Degree shaming?
I keep chuckling at that.

I was a straight-A science student for most of my high school life. Chose Bio (my fave), Chem, Physics and
Sociology for 6th form. Aced SAT bio, but didn’t know much about scholarships to the US and parents couldn’t afford it.

I didn’t apply to medicine in Jamaica at UWI. I applied to study in the social sciences because I realized although for most of my life then I wanted to study medicine, I was interested in other things and hadn’t explored them.

I encourage my Social Sciences students to do their best in their field and carve out a space for themselves. You can earn well with those degrees too, but the path isn’t always linear. Some act like the society only need those schooled in natural sciences. Far from true.

I’m onto degree #3 and will probably do another after that. My husband? Zero degrees. He earns much more than me.

We forget things like aptitude for certain areas. Many in natural sciences would struggle in social sciences and vice versa. There’s no easy degree because each area of study makes different demands of those pursuing it.

Respect is due to anyone earning their way through uni.