Walking back from Spanish today, one of my roommates turned to me and said, “You know, you might as well minor or double major in Spanish. You’re already part-way there.” This suggestion was met with a grimace as I mumbled something like, “Ew, Spanish.” What she suggested is not uncommon: nearly everyone I go to school with seems infatuated with the idea of double-majoring, minoring, or more to tack extra credentials on to their resume. Whether they do this for the tiny asterisk proudly accentuating their name in the graduation program or because it sounds accomplished, I disagree with it. Here are some reasons why suffering through the required coursework for extra majors and minors may not be worth the stress.
1. It Makes for a Less Balanced Education
While you may appear to be better educated if you have a double major and a minor, you are actually getting a less balanced education. By concentrating your education in a few specific fields, you sacrifice your ability to learn a wide variety of other fields that may hold your interest. Particularly if you attend a liberal arts school, your education should not be narrow and deep; that is what business school or graduate school is for. Liberal arts schools are for those who do not know their exact career path yet or who want to learn a little more about everything. And let’s face it: at age 19 or 20, our future is wide open, and the career options out there are constantly changing. And that’s perfectly okay. Taking a broader range of classes will give you a better idea of what you are interested in and of where your strengths lie, and will prepare you for whatever the future brings. Going into college with multiple declared majors and/or minors leaves less room for experimentation or for the option to change your mind.
2. There is No Room for “Fun Classes”
As much as I believe that extra majors are overrated, I believe “fun” classes are underrated. What is that one class when scrolling through the course book you think, That sounds so ridiculous, I want to take that! or I wish I had room in my schedule for this! or What on earth is “Studying Disney Movies” and why have I not taken this yet?! These classes are what my dad calls “basket weaving” courses, or courses that do not appear to help you in any way. However, these seemingly useless classes are not always impractical. You could find that one of these classes has a gifted professor who inspires you, or a fascinating curriculum. This could be the one class that gives you the energy to drag yourself out of bed, coffee in tow, at 8:30 in the morning because you are honestly curious what you will learn about Belle’s character in Beauty and the Beast, or the one class that keeps you optimistic while your other courses drown you in work. Do not be afraid to enroll in classes that interest you, even if for no other reason. Taking things that you’re interested in is part of the fun of learning and of college. Do not lose that love of learning because you are only focusing on what you think you should be doing!
3. It May Hurt Your Grades
While our culture has ingrained in us that more is always better, this is not always the case. If double-majoring in Women’s Studies and Economics hurts your GPA because those upper-level Economics classes that you were so sure would pad your pathway to the perfect job were too hard for you, maybe single-majoring in Women’s Studies would have been a better path. A higher GPA with a single major may impress your future interviewers more than a double major with a low GPA. Ultimately, when looking at your credentials, employers value GPA, and although the equation may be delicate, you should consider the impact of especially difficult majors and minors on your GPA, especially if you are planning to stack up majors.
4. It May Hinder Your College Experience!
Finally, although this is cliché, there is a reason that parents tell us that this is the best four years of our lives, right? It may seem appealing to double major in Chemistry and Biology and minor in Chinese—and I am sure that some of you are perfectly capable of handling this—but for many of us, this course load would result in frequent all-nighters, Red Bulls splayed before us to force open our drooping eyes, stress-eating brownies from the pan, and an inability to relax and watch a Modern Family rerun with our roommates or to go out on a Saturday night or to join a club that we may be interested in. While of course academics are important, don’t forget the legendary college experience that you have seen glamorized on so many television shows and heard fondly recollected by your misty-eyed grandfather. These years are now, and it is up to you to enjoy them.