One of the first things I get when I tell people my major(s) is, “Oh, that’s an interesting combination.” I can almost sense the confusion or shock behind their voices. After all, it’s not often you get to hear someone introduce themselves as an English and Chemistry major. Although it might seem like an unexpected combination, people I’m acquainted with understand how perfectly these majors encapsulate my personality. I’ve always been a lover of both the arts and the sciences, and these majors allow me to express and explore my love for both fields.
Believe it or not, I didn’t start off college as a double major. Instead, I was a biology major with a minor in Chemistry. When I took an English elective class my freshman year, I fell in love with it and decided to add English as another minor. However, it wasn’t until the start of my sophomore year when I found out about the possibility of double majoring. The Chemistry Department and the English Department were under the College of Arts and Sciences at the time, and after much contemplation, I signed the form to officially switch my majors to English and Chemistry.
I’ll admit, it was scary making the switch. As a person who loved planning my future, I was thrown off by the fact that my dream plan didn’t include a major switch, let alone two majors. However, when I switched majors, I felt like a spark had finally been lit inside of me, and that I was suddenly looking forward to enrolling in future classes.
With that being said, my first semester as a double major was definitely one to remember. I was taking the infamous Organic Chemistry class and lab, together with classes such as American Literature and the History of the English Language. When my classmates in Organic Chemistry were complaining about chiral bonds, I would be worried about the 8-page paper that would be due in a week, and vice versa. It was one of the hardest semesters ever, as most college students would say about almost every semester, but I didn’t give up. One of the few things that kept me pushing was the little moments while I was taking these classes. These included getting great feedback from a discussion post I’d made or finally passing an Organic Chemistry test. These moments reaffirmed my love for both the arts and the sciences and made me believe that I could do well in both.
The first semester as a double major truly pushed me to grow as not just a person, but as a student as well. It gave me the chance to strengthen my discipline skills and understand the sacrifices I was making to pursue what I love would benefit me one day. Right now, I can confidently say that double majoring is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my college career. College is the time to discover your passions and who you are as a person, and doing so was what led me to decide to double major. With my majors particularly, it has allowed me to understand the importance of not just the arts and the sciences, but the importance of arts in science. I believe the creativity I tap into during my English classes and the analytical mindset I adopt during my science classes will allow me to grow into a well-rounded individual with the potential to impact the world I live in.