Why I’m Minoring in History as a STEM Major (And You Should Too)

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mich chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Though I’m studying biochemistry now, in my freshman year, I was in the College of Engineering. Part of the degree progression for engineers is taking a 300-level humanities course. I had space in my schedule, so I scoured through the LSA Course Guide, looking at all of the courses that fulfilled the requirement. That’s when I came across a class that sounded a little odd, but definitely intriguing: History 375 – A History of Witchcraft. 

I never hated history in high school, but it wasn’t my favorite subject. I found U.S. history extremely boring, and modern history was fine, but never piqued my interest. So, going into my first semester of college, I was a little wary of my ‘just for fun’ humanities class I had picked up, especially since the time period was similar to U.S. history. Thankfully, though, I really enjoyed the class! Diving deep into such an obscure topic with so many conflicting accounts was extremely compelling. And, because so many of my classes were purely quantitative, it stimulated my creative side that was otherwise neglected. 

The following two semesters, I took only STEM courses, and I hated not having a humanities course in my schedule. I missed reading and annotating fun passages, then compiling my thoughts into an argumentative paper. I wanted a class where other students challenge your ideas, or build on them, leaving you with even more ideas and questions.

To combat this feeling, I decided to take another history course after transferring from the College of Engineering to LSA. This course is the one that solidified my love for history: History 201 – Rome. Of all the courses I have taken at the University of Michigan, this one is by far my favorite. Professor Freidin is brilliant, and exploring the rise and fall of the famed Roman empire is so fun! So many of the texts in that class read like tabloids, recounting ancient scandals. For example, in The Life of Antony, ancient Roman historian Plutarch recounts the love affair that started a civil war. The affair between the famed Roman general Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII (the most famous of the Cleopatras, of course). It was after taking this course that I declared my minor in history, and I’m so glad I did! 

Coming into college, I would have never expected to pick up a humanities minor–let alone in a subject I thought I didn’t like. But now, I can’t imagine school without it. So, next time you see a class that sounds a little weird, don’t be afraid to take it! It could lead you to a new passion, or even a new minor.