You know that uncomfortable moment when you first meet someone, and in an attempt to sound interesting all you can think to ask is “So, what’s your major?” I hate that question. Mostly I hate it because of the reaction I get.

As soon as the word “English” leaves my mouth, it brings about a repulsive reaction. It can only be described as the noise a child makes when vegetables are placed in front of him. The second word – “Education” – brings an even worse noise that sounds something like a garbage disposal and pterodactyl making love.

We all know the stereotypes surrounding every major but, if you look at them honestly, you’ll find that all of them has value in our society. Each major is difficult in its own way. If they weren’t, it wouldn’t be necessary to have a college degree to have a job in that field.  

Certain majors are not any less important because their books cost less, their jobs pay less or because they don’t have to write 20 page lab reports. English majors may not spend hours in a lab, but we can read a 200 page book in 3 hours max.

A lot of science and math students undervalue the influence of a piece of literature. The Bible has created more change in the world than any other book to date. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, The Communist Manifesto; Betty Friedan’s   The Feminine Mystique, Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and Isaac Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy all had a large influence on cultural development as well.

Equality of all majors is based on the fact that the world cannot function without each one. Our engineers cannot be educated without teachers. Our country cannot run without political scientists or economists; and without meteorologists, we wouldn’t know that Hurricane Irene was heading our way.

A narrower focus reveals that each field of study is dependent on other disciplines. Take, for example, my major. An English major cannot fully understand a reading if he or she does not understand the historical context. Sure, one can read and comprehend “A Raisin in the Sun,” but the cultural influence far outweighs the meaning of the text itself.

The cultural influence of a work is something that could only be understood if researched by the reader. This type of research crosses into the realm of a history major. This same merge of majors happens when chemistry and math mix to  understand the periodic table of elements. Even English and engineering can mesh in the form of technical writing. Students would not be complete in their knowledge without their major being influenced by another area of study. This is exactly why each major is required to take general education classes.

The thing I’m asking you to remember, fellow students, is the next time someone tells you about what you deem to be a “worthless” major, remember this article; remember that all majors are created equal.