On Wednesday there was a coffee chat with Ryan Lombardi, our Vice President. Our talk with him was rather interesting and fun as we had an open discussion on how we felt about Cornell student life. One thing that was the main factor of our discussion was the large burden that many Cornell students feel while attending this institution, as they are constantly bombarded with homework and are expected to be taking advantage of all of the amazing opportunities that come their way (i.e. internships). I also mentioned how I felt that although the competition between students was not a large factor, I do think that some schools within Cornell do feel more justified to be here and at times talk down to other schools or devalue students in other schools because of their large workload. I find this troubling, as this creates an even larger pressure on those students who may feel that they aren’t “doing enough” to be here or that their major is not a “real” major because it is perceived as being easier than computer science. I think the culture is the largest factor, as several people agreed that even getting the least hours of sleep is something to be proud of because it shows that one is dedicated and a hard worker. I think it’s important that we make a strenuous effort to refrain from comparing those around us, as it never seems to help anyone.
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I really liked your post, and couldn’t agree more. I’ve been told I’m studying “arts and crafts,” not “arts and sciences” because I’m in A&S. Dismissing an entire school (and entire majors) as easy and not requiring effort is frustrating and contributes to a more toxic Cornell culture. Thank you for sharing!
I see this a lot even from within Arts and Sciences majors. I have a lot of friends who are bio majors and they are so hard on themselves even when they’re already doing so much. It’s so easy to forget that we are already working at an Ivy League calibre. Like I once told my roommate: if there’s anywhere you wanna fail a class and disappoint your parents, it’s at an Ivy League university.
As a competitive student at a competitive college, I definitely find it easy to fall into the pit of continuous comparisons to those around me. I completely resonate with your concern of the toxic culture of feeling one major is “more difficult” than another, and I feel like it’s a conversation that should be addressed more within our community. There have been times where people have high-fived me solely because I told them my major or college, with a look of approval and for achieving a similar status as themselves. I find this somewhat ridiculous since we are all here to learn more about the subject for which we are passionate, and it is important to take a step back to acknowledge the toxicity that unknowingly seeps into our everyday conversations.