Every year, the constants of the Stanford experience roll around like the changing of the seasons; a capella groups tour dorms, people streak Full Moon on the Quad and the freshman class inevitably complains about having to take IHUM, PWR and GERs. Of all the predictable happenings on the Farm, however, this last one seems to be the most unnecessary.

The excuses and complaints are nothing new; the administration and the upperclassmen hear them every year: “I’m a great writer, why should I have to take PWR?” “IHUM is a waste of time, I don’t learn anything,” “This engineering GER is stupid — I’m a history guy and I’m never going to build skyscrapers,” ad infinitum.

We’ve all been there — it’s almost a rite of passage to complain about all the classes required for a freshman, but it’s a tradition that we would do well to discard. First, there is a clear distinction between criticism and complaints. The current academic schedule, especially for freshman, is far from perfect. Criticism, therefore, is not only welcome but necessary in order to contribute to the continual evolution of academic programs into ever more beneficial academic tools. There is, however, a big difference between constructive feedback and the entitlement complex of many Stanford freshmen. Unfortunately, the latter seems to have become the norm.

It’s easy to understand where the self-importance and arrogance comes from. We, members of the Stanford student body, all share similar stories: we are successful, intelligent and hard-working people — that has a lot to do with why we’re here. We’ve invented machines, written books, won Olympic medals and climbed mountains. However, what we as a student body and as individuals need to do is add a little humility to that list of qualities and achievements.

No class that you take at Stanford is going to make you dumber or eliminate knowledge. You are not going to come out of PWR a worse writer than you go in, you will not come out of IHUM with worse critical analytical skills than before and you certainly won’t come out of an introductory physics or ethics course understanding less about the subject at hand.

No, the classes are not perfect and yes, students should provide input and feedback both to their professors and the directors of the respective programs. Complaining about the uselessness of the course, however, aggravates and disrespects not only the professor and the institution but also fellow classmates who may actually be interested or invested in what is being taught.

As Stanford students we need to realize that these systems, programs and requirements exist for a reason. Both PWR and IHUM receive positive feedback from upperclassmen who are a year or two removed from the program. For every underclassman who complains about writing the next critical analysis paper, there is an upperclassman that is thankful he was taught how to do so in the first place.

As smart as Stanford students are, the majority of the people who teach us and manage this University are even smarter, and these individuals believe that the programs such as IHUM and PWR are in our best interest. It’s time we help them in their work to make this University better for everyone rather than spending our time proclaiming our own perceived superiority.