STEM is not the only equation for success
Throughout the majority of my life and academic career, one subject has always haunted me. I’ve suffered from nightmares, many tears shed and all nighters pulled because of the one thing I cannot seem to understand: math.
As I progressed through high school, and my math classes only got harder, I noticed myself internalizing the belief that I must be academically inept in some way. Whenever people asked what classes I was taking, I would find myself quickly adding “and regular math” to the end of my schedule, which has consisted of a multitude of humanities courses over the years. I assumed that, because I am not a math person, I must be objectively less smart than “math people.” As I’ve matured, however, I’ve realized that my passion for the humanities has taught me skills equally as valuable as solving math equations.
Research has proven that reading fiction helps one develop empathy and an increased social cognition. Psychologically, becoming invested in a fictional story is like a mental flight simulation. As I have sat in IB Literature, invested in Nora Helmer’s marital woes or the short stories of Nadine Gordimer, I have grown my own empathy and understanding, even though these characters live much different lives than my own.
After years of taking AP, and now IB, history classes, I have learned to analyze documents considering their value and limitations, a skill which seems to be overlooked these days. As I sat through AP U.S. History lectures, I began noticing historical patterns between the past and present. Learning about Andrew Jackson’s political “spoils system” seemed oddly familiar, as I watched Trump stuff his cabinet with the likes of Pete Hegseth and Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Although my humanities classes have helped me in the classroom, I have realized they will continue to be useful as I navigate life. In a world which is severely lacking empathy, I have learned its value from my humanities courses, which I will always carry with me. As I read news headlines, I have learned to question the validity of sources. I understand that there is also intrinsic value in math; it teaches the value of problem solving and critical thinking, but there are only so many things that the unit circle can teach.
As I sat down to choose a major for college, I wrestled with a quandary: what is a “practical” major? As I considered areas of study such as philosophy, political science or literature, I found myself overwhelmed with the opinions of others echoing in my mind. I could practically hear people asking “What are you going to do with that degree?” But I eventually realized that there is immense value in studying the humanities, and I cannot let the STEM superiority culture dissuade me. Now as I sit in class, surrounded by students busying themselves with IB Calculus homework, I have re-trained my mindset. I will always prefer to annotate a poem, write a history LEQ or even engage in a debate in philosophy class, and that is just fine.
