There is a high demand for people majoring in STEM in today's world. STEM fields tend to be valued more compared to the arts. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is known as a STEM school - a lot of U of I students are pursuing majors in the STEM Field. A plethora of us fails to recognize that there are U of I students who are not majoring in STEM (like yours truly). I am majoring in communications and minoring in gender and women's studies. I encounter a shit load of people of who are majoring in the STEM at U of I, so it can be hard to relate on an educational level at times. Therefore, I made this survival guide that will help you get through college.
1. Own your majorÂ
Be confident with your major, even if it is not in the STEM field. In a perfect world, everyone will be accepting. That is not the case. Many of us liberal arts majors have encountered people that gave us the infamous "Oh..." every time we tell them our major. You cannot change how people react but you can change your outcome of the situation--don't let that reaction discourage you. Just own it, sis!
2. EducateÂ
The STEM field is highly emphasized in society, therefore there is a chance that some people will not know what your major is. They will ask you questions like "so what do you do with a communications degree?" or "I did not know you can minor in Gender and Women Studies!" Don't instantly get offended because almost always that is not their intention. Instead, educate them about your major. Chances are, they will find it interesting because STEM majors tend to be exposed to exclusively STEM content.
3. Don't compare majorsÂ
What sounds more interesting initially - aerospace engineering or communication? You don't need to tell me. I think I know the answer. It's fine.
4. Be gratefulÂ
Liberal arts majors tend to have assignments that consist of a lot of reading and writing. The readings given to us are not always the most exciting. There a lot of us that do not do the readings because they are too long, and we don't got time for that! I'm guilty of this (sorry, professors). Not majoring in the STEM field has its perks. The biggest one I can think of is not ever having to go to labs.
There are various majors one can pursue, and each is as valuable as the next. Having different majors fosters unique perspectives in a community. We need both arts and sciences to excel in society as a whole.
