If you’ve ever been in a room with a STEM major, maybe you have heard their unoriginal, snarky remarks about students studying English, history or any non-STEM field, accompanied by a maniacal laughter similar to Pennywise’s cackle in “It.” Maybe you’ll even admit to being one of these people.

But STEM majors, I’m here to tell you that the superiority complex needs to be dropped.

A student’s choice of major isn’t a measure of intelligence, as you might assume. You don’t have to be a STEM student to have more than two brain cells, so shaming someone based on their major is illogical and, frankly, ridiculous. 

You don’t need to take your insecurities about failing organic chemistry out on others. I hate to break it to you, but constantly reminding people that your classes are harder than theirs isn’t going to change your lacking grades.

Don’t get me wrong, I respect you for what you endure. Trust me, I’ve taken enough chemistry classes to know being holed up in a dorm room learning chirality while your friends are blasting Rihanna and Justin Bieber throwback hits a few doors down isn’t the best way to spend your Friday night. Nonetheless, there’s no excuse to put down non-STEM majors. 

STEM couldn’t exist without the arts, humanities and social sciences, and it works the other way around too. This interconnection gives each of our majors value. Where would you be without your teachers and politicians, and where would we be without our mechanics and doctors? 

Although you frequently argue that many non-STEM degrees are useless, there’s a reason universities offer the majors they do. Some may be more niche, but there are hundreds of jobs out there for all of us, from engineering majors to film students. If it takes a little more time for us in smaller fields to find a job, we’ll pull up our bootstraps and keep searching. In choosing to pursue a career path that we love, we’ve accepted this challenge.

Even in a more practical sense, consider the music you enjoy. What do you think Lady Gaga studied, mechanical engineering? Now consider the shows and movies you watch every day. Do you think Meryl Streep majored in animal science? No, but I bet you’ve watched (and likely enjoyed, I might add) “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Mamma Mia!” or any one of her blockbuster films. 

More important than that, think about the writing, filmmaking, advertising and other aspects that go into movies and anything else you watch on TV. Breaking news: Spike Lee and Steven Spielberg do not have physics degrees.

Graphic design majors thoughtfully articulate the websites that allow us to access our course materials, political science graduates form policies affecting our rights as Americans and criminology majors hunt down and prosecute criminals.

I could go on and on about the importance of non-STEM degrees, but because that would take too long in 800 words I’ll address one group that receives the brunt of the jokes: philosophy majors.

I mean, what can you do with a degree in philosophy? Well, as it turns out, a lot. Some philosophy majors go into law while others become writers or business analysts. These days, many jobs don’t require a specific major, and philosophy teaches a kind of critical thinking you’re not going to get memorizing formulas. 

STEM students, I understand you’re stressed from your classes, but to be quite honest, I don’t want to hear about how long your biology lab lasts or how annoying your physics teacher is for the hundredth time.

If your main grievance is that students with other majors have things “too easy,” then please take your complaints elsewhere. Being upset about having to take more difficult classes is no reason to hate your non-STEM counterparts.

Let me be clear: I’m not opposed to occasional teasing, but at a certain point, repeatedly hearing the same jokes becomes insufferable.

While 30% of NC State students are enrolled in the College of Engineering, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is the second largest program, followed by the Poole College of Management. We all got into the same distinguished university, so whether you study history or computer science or anything in between, let’s respect one another.