In today’s job market, you need to stand out from the crowd to land that dream job. One way to do that is by pursuing a double major in college. But should you double major? In general, a double major is a secondary field of study that builds on your primary degree. You can have multiple majors from the same department or different departments. Each of these majors has its own set of pros and cons. Let’s take a closer look at whether a double major is worth it for you.
Is A Double Major Worth It?
It depends on what kind of major you want to double and what kind of program you are studying in. If you are studying a more scientific subject, such as math, statistics, or computer science, a double major won’t have much effect on your grades.
How To Pick The Right Majors For Your Double Major?
Research the Degree Requirements
You might want to double major in psychology and business. However, you need to make sure that the two majors are actually available as majors at your school. You can find out the requirements for your desired majors via your school’s official website. If a degree sounds interesting to you but it’s not available as a major, you can talk to your advisor about creating a new major. However, be prepared to submit a proposal explaining why a degree in your field of interest would be beneficial to other majors and to the school as a whole.
Assess your skills and interests
You may be tempted to pick majors based on your strengths or desired career path right off the bat. While this is a great idea, you also need to consider your interests and passions when choosing majors. You are likely to find yourself more engaged in classes that you love. If you’re not sure what your strengths and interests are, there are several online quizzes and other tools available to help you figure it out. Your school’s career services office may also have some useful tools.
Find out what majors are compatible
While you should definitely consider your strengths and interests, you also need to make sure that the two majors you choose are compatible. After all, if you major in psychology and microbiology, you’re likely to run into trouble when you look for jobs or apply to grad school. For example, if you major in psychology and microbiology, you’d likely end up with a lot of coursework that overlaps. You may also run into issues when it comes to finding an advisor. You’re likely to run into issues if you major in psychology and microbiology because most advisors in psychology aren’t qualified to advise students in microbiology.
Check for Other Major Requirements
You also need to make sure that the majors you choose have the necessary prerequisite courses. If one of your majors has a prerequisite that the other major doesn’t have, you’re in trouble. You may be able to get around this by taking extra courses. However, this may extend your graduation date and add to the cost of your education. Alternatively, you may be able to talk to your advisor about combining the two majors.
Decide on Your Order of Major Choice
You need to put a lot of thought into how you order the majors. When you double major, you need to graduate with two degrees. This means that you have twice as much coursework and other responsibilities to juggle. Because of this, it’s best to major in the subject that you’re most interested in first. You can then move onto the second major while you’re still in school. Because there’s so much time and energy involved in double majoring, it’s best to tackle the major that has the most coursework first. You can then use the extra time and energy to manage the second major. If you’re not sure what order is best for you, ask your advisor for advice.
Make a Game Plan for Internships and Extra-Curricular Activities
If you want to graduate with two degrees in four years, you need to make a game plan for how to manage your time and energy. You’ll likely have more classwork to manage with your double major. This means that you’ll probably need to cut back on the number of internships and other extra-curricular activities that you participate in. You may find that you need to choose one or two activities that really matter to you. However, you may also want to consider balancing your time between several activities. You can then use your extra time to manage your coursework as best you can.
Why You Should Double Major?
- You have more opportunities to do more things. If you have only one degree, you’re limited to a few careers that require a college degree. If you have two degrees, you can choose from the world’s most interesting and lucrative careers.
- You can make more money. If you double major, your total earnings will be twice as much as if you had only one major at the same level of education (assuming the same level of skills).
- You are more likely to be promoted. If you double major, you’re more likely to get a promotion than if you only have one major.
- You can do more things. If you have only one degree, your career options are limited. If you have two degrees, you can take on jobs that require higher levels of education (such as a Ph.D.).
Why You Shouldn’t Double Major?
- You will not have enough time to do both majors.
- It seems like you are wasting your time in college.
- It is a waste of money since you can not get a job after graduating from college with a double major.
- You will have to choose between your majors in the future, which might be hard to do if you decide to switch majors later on in life.
- You might end up switching majors later on in life and regret it if you spend all your time on one major and then switch it later on in life because of a new career opportunity or reason for switching majors altogether.
Disadvantages Of Double Majors
- The student has to take too many classes.
- It is not easy to get into a good college because of the competition.
- The student should be able to spend a lot of time on homework and studying for the tests.
- The student should be able to take the exams frequently because of the limited time for each test.
- It is not possible for a student to get a good job after graduation because of lack of experience and work experience after graduation in this kind of major.
Advantages Of Double Majors
- More course selection
- You can take more classes than you can with a major alone, which gives you a greater opportunity to explore your interests
- Double majors are easier to plan for because you only have to decide on one major and then take the necessary coursework for that major. You don’t have to worry about choosing a minor or what classes you will be taking in order to complete any of your requirements for the second major.
- You have more options when it comes to jobs, internships, and graduate schools because of the breadth of knowledge gained from double majors
- Double majors do not require as many courses as a double minor does (only three courses instead of four)
Conclusion
In today’s job market, you need to stand out from the crowd to land that dream job. One way to do that is by pursuing a double major in college. Double majors are a great way to expand your skill set and break into new fields. What’s more, a double major is an excellent way to tailor your undergraduate degree to suit your professional and academic interests. Whether you’re uncertain about your future career path or you’re in a highly specialized field, a double major can help you break into new fields while strengthening your overall degree.
