As an English major who was once a Biology major, I have had to deal with major-shaming far too often. Everyone always seemed so impressed when I told them I was a Bio major. “You must have so much work to do!” “Are you going to be a doctor?” “You’re going to make so much money!” Suddenly that all went down the drain when I decided to follow my passion for writing and become an English major. People did not understand why I would be willing to give up a major with a “much more promising” career path. I even had someone ask me, “What are you going to do with a degree in English? Be poor?” At first, it made me begin to doubt my decision to change my major, and I wondered if I really was going to end up unemployed and poor and sad and forever alone with 50 cats (Okay, maybe people didn’t go that far, but they might as well have!). Then I realized… NO! Science is great, but it just is not for me. I love to read and write, and I am willing to work hard to put those two things to use in order to create a bright future for myself.
Major-shaming is not only when you put others down for their “easy” major, it is also when you talk about how much harder you have to work than other people. It’s true, not everyone has to struggle through 4 hour labs every week. Not everyone has to write 20 page papers. Not everyone has to memorize the periodic table like the back of their hand. But everyone does have to work hard to reach their goals, whatever they may be. Everyone stresses over finals and celebrates when they are over. Everyone knows what it feels like to be proud of themselves for receiving a good grade on a project, paper, or test they put their heart into. Since we are all college students who know the struggle of pulling all-nighters and occasionally living off coffee, we should all be supporting one another. The world needs English, Psychology, History, Education, and Sociology majors, just as much as it needs Biology and Engineering majors. Some people like science and numbers, others like reading and writing. That’s the beauty of it – everyone has something important to contribute, and that should be celebrated, not looked down upon.
So don’t feel like you should pick a major that is more “respectable.” Don’t forget to acknowledge all the hard work being done by those around you who want to achieve their dream. And don’t hesitate to say it loud and say it proud when someone asks you what your major is!