The HUMSS strand is frequently viewed as the easiest academic strand since the specialized subjects we take seems to be easy. However, not having any Math or Science subjects does not automatically mean that it's easy. As a student of the HUMSS strand, being told as "HUMSS ka lang" is really annoying because trust me our strand is not a piece of cake like what you're thinking.
Allow me to ironically enumerate reasons why HUMSS is the best strand.
1. We write A LOT
Essay there, essay here, essay everywhere! Our writing skill needs to be in shipshape to meet the standards or rubric of the teacher. By writing a bunch of essays, we improve both our grammar and reasoning. That is why concept papers to us are just a piece of cake. (just kidding)
Writing cannot go without the unending readings that we are required to read for a certain reaction paper or performance task. This may sound pretty bad but if you looked it at the brighter side, you are being trained by your teachers for the heavier workloads in college. You will also learn to appreciate the beauty of reading journal articles, like what Peter Manicas wrote entitled The Social Science Disciplines: The American Model. It explains how the different social science disciplines reflects the social world.
3. We already know the horrible truth about the problems in the society (too bad)
Every discipline in the Social Science makes us socially aware in different aspects. For example, Political Science teaches us about the different branches of the government and the different ideologies. Pol Sci also requires us to be familiar and updated with the current conditions of the government.
4. THERE ARE SO MANY TERMS (literally)
From names, to dates, and to concepts; HUMSS got it all for you. It may be difficult to remember all these terms all together, but learning and understanding them is what keeps me interested in the subject. It is cool how these terms and names show up not only in the field of Social Science but also in Science or Math. Like in Anthropology, specifically Physical Anthropology, we learned about Charles Darwin who was also mentioned in our Science classes.
5. We can travel back time⏤ well not literally.
History may seem to be the most boring subject, but trust me it ain't. Learning about the things that happened in the past is really interesting, well for me at least. Studying the past makes us appreciative of what we have in the present #hugot.
6. When you thought you've dodged math, well think again.
Some of the HUMSS students chose this strand because of the fact that there is no additional Math subject, unlike STEM or ABM. Economics is here to ruin that assumption! Actually not really, we only learn about the fundamentals of Econ and not the computation side of it in HUMSS. However if you want to pursue Econ someday, be prepared for the Math.
7. Researching is INEVITABLE
Since we need to write a lot of essays and I already mentioned that we read a lot, those two facts implies that we HUMSS students are required to do research intensively. Journal articles are becoming our new bffs and google scholar is bæ. Tiring as it may seem, but I know it's just a way for prepping us for more research in the near future. (and my researching skills are getting better and better by the minute)
8. It's really tiring to be time travelers and teleporters at the same time (LOL)
History may turn us back in time, but Archaeology and Geology takes us onto an unending journey. Being able to learn about different cultures without even interacting with them personally is really fascinating. We get to understand their different beliefs and traditions, which for me is the best part of it.
9. The last and probably my favorite reason of all: we know your deepest secrets (i'm exaggerating, relax)
The principles of Sociology and Psychology equips us HUMSS students with the capabilities of seeing people through different lenses. The theories that we learn makes us understand each and everyone better. Like the Rational Choice Theory, that tells us that people choose those that will benefit them the most. This reason is my favorite since Psychology is the field I am most inclined to, that is why learning all of these theories gets me all excited to learn more.
