When meeting someone new in college, the conversation follows a universal blueprint. You start by learning their name, find out where they’re from, and finally ask what their major is. As straightforward as it is, I always dread the last question when I have to decide if I want to give them the whole story or keep it brief. Why, you ask? Because I’m a double major, which means I always have to stuff both of my majors together or feel stupid with a long response.
My other double majors will know what I’m talking about, but it’s a small price to pay for a greater reward. I love having two majors for many reasons, especially because it opens so many doors. However, I’ve also learned some hard lessons.
Today, I’m sharing the things that I wish someone would’ve told me before adding a second major. Do I recommend it? Yes, but only if you know exactly what you’re getting into beforehand.
know the requirements
One of the toughest things about double majoring is that each academic path has very specific graduation requirements, sometimes annoyingly so. In fact, I’d encourage you to read that again because I’ve been dealing with the fallout of not doing so. Basically, it’s not just about the number of credits but sometimes where those credits come from.
For example, I double major in English (Editing, Writing, & Media) and Advertising. What I wish I’d realized before signing up for this lifestyle is that both majors require an internship for graduation, and you can’t use the same one to satisfy both requirements. This means I’m scrambling to find not one but two internships and, let me tell you, the struggle is real.
However, this isn’t the case for every major, which is why you should always check what you need to do before signing up. If you can handle two internships, then you’re golden, but if that’s not your cup of tea, then it’s good to find out before getting 120 credits in (not speaking from experience or anything).
map out your goals
This seems obvious at first, but it’s worth looking into before adding another major. Also, these can encompass many different areas, including social life, travel goals, work/life balance, and, of course, academic success.
Personally, I knew that I wanted to study abroad in college, and I was thankfully able to fit that in before starting my higher course classes. In fact, I went above and beyond by doing the First Year Abroad program, which was totally worth it but also full of consequences.
Specifically, it disrupted my other plan to graduate in three years and now I’m playing major catchup. While worth it, studying abroad meant that I’d have to further compress my schedule to graduate on time. I’m content with the choice I made, but if I hadn’t mapped out my goals first, I would’ve felt very stuck.
fact-check your advisor
Don’t get me wrong, I love my advisors (well, one of them) and they’ve helped me out with some massive questions. However, they’ve also led me to make some poor decisions, which I’m still paying for today.
Big advice: If your advisor says not to take two language classes abroad over the summer, ignore every word. They’re way easier abroad. How they teach language at the Tallahassee campus is so bad that it deserves its own article. Anyway, that obviously set me a bit behind. It’s the only thing about my academic journey that I would actually go back and change.
Long story short: Your advisors can be helpful, but take everything they say with at least one grain of salt. They have a lot to remember with how different all the majors are, so some important things may fall through the cracks (like informing you that both of your majors require a unique internship). This forgetfulness can end up being very costly, especially for double majors.
That wraps up my three biggest insights to know before choosing to double-major. However, the most important thing is that you’re passionate about the two majors you pick to study. If the love is there, everything else will fall into place eventually.
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