Tayler
Is it possible to double major your freshman year of college and not be overworked?
I have been thinking about double majoring in computer science and accounting my freshman year of college, but a few colleges I have looked into say they do not allow computer science majors to double major. The college I have chosen will allow it, however, I do not want to put my health at risk. #computerscience #accounting #doublemajor
4 answers
Julianna Lyle
Julianna’s Answer
If you think you might want to double major, it's better to start planning that way as early as possible, so picking your freshman classes with both majors in mind is ideal. But double majoring will affect all of your time at college, not just your freshman year. In fact, your freshman (and possibly sophomore years) likely won't be that affected by double majoring because you'll be taking your Gen Ed classes which should apply to both majors. It's your later years that you'll be overworked. I'd planned on double-majoring and was committed to doing so my freshman year until halfway through my junior year. By that time, I was getting into intense major-specific classes in both majors and was way too overworked and decided to drop one down to a minor. But if you're interested, you should start pursuing both majors as early as possible. It's very hard to suddenly double major during your later years at college unless you're willing to stay an extra semester or two; it's hard to adjust your schedule to take introductory classes in your second major when you're far into your first (classes fill up or are only offered every other semester etc). So if you think you might be able to pull off double majoring, commit to doing so your freshman year and be prepared to have a very heavy course load in your later years.
Austin L.
Austin’s Answer
Hi Tayler,
Great question. So short answer is yes, it is totally possible to have a double major freshman year and not be overworked and maintain your health. That being said, it will be harder than having a single major and you will be working harder and longer. Given that many of the schools that you are looking at do not allow computer science majors to have two majors, that is probably the case for a reason. If you are interested in both accounting and CS, major in one and minor in the other. If you are able to handle the course load and you think you will be able to do a double major, then declare the minor as your major sophomore year. You do not have to decide now what exactly you want to do, you still have time during college to figure everything out. You don't want to dive right in thinking you can double major only to find out that it's too hard and drop a major, that would not be good. Since there is no rush, take this slow and have one major and one minor; after you have grown comfortable with this situation then you can evaluate your options and make a decision during your sophomore year of college.
I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!
Best,
Austin
This is very helpful, Austin. I did accounting undergrad then switched to IT ( a branch of computer science) for my masters. The workload can be hectic if double majoring in Computer Science and accounting. You can narrow your option to Accounting Information Systems as a major/ minor or stick to computer science in college with the goal of earning a masters in business administration (MBA) at graduate level.
Joshua T.N M.S, MBA
Allison C
Allison’s Answer
In deciding whether to double major, I would recommend reaching out to an advisor or mentor at your college. They should be well versed in the specific requirements for your major(s). I would also create a plan over your college career to determine when you will take all of your required courses. With the full schedule, you will have more information to be able to decide whether this is feasible for you, while allowing you to sustain the balance you want/need in your life.
