I have news for you. You might want to sit down for this. Are you ready? Okay.
Being a jerk and making jokes about other people’s majors doesn’t make you funny nor does it make your major superior.
It might be crazy to hear that your major is not better than other ones, but there is a reason that all these different majors exist. We need them all to function as a society.
As a FIMS (Faculty of Information and Media Studies) student, my major is often shut down, questioned and less respected. As a joint student with both Western and Fanshawe, I often face discrimination from my Western peers who claim that Fanshawe isn’t as valuable as Western. Similarly, I face the same discrimination from my Fanshawe peers who believe that a university degree is essentially useless in today’s society. While I disagree with both of these things, I wonder why people care so much about an education that isn’t theirs.
I believe that university is a time for self-discovery, indulging in your own interests, and gaining new ones. It’s a time for self-growth and networking. It’s about meeting individuals from all backgrounds and with different interests than your own. However, to successfully do this, we must all have an open mind. We must accept what another person loves and chooses to pursue, because that is part of what makes up a student. We must accept that we need diversity within our universities to function.
Campuses are essentially powerhouses of information, made up of differing ideas from all fields and interests. If we lacked diversity of majors in our universities, there would be less mind-opening discussion between students. We would see the universe through a single lens. It is common knowledge that society thrives on the differing ideas developed from our childhood and into adulthood. As university is a large part of a student’s transition into adulthood, it is necessary for diverse ideas to be present to offer as many new perspectives as possible as our brains continue developing.
Constant belittlement of another student’s major prevents personal growth, promotes ignorance, and does not reflect the accepting and open-minded attitude that universities encourage.
While someone’s major might be the punchline of your joke, remember that this is what this person has chosen to devote their life to. And that is nothing to take lightly. Just like you, they are pulling all-nighters to study; they are balancing school, work and a social life; and they are working tirelessly towards becoming a more functioning and productive member of society.
We must also remember that the diverse ideas brought forth from differing majors not only helps our university function, but also encourages our own personal growth. With that being said, take some time out of your day and have a conversation with a peer who is majoring in something completely different than you—you might learn a thing or two.
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- FIMS Is Left-Leaning and It’s Problematic
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- 7 Things Every Incoming MIT Student Needs to Know
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