Liberal arts majors get a lot of flak for having an easier time in college and being a bunch of hippie idealists, but the skills one learns in a liberal arts major transcends the limitations of liberal arts careers, making it more beneficial to students than a “real” degree.

In a brochure by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, “93 percent of employers agree that candidates’ demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major.” This makes liberal arts majors perfect job candidates since they tend to learn way more “soft skills” than their STEM peers.

While most liberal arts majors get ribbed for living in a dream world and not having realistic job expectations when they graduate, they learn a host of skills that are applicable in every field. English majors will spend thousands of hours picking apart literature and focusing on the meanings behind a single sentence which can seem useless to some, but it readies students to look at how information is communicated. This is important because even the most technologically-advanced companies need a way to communicate how a product works.

Studying geography can seem mundane to some: mountains and rivers anyone? But it’s actually very useful in political circles because geography hugely impacts politics and trade. Not only that, but geography has to do with why some nations have been able to advance and accumulate more resources, wealth, and power than others. So the connections that studying geography makes can intertwine with many other types of careers.

History majors get a bad rap for only being concerned with the past. But in studying history, one learns about the importance of social and political influences, about what could make or break a nation, and the power of the public to force change. There’s a saying that goes, “those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it”. History can be cyclical in nature, and by studying the influences of religion, social inequality, and politics on society, it allows us to create new futures. This makes history majors perhaps somewhat better than others at forecasting a situation. Based on past events, they can make an educated prediction of what may come. I could see this being very helpful in the financial sector.

Perhaps more than any other major, communication students get bombarded with insults of “taking the easy way out”. But there are so many people that struggle with conveying information or making connections in careers where that is a critical skill. Communications majors may seem to some like they just want an easy A, but there’s a lot of work that goes into it. Communication is a keystone of any career and while it may seem like their opportunities are restricted to certain fields, communication majors could go anywhere and do anything with what they know.

Liberal arts majors work just as hard as students with any other major, they just have a different set of skills. Their abilities to think critically, creatively problem-solve and effectively communicate make them great candidates in any field. The skills that they learn can be utilized in any career and they shouldn’t be underestimated.