Picking a major and minor is, honestly, terrifying if you don’t know what you want to do in your life after college. Students choose majors and minors that are based on what will earn them the most money, what they are good at, or what they are passionate about. I’ve found, over my three years here at Santa Clara University, that most (but not all) people pick and choose a field of study in either the arts or the sciences based on that criteria and run with it. It makes sense, keeping your studies so focused. However, for me, I have passions that dip into both disciplines. That is why I am pursuing an English major with a public health science minor here at Santa Clara.
There are a few pros and cons to interdisciplinary studies in your college career.
Pro: You have access to a lot of different people. In other words, you will be taking many courses in both the arts and sciences, and therefore, you will develop relationships with most of your professors. In my experience, I’ve learned a lot of different things from both my published professors in the English department as well as my accomplished professors in the public health department.
Con: It is sometimes a bit of a difficult transition from writing a research paper or piece of fiction to calculating chemistry or math problems.
Pro: One the best parts of interdisciplinary studies is that you receive a rounded education. You have so many options (especially in terms of electives) to take classes that expose you to new parts of either the scientific or artistic world.
Con: If you know what you want to do, then it would probably benefit you for your studies to be more focused. Because we are limited in our time, as students, it may help you to choose a more focused approach. For example, it would probably benefit you to study only science if you want to go to medical school.
So would I recommend it? Absolutely. If you know that you love something in the sciences, but are also really passionate about something in the arts, pursue it. It can only help you develop your skills, round your studies, and make you an adaptable student.