This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.
College is the place to do a lot of things: let loose, find yourself, and more importantly, figure out answers to some very important questions before entering the workforce and leaving the sweet nurturing wing that is college. Junior year is one of those crucial years. In high school, it was about SATs and visiting colleges. Now, the decisions are far more serious and scary. Don’t worry though; college has prepared you for these questions.
1. Double Major or Minor?
Double majoring is often pushed to the side because of the extra workload, but all those information sessions with advising the past 2 years should have prepared you for this crucial decision of double majoring or minoring. This is important because it will affect course load for senior year and how many electives you can take on the side. This may not seem like a big deal now, but it will probably feel like the end of the world taking several 400 level courses the last semester of college, while sending out job applications and worrying about real life.
Another component of this decision is concentration and even the type of degree. For example, I had to decide whether or not I wanted a BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts) or a regular BA (Bachelor in Arts). With the BFA I have to take extra courses and pick a concentration from there, which is a requirement of most majors. The important thing to remember in this decision is that nothing in life is set in stone according to this decision, but there should be thought put into the final product. If it feels right for you right now, go for it. Just don’t freak out if you change your views when you graduate. It happens to the best of us.
2. Live off campus?
Many times, this seems like a very practical and easy decision to come to, but there are serious real life applications to this question. If you decide that you are not ready for off-campus life and live on-campus all through college, it will definitely be a new and somewhat scary experience to live in an apartment or house when you do move out of your childhood home. Living off-campus, although a pain and often a scary choice, does prepare people for living alone, or with roommates—particularly as an adult.
If money is an issue however, it may be hard to choose this option or even the on-campus option, depending on the school. It’s all about what works for each person and whether they are ready to take on the responsibility that comes with living off-campus. There is no right or wrong answer.
3. Experience or Savings?
The age-old question: should I work at an internship for experience, or get a job to make money? Since several internships these days are not paid and have little compensation, the decision for summer, and even school year employment has become harder and harder as college students get closer to graduation.
Again, it just depends on the person. There are some people who feel like building a hefty savings account is more important, while others rely on unpaid internships. I guess if you are one of those people who want it both ways, summer is a great time to work for money, while during the school year may be a better time to focus on internships, depending on where you live and where you go to school. There is no right answer, but that’s a decision every upperclassman has to figure out for themselves.
4. Studying Abroad as an Upperclassman?
Some schools have programs for upperclassman to study abroad, which is typically an underclassman thing to do. In these cases, it is another big decision whether or not to go. For some, this is an easy decision because of the opportunities academically and experience wise, but for others, there are several other factors.
For one, upperclassmen have to worry about requirements that are specifically at the school location. This is where double majors or minoring may interfere with other decisions. Another factor is where you plan on working and living after graduation. If the answer is New York, it may not be the smartest decision to go to L.A. a semester before graduation.
5. Grad School?
This is probably the most important question to ask during your junior year. For me, I was determined not to go to graduate school when I came to college. Now a junior, I am searching for the best MFA programs on the east coast. My point is, grad school doesn’t have to be the end game from the beginning for the decision to be there. Look at your options. Fully understand the option before completing dismissing it, as I almost did.
As someone who has made the decision to go to grad school, this is the best piece of advice I can give you: You are not the same person you were freshman year. There is a reason why these decisions are made as an upperclassman and not the first month of college. So take some time to sit down and think about your options and decisions that have to be made. You’ll be happy you did when you have a better idea of what you want out of your future, and even the last year or so of college left. Make it count!