Fall semester always goes by rather quickly. Most people don’t realize it, but as we get into the second week of October, we are already approaching the halfway point of the semester. This means something different for everyone, depending on where a person might be in his or her academic career.
For those thinking about double-majoring, minoring, or some combination of the two, here are some things to keep in mind when making your decision:
Think realistically. Don’t bite off more than you think you can chew. I made the mistake of thinking I could major in Communication and double minor in two languages, but I was only thinking in technical terms and did not factor in the potential difficulty of the coursework.
Set a realistic time frame. When would you like to finish? Or better yet, what is the longest you would be willing to stay in order to complete your education? If you’re not willing to stay longer than the traditional four years, you need to keep that in mind as you set up your academic plan.
Plan ahead. One thing that really helped me relax through my four years in college was to plan what courses I was going to take during my freshman year. I found that it’s easier to edit your plan as you go rather than having to constantly create a new plan of action every year or every semester.
Some of you may be interested in changing your track, but sometimes that realization may have come about a bit “too late.” Funny enough, I recently found myself stuck in this scenario. While I personally find graduate school to be an appealing solution to my problem, since I would rather not spend another four years in undergraduate education, I also know that it’s not something everyone is enthusiastic about pursuing.
Be sure to talk to your academic advisors to get some advice. If in the case it turns out there is a window of opportunity, don’t hesitate and take steps to make the necessary changes. For those who want to avoid graduate school, this would probably be your best option.
Regardless of your situation, I don’t think that you should ever give up hope or think that you have run out of options. I think that one of the best things about our country and its educational system is that so long as you are willing to put forth the effort, you more than likely be able to pull through any situation. Remember the saying, where there is a will, there’s a way!
Until next time, ladies!