# People Harsh on Humanities Majors



## enchantedgypsy22 (Apr 6, 2013)

I'm an English major, and people can be so annoying about it sometimes. Humanities majors in general just get a bad rep, and it makes no sense.

Don't get me wrong, being a STEM major is great. If you want to be an engineer, that's awesome! But, that doesn't mean we should undermine the humanities.

We all know people that have graduated from college with a degree that they *hate*, and it's like why? You only get to live once. Why waste it doing something you hate?

I actually vlogged about "Humanities Major Problems", so if you want to check it out, here it is:


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## enchantedgypsy22 (Apr 6, 2013)

Hm. Can't get the YouTube player to work. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy8ybwslxFM


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## cavemanslaststand (Jan 6, 2011)

enchantedgypsy22 said:


> Hm. Can't get the YouTube player to work. Here is the link:


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## .95596 (Aug 24, 2012)

I think part of it is regional and depends on what university you attend. For instance, my university is heavily STEM-based and most people look down on psych and arts majors since they have easy classes, a way lighter course-load, and are seen as lazy and unproductive since most of them do drugs and live off of their parents.

Maybe part of it might be a bit of jealousy since those majors are easier and those students actually get time to relax and nap; unlike with STEM where you have night classes/labs and you need to do heavy research to get into graduate school.

Part of it might be the realistic aspect too since the humanities and fine arts are usually considered terminal degrees with limited room for growth, in some people's opinions. As I said before many students at my school who aren't STEM majors live off their parents checkbooks so they don't appreciate the value of a dollar or have any sense of work ethic. The former is probably why most students loathe those majors too.

I liked your video by the way. I wish I had the courage/time to vlog.


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

Students are encouraged to take courses that will help them slot quietly into the economy, not courses that encourage genuine critical thinking about society (humanities).


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## minimized (Nov 17, 2007)

It's a shame society doesn't value our programs the way they do, say, business. I went to a school where the business curriculum was a growing thing. They got the works - new building, furniture... it was clear what was valued and what wasn't. And yet I think our English program was great. I just have no practical value for it now.


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## cavemanslaststand (Jan 6, 2011)

minimized said:


> It's a shame society doesn't value our programs the way they do, say, business. I went to a school where the business curriculum was a growing thing. They got the works - new building, furniture... it was clear what was valued and what wasn't. And yet I think our English program was great. I just have no practical value for it now.


The school I graduated from multiple times (University of Minnesota) did the same thing.

They converted the parking lots that used to make it somewhat easier for me to go to an urban school into a metro plex of business schools.

I stopped donating alumni money to my school because if I can't reasonably be a pot smoking student at my school, screw it I'm not coming back nor donating cash.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Humanities isn't so bad. At least you will be able to write well. 

And most science degrees do not lead to a well-paid job. Engineering is one of the exceptions.


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## enchantedgypsy22 (Apr 6, 2013)

shyguy1990 said:


> I think part of it is regional and depends on what university you attend. For instance, my university is heavily STEM-based and most people look down on psych and arts majors since they have easy classes, a way lighter course-load, and are seen as lazy and unproductive since most of them do drugs and live off of their parents.
> 
> Maybe part of it might be a bit of jealousy since those majors are easier and those students actually get time to relax and nap; unlike with STEM where you have night classes/labs and you need to do heavy research to get into graduate school.
> 
> ...


I know there are some humanity majors who take the "easy" approach their degrees, but there are also STEM majors who do everything they can to slide by as well. I know that I am continuously busting my butt to keep a high GPA and work part time. There aren't a lot of naps happening during the semester for me even though I am an English major. lol.


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## .95596 (Aug 24, 2012)

^

It seems that there are more people taking the easy route these days when it comes to university. So many people cheat and plagiarize it is disgusting. My flatmates are Theatre Arts and Architecture majors and they go out partying every night and I never see them put any effort into their work (BTW they are both over 24).

And as Komorikun said, most STEM majors are terminal too. For instance, I am a Biology Honors major with a focus in health research; yet, the only jobs I can get straight out of my BS are research lab positions that pay below minimum wage. 

I try not to generalize or look down at people of other majors, but at times it is difficult when you see people born with a silver spoon or lazy people taking for granted a great education that many others would work hard to obtain.


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## PaxBritannica (Dec 10, 2012)

This must be an American thing


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## enchantedgypsy22 (Apr 6, 2013)

PaxBritannica said:


> This must be an American thing


People aren't harsh on humanities majors in the UK?


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## Slumknox (Feb 25, 2013)

For me -- and i believe most other ppl -- it's entirely financial. People just don't see why you would spend all that money on a degree, when in most cases you wont benefit from monetarily.

Now if money isn't an issue in your family, then its a different story. 
If i didn't have to pay my tuition, i would would opt for a philosophy degree in a second - i'm a business major. 

Also, people see college as only an avenue for better employment prospects, when it shouldn't be. College is a place to enrich your young mind also. 

Hey, if your not going to be in a **** load of debt when you graduate, then do what makes you happy.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I would only be harsh on a humanities major if they went into debt big time going to a non-prestigious private university.


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## Diacetylmorphine (Mar 9, 2011)




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## avoidobot3000 (Aug 22, 2010)

Donnie in the Dark said:


> Students are encouraged to take courses that will help them slot quietly into the economy, not courses that encourage genuine critical thinking about society (humanities).


Nicely put. I think my studying English is a quiet rebellion.


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

Donnie in the Dark said:


> Students are encouraged to take courses that will help them slot quietly into the economy, not courses that encourage genuine critical thinking about society (humanities).


I agree with this as well, and it's a big problem imo. That isn't to say that no STEM classes don't place weight on critical thought, however I'd say that I've gotten a lot more practical use out of things learned in my humanities classes, including improving my communications skills across the board (verbal, body, and written). That isn't to say that all humanities classes are created equal in terms of practicality (eg. history, theater, women's studies, film, etc.), but many others should be required in some intro form for everyone, with the most useful (IMO) ones being composition (written communication/critical thought), philosophy (perspective/logic/critical thought), psychology/sociology (human understanding), and communications (in person communication/critical thought). I said intro because I think the practical knowledge offered by these classes drops precipitously afterwards. I'd also say that political science and econ are essentials for understanding the larger world, and should be required to promote a responsible citizenry lol.

One class/degre that I wish was offered, and forced upon everyone, would be a class titled: creative problem solving/team problem solving. Such a class (or classes) would be designed to get people, as individuals and as members of teams, to learn to think outside the box to solve different types of problems with some being practical, like having to fix something, others being abstract - you have these random supplies, you and your team have to get across this large room without touching the ground, to anything in between. These courses would also provide strategies for problem solving, ideally focusing on how to open up your mind to innovation, both to solving existing problems, as well as to teach students to see needs that haven't been met (a class which forces you to become an inventor!).

edit*
Oh, but to get back to the hate for humanities, as others have said, there is a perception that many people go there by default because it's often easy (though that is often a misconception) and because people who go into those majors often aren't career minded (either by volition, or because they simply haven't thought ahead). As others have said, I'm all for someone getting an English degree if they see the practical benefits it offers, and have a plan for how they'll use those benefits to fulfill their personal life goals, however I can't help but roll my eyes at the hard partying college kids who wonder what they're going to do when they're looking down the barrel of tens of thousands of dollars of student debt, with no career plan, a degree that is largely useless for getting a "traditional" job, and no idea what went wrong, and why they can't get such a job.


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## vitaminu100 (Jul 18, 2011)

I've never encountered anything like this, if anything, when I say I'm studying anthropology people are impressed ^_^


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

vitaminu100 said:


> I've never encountered anything like this, if anything, when I say I'm studying anthropology people are impressed ^_^


 Some people say something along the lines of "wow how intellectual" when I say my degree is Sociology+Politics, others think I should study something proper like biology or.....shudder......management. Something "practical", to "get a job"........ because "what job are you gonna get with that degree of yours"???!


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## vitaminu100 (Jul 18, 2011)

Donnie in the Dark said:


> Some people say something along the lines of "wow how intellectual" when I say my degree is Sociology+Politics, others think I should study something proper like biology or.....shudder......management. Something "practical", to "get a job"........ because "what job are you gonna get with that degree of yours"???!


I'm studying some sociology courses too, I think anthro/sociology are interesting. Arts degrees lead to many different potential careers, you just need to have passion and dedication.


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## Sacrieur (Jan 14, 2013)

Most engineers can't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be an engineer.

They're very closed minded people.


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## blueidealist26 (Dec 16, 2012)

Yeah, people used to always ask me why I didn't study accounting or engineering that would "get me a job" as opposed to humanities. But I wasn't good at accounting or engineering.. I might have not even passed some of the classes! Plus I know people in the so-called lucrative majors who are out of work now, because of the bad economy and also because they weren't really suited for those fields and got low grades. On a forum I saw this one guy who got a C+ average in accounting complaining that employers said his GPA was too low.. at first I thought that was weird, but then I thought, do you really want an accountant who only does your accounting right 65% of the time? lol.


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## cavemanslaststand (Jan 6, 2011)

I studied science and engineering and don't understand why yous all don't fly right and study science and engineering too!

But seriously, both STEM and humaties are very broad in scope. I highly doubt someone studying anthropology has much time and energy to do a deep dive in even something as closely related as sociology or archeology.

Likewise, if I were to go into 20th century US political history, I highly doubt I would have bandwidth nor patience to study 19th century european history and much less 18th century european poetry and much less 17th century chinese art and much less archaic phoenician and egyptian and mayan studies. My head would spin.

It doesn't mean I don't have an interest in the humanities during my short life...

I wanted to study history until the fateful days extended out to weeks and months where my world history teacher went on and on about european monarchy. I was so bored and uninspired I wanted to punch my teacher. It actually turned me off to many humanities subjects.

I also spent some time doing fill-in sketches and editing a literary art magazine. After a while, I just didn't see myself putting food on the table doing that.


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## always starting over (Mar 15, 2013)

I used to be a philosophy major and people always had the same dumb joke "Lol wut do ya do with a philosophy degree?" like they're the first person to think of it. So I just learned to laugh it off instead of wanting to punch them in the faces. (btw I still love philosophy, just switched it to music instead)


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## enchantedgypsy22 (Apr 6, 2013)

always starting over said:


> I used to be a philosophy major and people always had the same dumb joke "Lol wut do ya do with a philosophy degree?" like they're the first person to think of it. So I just learned to laugh it off instead of wanting to punch them in the faces. (btw I still love philosophy, just switched it to music instead)


The English equivalent of that is, "Oh, so you're going to be a teacher?"


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## Sacrieur (Jan 14, 2013)

There's plenty you can do with philosophy. There's just not much demand for it.


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