Being a humanities student is not for the faint of heart. Almost every second of our academic lives is spent justifying a degree that many deem impractical for the future and wasteful of our money. But I’m here to tell you that a humanities degree is a beautiful thing when you block out all the noise from other people telling you what to do with your life.
What many people fail to realize is that people with history, literature, anthropology, philosophy, theology, and language degrees make the world a better place. Without people researching history, we wouldn’t know anything about our past, or without people mastering writing and understanding literature, we wouldn’t be able to understand each other or correspond at all. Without the studies of anthropology, philosophy, and theology, we wouldn’t be able to grasp why people act the way they do and how that impacts world and interpersonal events. And of course, without language study, say goodbye to any form of travel or transnational cooperation of any kind! Without these areas of expertise, we would live in a secluded and desolate world, alone from other cultures and people, incapable of understanding each other well, and unable to utilize any advancements in STEM fields.
At the end of the day, we can construct and design the complex society we live in today because people have harnessed their interests and used their various skills — skills that are necessary for societal progress! While our STEM peers have an important job to do, those with humanities degrees should not be diminished or erased! We play an equally important role in the success of our multiplex civilization and it would be inaccurate to say that anything could go on without us.
You should feel pride in choosing a major because you find it genuinely interesting and want to succeed in it. There are many people who choose majors based on supposed future income — and many have a good reason for it — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to be said about choosing a major you are truly passionate about. You will go on to do great and important things with what you learn, no matter what field you choose. Try to see your humanities degree with love, not contempt or angst. And in my opinion, you made the right choice!