After talking to a few people either in person or via this mac insiders website, I'm sensing there's this weird stigma that exists between the humanities/arts students and the science students.
It seems as though, in this awesome university, that the science students frown upon the students in the arts and humanities, which is no surprise, because this is a sciences university more than anything.
Just because an individual is a humanities student does not mean they are less intelligent, most of these students have a high 80s or 90s average entering into mcmaster. What I'd like to know, is why these art/humanities students are judged by the low admissions average and deemed as "not as smart" as a sciences student. Why do some sciences students have such a "hot shot" ego and put the humanities students down, I mean, I see why they would assume humanities students are 'not as smart', but what types of dynamics have you seen between these faculties?
I may consider social sciences leading into psych, or considering humanities, my marks are mid 90s including sciences, but I'm afraid that if I consider the humanities program and the negative dynamics and attitudes toward "hummers" that I will not enjoy my time at Mac.
What are your experiences, opinions and thoughts, please be as blunt and honest as possible, I know it's not about what others think, but Im just curious.

Nah, it's all in good fun.
It doesn't affect you unless you let it.
I know for a fact that I have less chances of getting a job after graduation than, say, an engineering student or a science student, and I get reminded of that constantly, but I have different reasons for studying what I do. I love it, and it's the only thing I love. When I take classes, I get so engaged, and when I write essays, I get excited about what I'm writing, because I'm passionate about the subject.
I'll take happiness over wealth and reputation any day.
As long as you do what you love and love what you do, things tend to work out one way or another.

Choose the program you want based on your interests alone, don't worry about anyone else.



P.s. Just because students can enter the humanities program with an average of 75%, it doesn't mean that it's an easy program. I had low 90's in high school, and still struggled in first year humanities.

Originally Posted by EvgeniMalkin

After talking to a few people either in person or via this mac insiders website, I'm sensing there's this weird stigma that exists between the humanities/arts students and the science students.
It seems as though, in this awesome university, that the science students frown upon the students in the arts and humanities, which is no surprise, because this is a sciences university more than anything.
Just because an individual is a humanities student does not mean they are less intelligent, most of these students have a high 80s or 90s average entering into McMaster. What I'd like to know, is why these art/humanities students are judged by the low admissions average and deemed as "not as smart" as a sciences student. Why do some sciences students have such a "hot shot" ego and put the humanities students down, I mean, I see why they would assume humanities students are 'not as smart', but what types of dynamics have you seen between these faculties?
I may consider social sciences leading into psych, or considering humanities, my marks are mid 90s including sciences, but I'm afraid that if I consider the humanities program and the negative dynamics and attitudes toward "hummers" that I will not enjoy my time at Mac.
What are your experiences, opinions and thoughts, please be as blunt and honest as possible, I know it's not about what others think, but Im just curious.

Honestly, most people are respectful about other faculties. There are the few who create a negative environment by promoting stigma about other faculties. Last year (I believe), the term "faculty phobia" was introduced on campus regarding these sorts of stigmas.

Honestly, don't worry about what others think. Do what you want to do, and most people will respect that.

You guys rock, thanks for offering your positive aspects.
I just find it really sad, you know?

I entered Humanities at Mac with an 80+ average from high school. It's really sad that arts/humanities students are being frown upon by the science students. I always hear from other people that "you won't get a job out of that faculty or it's so easy being in that faculty". I beg to differ that you can get many jobs with a humanities degree not just the sciences. Science is involved in a lot of things even in the humanities faculty. Before I switched to my current program, I was in Linguistics which is a humanities program. That alone is not an easy program. There are some difficult courses I have to go through and there is a ton of science involved especially biology.

I think that no matter what faculty you are in whether it's humanities or the sciences, "smart" is different from every individual. It really depends on the person's interest on the program, and their work habits. If a person is getting high marks in most of the courses in a certain program, that doesn't mean the person is smart. The person is very dedicated with the program and thus interested in it.

Originally Posted by SweetyTweety

P.s. Just because students can enter the humanities program with an average of 75%, it doesn't mean that it's an easy program. I had low 90's in high school, and still struggled in first year humanities.

I agree with you there. I also struggled in my first year humanities to the point where I almost didn't get accepted to a program I wanted

I agree with all the previous posts, don't let others opinions influence you. Do what you are interested in and will be happy and passionate about for the next 4 years, and I guarantee that you will be successful. I'm in engineering and I can tell you that there are MANY students are who really shouldn't be in the program. They don't understand what an engineer even is or don't have the drive to become one. They just look for the easy way out and just hope to pass, and those people wont land good jobs, even if they are in engineering. I can also say with confidence that I have very high marks in my program; however, that's strictly because I love what i'm doing. If I was in a different program I wouldn't have the same marks that's for sure. I think the reason why some people see humanities students as not being "smart" is because a lot of people feel pressures after high school to get a post secondary education for whatever external factors (i.e. parents) and they might see humanities as being the "easiest" way to fulfill those obligations simply because it might have the lowest required average or a lesser workload; however, they still do poorly because they don't care. I believe there's stupid people in every faculty but unfortunately more of them end up in one program as opposed to another because of lower requirements. If humanities had an entrance requirement of lets say 90 and engineering was 70, then the situation would be reversed.

And damn, if the situation was reversed, it'd be one heck of an interesting scenario! I spoke to someone today asking them about humanities, and they sarcastically replied with "oh, so youre one of the smart ones i see". He was implying that humanities and arts are for stupid people. How sad. Like come on, how ignorant and arrogant, what kind of attitude is that? That response really shocked me and is one of the reasons why im asking these questions. By the way, thank you for your insightful response

I definitely agree that there is a stigma and its a shame. I'm a first year nursing student and it seems so ridiculous that people make assumptions about others based on the program they've picked. I may not get the assumption that nursing students are stupid, but I've had more than one person tell me that I'll be "cleaning up shit and taking orders from doctors". Don't let other people judge you, if they do its probably because they're insecure in their own choices. I will say though, that I feel like the stigma is promoted on both sides of the scene. I know some people in humanities who will follow a stupid action or saying something foolish with the phrase, "I'm in humanities" as if it were an explanation or excuse. There are intelligent and unintelligent people in every program and its the unintelligent ones in both sciences and arts & humanities who are the cause of this problem.

Interesting, thank you
I just wish they could raise the admission requirement to 85+ and maybe people would calm down

Originally Posted by EvgeniMalkin

And damn, if the situation was reversed, it'd be one heck of an interesting scenario! I spoke to someone today asking them about humanities, and they sarcastically replied with "oh, so youre one of the smart ones i see". He was implying that humanities and arts are for stupid people. How sad. Like come on, how ignorant and arrogant, what kind of attitude is that? That response really shocked me and is one of the reasons why im asking these questions. By the way, thank you for your insightful response

I took a few soc sci electives, and often when people who were in soc sci in the class found out they would be like "oh you must be so smart", so the attitude comes from people in humanities/soc sci also.

I think part of the reason is because science tends to be more specialized in that you don't just "go at it", it requires training and you need to be taught a lot of things to understand what's going on, so to a person without that education it seems way over their head, therefore they perceive the people who DO know what's going on as "smart". The average humanities/soc sci student couldn't go into a 2nd or 3rd year science course as an elective and expect to understand what's happening, because they don't have the background to make sense of it. Whereas humanities and soc sci are far more based in the English language, and in things that are far more familiar to a wider range of people (things like English or literature, languages, geography, history, poli sci, even psychology to an extent) because you come into contact with them in your daily life.

Also, you have many science students taking humanities/soc sci courses as their "easy electives" that are less work than their science courses. People don't typically take the really hardcore courses as their electives, so this perception is skewed also.

There's a lot of really lazy and dumb science/engineering students and really brilliant humantics/socsci/arts students. The stigma and clash that exists between the faculties is a primative in-group-out-group phenomenon that science based people believe in to make themselves feel good about their choices and personality.

It could also be the fact that humanities courses are extremely easier than the mainstream science/engineering courses. People shouldnt be discrediting the people in humanities, just the bird courses that they take and have to work so hard to get their marks in

I found this kind of thing is more common in first and a bit in second year, but by the time you get into upper years than most people don't care what faculty you are in as long as you seem like a reasonably intelligent person

W all love each other here at Mac, we just troll with the hating.