no matter what your major may be. It drains the life out of you for 4 to 8 plus years, regardless of whether you're studying Japenese Law or Mozart.
College is tiring. It's difficult. It's challenging.
Sure medical and law are extremely hard (I'm a law minor). But so is every other major out there, just in different ways.
I say all of this to say, the "major" judgment needs to go. Unless you have spent a semester in the life of a major you think is "easy," keep the thought to yourself. Until you walk in another's shoes, you truly cannot know what is easy and what is hard.
Never belittle one spending their time (and money, college is expensive) furthering their education, regardless of what they may be majoring in.
It's a beautiful thing to see an individual light up when they speak of their major and future ambitions. So don't you be the one to beat them down, instead, build them up!
If you are a college student or you have ever been one, then you understand the immense amount of pressure and stress we are under; even when we aren't in the classroom.
So smile next time someone tells you their major and push them to reach for the dream only their heart holds.
