When I first started college, I was set on being an architect. I worked on that degree for three semesters before realizing it wasn’t for me. So then I tried marketing, and I hated it. I ended up transferring schools and had planned on being a mass media major. When I had my transfer-student orientation, I began to consider what double majoring would be like and by the end of the day, I had decided to do it. So here I am, almost two semesters through of double majoring in mass media and english studies. Like anything, it has its pros and cons.
One of the biggest pros for double majoring is that is looks great on a resume. Having two bachelor’s degrees in two different fields gives you experience and education that other people don’t have. When employers see the degrees you have received, it can up your game. Another pro is that you learn so much more. I have always enjoyed learning and believe that we should never be finished with it. Through my mass media classes I have learned a lot about how to write for audiences, how to deal with public relations, how to write and edit in AP style and more. In my english classes I have gotten to work on writing poems, short stories, reading and analyzing novels and even learning how to read and write using the International Phonetic Alphabet. It is so cool being able to take different types of classes so you aren’t just focusing on one subject all the time. One final pro is that you can do almost anything with two degrees. While I am planning on getting my degrees to get into publishing, I am not worried that I might change my mind or not enjoy it because having two degrees lets me have wiggle room, especially my mass media degree. Down the road I know that no matter what happens, having two degrees will give me options.
There are only a couple cons to double majoring. The first is the workload. While you may only be taking the same amount of credits as someone who is working on one degree, it still piles up. There have been many nights where I have been up late writing papers for both mass media classes and english classes, and then having to read a ton of textbook pages for both. When you aren’t focusing on just one degree it can be hard to switch gears between the two. Time management is key when it comes to double majoring, making sure you are working equally as hard on both degrees is vital for success, don’t let one be pushed to the backburner. The other con to working on two degrees is that it takes longer. Even if you take summer classes and 16+ credits every semester, there is a high chance that you will have to take either an extra semester or year to finish them both up. If you are like me, you don’t mind that it will take longer because even though being a broke college student who is stressed all the time isn’t fun, neither is being an adult, and that is something that I am not ready for. Once you are out of college your life will likely just revolve around working until you die and that is something I don’t mind pushing off for a couple years.
While double majoring has its negatives, there are tons of great benefits from it. If you are considering picking up a second degree, I would recommend it because you will learn a ton and it will help you out in the long run!