The beginning of an academic year can be quite overwhelming. For some students, the fresh start of the semester means deciding whether or not they should pursue more than one major or if choosing a minor can help them break more easily into the job market. At times you may find yourself at a crossroads when choosing both a major/minor. The question that you probably ask yourself is: where do I need to go and where I want to go.
If you ask me, being a communications major has been challenging. Especially because of the constant reminder I get whenever I hear comments about how hard it is to get a job in the industry. “So what are you really going to do after you graduate?” or some less subtle: “You know you are not going to find any jobs in what you are studying?”
As a college guru my advice is: choose a minor. This way you can transfer from one career to another without worrying so much about not finding a job in what you majored in. If you make the perfect combination of a major/minor, you will find yourself in the situation where if one career doesn’t pan out, the other probably will. You have to keep your options open.
[ pagebreak ]
There are some major benefits in having minors. If you don’t want to sacrifice what you want to study, for what is in high demand, minors are a great way to get the best of both worlds. Minors can also complement your degree, heightened your skills, and double your chances of getting a job. Here are a few great major/minor combinations for each department:
1. Biology/Psychology
Some people may think that the pathway of becoming a doctor is hard enough, but adding another form of science can, not only boost your knowledge of other aspects of the human condition, but actually help you get into medical school. According to an article published in the New York Times, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/the-changing-face-of-medical-school-admissions/?_r=0, medical schools are adapting more holistic views and giving more importance to social sciences and humanities. Doctors are always going to be in high demand, it’s not an easy profession to take on. Studying something in like: sociology or psychology, can help you develop an understanding of the human psyche and the tact you are going to need whilst dealing with your patient.
2. Architecture/Art history
“However art and architecture do actually go hand in hand because when you think about it the truth is that architecture requires as much of aesthetics and designing sense as any piece of art would,” stated an article in the education blog artstraning.com http://www.artstraining.com/art-and-architecture/how-much-of-architecture-is-art.html. To better understand what you are creating, it’s important you study where it essentially came from.An art history minor will help you interpret and evaluate every type of visual art. By Minoring in art history and studying its evolution, it can give you a new outlook on your designs and help develop your creativity. Art history inherently helps us understand our society and what it has created, the combination could help develop your perspective into where its headed.
3. Journalism/Finance
What we are constantly reminded in journalism is how hard it is to get a job, that is why the more specific you get the better. It’s always better to specialize from the get-go at ambiguous careers like journalism or law, so when you graduate you’ll have better knowledge of wherever you want to work. “With a career as competitive as journalism, specialization isn’t just a good idea, it’s pretty much mandatory. The great thing about business journalism, is that it is not only very marketable, it’s actually incredibly interesting,” stated an article in the online magazine www.journalismdegree.com. Plus, most journalist like The former BBC’s economics editor, Evan Davis and personal finance journalist, Jasmine Birtles criticize the lack of business knowledge of journalist reporting on economic issues.
4. Literature/Education
If you got into literature, chances are your love for the written word inspired you to become a novelist or at least a professor. Why not both? And while you’re at it, minoring in education can get you a bigger paycheck according to an article published in The New York Times: “They [teachers] pointed out that pay and promotion in public schools were tied to the accumulation of such credentials and credits, specifically from colleges of education.” So you can teach about the great american novel, while writing your own. The more degrees, the better. Also, with the current education system gone awry, teachers are in high demand.
5. Anything/ Foreign Language
Most universities require humanities students to take a ton of foreign language courses, but it isn’t the only department that can benefit from acquiring an extra language. Studying a foreign language can bring many benefits like: studying abroad, chances of international travel in your job, and a variety of rare job opportunities. As stated in the the Class College of Liberal Arts and Social Science of Youngstown University’s website http://web.ysu.edu/gen/class/Why_MajorMinor_in_a_Foreign_Language_m943.html, 85.8% of students who majored/minored in a foreign language were employed. Also, your chances of getting hired skyrocket, because according to YSU companies are looking for cultured people: “In a 2003 survey of US firms, 80% of firms said their sales would increase if their staff had more international experience.”
And if none of them suit you: Go with your gut! Don’t study something where you have to take classes you hate, or at least combine it with a minor with fun and interesting classes. Getting a double degree on anything will always give you an advantage. The more you know, the better.
*The pictures were taken from:
dnews.us