Cole
Should I double major to give myself more options, or should I save time and stress?
I am a very hard worker and will do anything to get my work or job done however, I am also a person to get very overwhelmed and stressed out because of it. Would double majoring be worth my time and stress or should I try to stick to one major?
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3 answers
Katie Corrigan
Katie’s Answer
Hi Cole!
I actually struggled with the same question my sophomore year of college and the best advice I was given was to consider how much interest I had in the second major. I was planning on double majoring in accounting and math because I thought that would help me stand out on my resume and impress employers. I took a couple of semesters doing both majors and spent the time extremely stressed out and overwhelmed. Now, my problem rooted in my motivation for double majoring. I did not truly have an interest in majoring in math and thus my work was a challenge and more of a chore. If however, it is a subject that really does interest you and you would really love learning more about then definitely go for it and double major.
One comment that really stuck with me and finalized my decision was from a professor who said that college was best spent taking classes that interested you. Whether you double major or not, you end up taking the (about) the same actual number of classes but if you double major you are restricted to the majors you chose. I ended up not double majoring but did graduate taking a class in every discipline. Personally, I think this was the best use of my time as it gave me different perspectives and allowed me to have a broader knowledge. I am now employed and think that my time developing different ways of thinking and perspectives in these classes outside of my major has helped me to think differently and critically about things that come up at work and work to solve problems in different ways.
My advice overall is to study what you are interested in. If you are truly interested in both of these majors then double majoring is definitely the best use of your time. However, if not, take classes outside of your major and work on developing your critical thinking and analytical skills in these classes. You never know when a random fact learned in a philosophy class might come in handy.
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Tim Ruder
Tim’s Answer
Cole -
Double majoring will undoubtedly involve taking more classes, but depending on the college you're attending and the majors you are considering, that additional work is not always substantial. If you decide to pursue two majors within the same school (e.g Accounting and Finance within the business school), the introductory courses will overlap and the only additional courses you will need to take to double major would be the upper level courses.
Your answer is great Tim, thanks so much for sharing your expertise! At this moment there are more than 800 unanswered questions so I wanted to encourage you to keep going! So many students will benefit tremendously from hearing from you. Keep up the great work!
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Tracey Jackson
Tracey’s Answer
Some of my friend double majored and other did a major and a minor. If you are concerned about being overwhelmed, you may want to choose the Major/Minor route. There is a bit more work and dedication involved to double major. For the most it may take five years instead of the traditional four years to finish a undergraduate degree. I would see how handling coursework during freshman year is before deciding to double major.
Double majoring may mean you have to attend summer school to pick up those extra classes for each major. You also have to consider that there maybe that one class that is difficult and may consume a lot of your time.
Don't stress about double majoring right away. Give yourself time to see how you will handle the extra course load then make a reasonable plan of action.
Okay, thank you so much
Cole