First things first: You will get a job.
As a journalism major and English minor, I’ve heard some pretty disrespectful things said about my fields of study:
“You’re not going to make any money with those degrees!”
“I wish I was in your major. Mine is so much work.”
“You’re so lucky you just have to write all the time! That’s so easy.”
I’ve eventually come to realize that, usually, people don’t mean to be rude. Moreso, I think society has been subconsciously constructed over time to think that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects will bring in millions of dollars while non-STEM subjects get by on bread and water.
Don’t get me wrong, though. Many statistics show that people working in the STEM fields have higher incomes than those in the humanities or liberal arts workforce. Many statistics also show that this isn’t necessarily true.Â
In the end, it all depends on how well you do in your field, regardless of what it is.
Over the years, I’ve trained myself to ignore comments that downgrade and discredit my major and minor. I refuse to be upset over something clearly said out of ignorance. I know that I put in just as much work and effort as anybody else at this University.
I love what I do. I love running around campus to interview people, meeting people who are passionate about what they do so I can write a story on them, learning about social issues that need to be covered, editing reporters’ articles to help them improve as a writer even though it does not benefit me in any way whatsoever — I love every inch of it.
Sure, anybody can write an essay. Sure, anybody can read a book and talk about it. Sure, anybody can conduct an interview.
The difference, my fellow non-STEM majors, is that we care. When someone tells me I’m lucky because I “just have to write an essay for my class” or “do an interview and write an article instead of studying,” they’re thinking I can write a bunch of (for lack of better wording) BS and just turn it in.Â
No, not really. I know our work may seem perfectly worded and edited, but surprise surprise — producing a solid piece or project requires thinking.
I can go on and on about how proud you should be of being a humanities or liberal arts major, but I should probably wrap things up before we get too cocky.
Regardless of which type of non-STEM major you are, remember this:Â
The STEM field needs us as much as we need them.
All photo courtesy to Julie Kang