Notes From an Average Girl | Pitt’s pretentious STEM snobs

When I began to tour colleges during my junior year of high school, there were certain things I looked for in a school. I wanted to be in a city, I wanted to go out of state, and I wanted a school that could challenge me. I chose Pitt because it checked off all these wants, but I never thought about how I would fit in academically. 

When I moved in and started meeting other students, I noticed a pattern. Everyone seemed to be some type of STEM major except me. At first, it didn’t bother me. I’d tell people I’m undeclared, and the conversation would move on, but now that I have declared my major, I find myself dreading these conversations. 

I struggled to decide what I wanted to major in for a while, and when I did, I finally felt some pressure relief. I enrolled in classes, and for the first time, I was actually excited to attend them. I get to take lots of writing classes which, for me, are more enjoyable than any math or science class. 

My whole life, I’ve never been any good with numbers. I can barely remember my own street number, never mind an algebraic formula. On the other hand, words come naturally to me. I find pleasure in writing about things I love in deep descriptions. As a reserved person, I often find myself holding back from speaking out loud — but never on paper.

I’m a media and communications major, which carries a lot of stigma on its own, let alone at a STEM-heavy school. People often claim it’s “not a real major,” which is evident from their facial expressions when I tell them. STEM majors can’t seem to wrap their heads around any type of academia that doesn’t involve math or science. 

Despite the belonging I feel in my classes, surrounded by other humanities majors who are understanding of my love for writing, outside of class, I have a hard time being proud of my strengths. The truth is, the humanities are just as important as any other major, but sometimes it can be hard to believe this when surrounded by people who base their dignity on the amount of hours they spend at Hillman.

I’m tired of getting responses like “Wow, I wish” and “You must spend a lot of time communicating!” Sure, the jokes are funny, but most of the time they’re made by the same people who ask me to edit their essays. I’m happy to do it, but I can’t help but notice the double standard. 

When it comes to my friends, my classes, and the city, I’m perfectly happy in Pittsburgh. But I’ve been thinking a lot about whether I’d feel ashamed of my studies if I had chosen a liberal arts school, and I hold a lot of resentment towards the Pitt community for this. I love going to school here, and I love my major, but I fear I’ll never fit in academically. 

If you’re reading this, and you’re a humanities major, I guess we’re in this together. Though our campus is littered with pretentious STEM snobs, the rest of us will have to try our best to carry the humanities with pride.