As someone who is a double major in communications and English, I feel as though I'm talked down to by people who think that their major is harder than mine. I'm constantly asked "What job can you get with that?" and "Do you have a plan after college?" and it actually really bothers me. I understand I chose a university where engineering and the sciences reign supreme, but that doesn't mean that what I'm studying is any less important or thought-provoking. So here are some reasons why humanities majors are just as smart as any STEM major you'll ever meet.
Humanities majors aren't afraid to study something they're passionate about.
There is a huge stereotype surrounding majors like communications that the workload is easy and comm majors don't have a plan in life, and this idea couldn't be any more wrong. Despite the stigma about their studies, humanities majors aren't afraid to purse a degree in something they love. Whether it's in journalism, theater, language, or any other discipline, humanities majors love what they do. All of this isn't to say that STEM majors aren't passionate; but, it's a lot easier to be passionate about your studies when schools and jobs are emphasizing the importance of your field. There is a huge push for more students with STEM degrees today, while majors in humanities fields are often left out in the cold. While humanities majors don't receive the same support that STEM majors do, we still strive to be our best and learn about what we love, which is something that I think is truly remarkable.
Contrary to popular belief, you can get a job with a degree in a humanities field.
Many lawyers, teachers, and writers have a degree in a humanities field and have hugely successful careers. While science and math are often pushed to the forefront o many educational institutions today, the arts and humanities are just as essential. The humanities offer a sense of individualism and freedom that allows people to create their own thoughts, opinions, and interpretations of things in the world. This, I might add, is an amazing characteristic for someone in the workforce; the arts allow people to innovate and create new ideas in a way that science and math really can't.
Humanities classes are hard in a totally different way than STEM classes.
No, we don't have to solve differential equations or memorize the unit circle, but there are some things that humanities majors learn to do that would stump even the most brilliant of STEM majors. We know all of the comma rules, we know how to speak in public, we know how to write coherently, and we know how to read, comprehend, and convey information. This is a totally different skill set than that required in biology or calculus, but one that is still incredibly useful in the world today. And guess what? These skills can be just as challenging to master as anything in a STEM course. Doing what humanities majors do takes practice and skill, both of which are required in science and math courses, making humanities courses no less difficult and no less interesting.
No one is less smart because they have different interests.
Let me emphasize that just because you don't think what someone else is studying is interesting does not mean that it isn't important to that person. All of us are unique and have different things that inspire us, and there's nothing wrong with that. Everyone should feel valued and respected as a part of a college campus, and that begins with all of us accepting that other people have other values. Everyone's ideas and interests matter, and just because some people may like writing or acting or reading more than coding or engineering does not mean they are less smart or less driven. All of us are here to learn about what we want to do for our future careers, so no matter what major you choose to study, every discipline out there is important to someone.
So, before you judge someone based off of their major, think about why what that person is studying matters to him or her. While you might not be able to relate to the interests of an English major if you're an engineering major (or vice versa), it's crucial to still have an appreciation for the interests of others. No one is smarter solely based upon what major they choose. In the end, humanities majors and STEM majors may not see eye to eye, but every idea had by people from each of these groups is equally valuable.
