Stop stereotyping me because I don’t major in STEM

Stereotypes can be a bitch. We live in a society that slaps a label on everything. For some reason we’re inherently comforted by categorizing things into groups. Such stereotypes are especially prevalent among students at our school — commonly between Liberal Arts and Engineering students.

I’m a junior at Purdue, majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Business. But mostly, I’m just a third-culture city girl stuck in the middle of the cornfields and aspiring to land a job within the fashion industry and employ my best skill — writing.

As a Creative Writing major, it makes sense that I’ve faced some backlash and light ridicule over these past two and a half years from other peers at a highly competitive Engineering school. Hell, my own parents gave me a hard time at first, too. I’m used to being asked things the same sort of things: So what can you do with that degree? Are you going to be a schoolteacher? You’re going to write stories for a living?

Fortunately, these kinds of comments don’t really get to me anymore. It made me feel a bit better about myself when I found that other Creative Writing kids here got the same treatment sometimes.

Maggie Young, senior studying Creative Writing

“People have insinuated that I’m wasting my time and money, and they’re entitled to their own opinions. Though, I’d think it would be more of a waste of time and money for me to pursue a major that I dislike, and consequently wouldn’t excel in.”

What’s especially interesting is to see what both Engineering and Creative Writing students alike have to say when stereotyping Creative Writing students — many of which weren’t necessarily positive.

Alexandria Cramer, fifth year senior Creative Writing and English Education

There’s a bit of stigma about Creative Writing majors being a bit awkward or unconventional in how they present themselves.

Boilermakers in STEM weigh in

This wouldn’t be an adequate piece about STEM majors’ stereotypes of Creative Writing majors if there weren’t perceptions straight from the source.

William O’Malley, junior Computer Engineering

“They have easy classes, they don’t have as much studying to do, and some people even say that they are hipsters.”

Evan Adams, junior in Biological Engineering and Biochemistry

Evan believes they party more but adds: “that stereotype coming from another: their coursework is less strenuous.”

Brad Lock, junior Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

Brad described Creative Writing majors as having “more time”, “better grades”, “less stressed”, and have “more women” in the field.

Having said this, it’s important to note that none of these Engineering students personally believed Liberal Arts majors was “useless” in any way. In fact, Brad characterized Liberal Arts kids as “the ones who keep joy in our society”, while William describes kids in this field as “truly talented” and “able to express their talents through art unlike the majority of people.”

So why would I choose this maligned major?

Now to answer the million dollar question of why would I — or anyone for that matter — choose a major frequently considered useless.

At first it was simply because I loved it. Is being a literary aficionado such a crime? I’ve loved writing and reading for as long as I can remember. There’s just something so electrifying about reading a story and getting sucked into its fabricated universe and imagining yourself living in it.

But whatever love I have for reading, I have ten times more for writing. For me it’s the most cathartic thing in the world. It was assuring to know that all three Creative Writing students have strongly shared my sentiments as well.

Recent Creative Writing Purdue graduate Alexandria Lindemuth explained, “I thoroughly enjoyed obtaining my Creative Writing degree because it was something I loved to do. It was fun but also challenging. You couldn’t just get an A by completing the assignments, but you had to show actual improvement and put effort into your stories.”

Maggie also thought of writing as a means of intellectual release for her as well.

“I love my major,” she said. “I chose it because I have always loved to write. It’s one of my favorite forms of self-expression. It has always been very cathartic for me.”

One point worth noting is how all these students claim the Liberal Arts department doesn’t receive as much attention or funding compared to the Engineering program. William thought Purdue in general “seems to pay more attention to building up the Engineering department’s structures and material.”

Evan and Brad both mentioned how they believed the STEM program in general — not only Engineering — has more money, investment, and resources.

Alexandria’s thoughts were that the Engineering program takes “precedence over Liberal Arts in general” and added, “I mean have you been in Heavilon? That building is condemned.”

She brought up the perks available only to Engineering kids, such as unlimited printing in certain computer labs.

“I felt this to be unfair considering that I’d be printing out hundreds of pages just for my Creative Writing classes alone,” she said.

Suffice to say, despite these minor shortcomings, Purdue has definitely offered me opportunities related to my field and never made me feel disadvantaged as a student. Even though I am in the Liberal Arts department in a STEM-heavy school, I’ve improved and still continue to improve my best asset through the wonderful writing classes I had the fortune to take.