Twenty credit hours. Nights spent studying later than all of your friends. A million contrasting lectures swirling through your head. All this and more awaits those brave enough to double major.
The decision to double major was not one I came to easily. I predicted that I would have a lot more on my plate than my peers, that my mental health and social life might sometimes suffer, and that sometimes I would simply want to rip my hair out while looking at my to-do list.
And I was right.
I started college as a music major with a journalism minor. As anyone in a Bachelor of Music knows, that degree alone is no easy feat. Trust me when I say that my advisor strongly urged me not to pick up a second major. But, being as stubborn as I am, I didn’t heed her warnings. Once I decided to undertake the seemingly impossible task of upgrading my journalism minor to a journalism major, what started out as an already heavy schedule became damn near insurmountable.
Still, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The opportunity to study both things I love most is one I don’t take for granted. My schedule is undoubtedly packed, but (almost) everything I do is something I love.
But double majoring isn’t for everyone. The sleepless nights and swamped schedules proved worth it for me, but that won’t ring true for all. It’s a decision that should be approached cautiously; you cannot and should not make it until you have all the information available to you. Therefore, I’ve gathered a list of pros and cons to help you determine whether double majoring might be right for you.
Pros of a Double-Major:
You’ll gain a more holistic education — and a broader worldview.
For some, transitioning from high school, where you study a breadth of subjects, to college, where you specialize in a particular area, can feel limiting. Double majoring provides a stronger and broader academic foundation. Particularly if there’s more than one thing you’re passionate about, double majoring can be a great way to make the most of your college career.
Some majors can pair really well.
Check your school’s academic bulletin; the second major you’re considering might have several requirements in common with your primary major. In this case, there’s little at stake. You’re getting a broader degree, and the few courses that aren’t in common can usually count for elective credits.
For example, I attend the University of Miami; our cognates system meant that my journalism major wiped out any and all Humanities gen-eds. Score!
A second major can give you a secondary avenue to success.
If your primary major doesn’t always lead to a competitive job market, a second major can give you a stronger opportunity to secure a career after graduation. Inflation is rising, and job opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce. Having two pathways available to you is a huge advantage.
A double major can make your resume stand out.
When graduate schools or employers see that you’re double-majoring, they learn several things about you: A) You can handle a heavy workload. You can take on more than most. B) You’re multidisciplinary. You have a broader worldview than many of your peers. You can see things in a way they can’t. C) You can multitask. You can commit to multiple things at once, and you can be successful in each of them.
You’ll broaden your network.
College is one of the final stepping stones to your career. In addition to acquiring all the skills necessary to thrive in your field, college is also the time to establish valuable contacts. (By the way, if you don’t already have a LinkedIn up and running, now’s the time.) Building a steady network is vital to your post-college success. It’s how you’ll get your foot in the door. If you’re studying in two different departments, you’ll gain twice the connections — both through professors and through your peers.
Course variety can keep the college experience fresh and engaging.
Even if you’re studying something you love, it’s easy to get burnt out if it’s all you’re studying. Having differentiation in your schedule can keep the college experience exciting. It can bring you back to your primary major’s courses with new perspectives and a renewed flame.
When I first started music school, it was a strange feeling having my passion suddenly become my work. There was little balance. Adding journalism found me a second passion, and now I come into each course for each major feeling refreshed and excited to learn and grow.
Cons:
The course load will be heavy.
Even if you’re not in two particularly challenging majors, the amount of work alone can be a lot. When people say a double major is double the work, that’s not entirely true — but you’ll still be doing a fair amount more work than the average college student. If you’re not careful, you might spread yourself too thin academically, and your grades may suffer.
If your grades drop, many of the pros mentioned earlier become null and void. A double major won’t matter to a graduate program if you couldn’t maintain a strong GPA alongside it.
You might end up spending an extra semester — or even an additional year — in college.
This isn’t the case for everyone, and it usually depends on the pairing. Two loaded majors sometimes simply add up to too many credits than can be done in eight semesters. Beyond timing concerns, it is also essential to understand that staying for longer than four years will likely lead to financial strain. Also, consider that school-funded scholarships are sometimes only renewable for a maximum of four years.
It’ll be harder to study abroad.
If studying abroad is something you genuinely want to do, it’s essential to discuss your long-term goals with your advisor. They may tell you that double-majoring and studying abroad simply cannot be done. Oftentimes in college, unfortunately, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
Before deciding, know that studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should be strongly analyzed before deciding to give it up — especially if it’s something you’ve always hoped to do.
You’ll have less free time.
The point of college is to learn, but it’s not the only aspect. Over-scheduling yourself academically can limit your availability for social events or extracurriculars. Be prepared to say no to a frat party here and there because you have seven upcoming midterms.
Moreover, if one major is particularly difficult or exclusive, scheduling conflicts might come into play. The truth of the matter is that some majors simply can’t be matched. For example, biochemistry and viola performance are an unlikely pair. Due to out-of-class requirements (e.x, labs and concerts), the chance of all courses being available right at the times you need them is slim to none.
You run the risk of being a jack of all trades, master of none.
While diversifying your education is great, you’re typically going to end up stronger in one major than the other. If you’re not careful, you might end up being mediocre in both rather than truly thriving in one.
Particularly in two creative majors, I often have to recenter artistically to ensure my creativity doesn’t suffer. Sometimes singing just to sing or writing creative fiction can bring me back into my own, but I still have the constant fear of losing my credibility in either major by spreading myself too thin.
In Conclusion
All in all, double majoring can introduce you to new ideas and even new career paths. It can make you more marketable post-graduation. Being a double major can broaden your horizons. College is the time to explore what you want the rest of your life to look like, and double majoring will give you the opportunity to explore more paths than just the one.
On the contrary, double majoring can eat up time you don’t always have, money you can’t always spend and mental wellbeing you can’t always afford to sacrifice.
Make the decision wisely. Talk to your professors and advisor. Review major requirements and learn how adding a major might affect your degree progress.
Most importantly, evaluate what is most important to you. Once you figure that out, the other piece of the puzzle will come easily.
