I came into college pursuing biology but never wanted to be a doctor, unlike what felt like 90 percent of my acquaintances. Instead, research — as big and booming a field as it is — appealed to me. My parents raised me to view college as a necessary achievement for stability — a path on which I could be independent and support myself. I didn’t want to hate what I did, and biology, well, it seemed … tolerable.
Until it wasn’t.
I was in my introductory chemistry classes, which provide some for the fundamental prerequisites of the heralded biology major. You know, the psychopaths that make you cross to the other side of the road when you see them because you think — who in their right mind would pursue such a difficult major? And I really hated it.
But then I had a major revelation when I enrolled in my first creative writing course. I loved coming to class and doing assignments that didn’t make my skin crawl. I knew I loved English, but the major didn’t fit the “realistic career” that I had with biology.
Then it struck me. Why not do both?
Best Colleges describes that by declaring two majors, “You’ll get a more well-rounded education and a unique skill set you can use in your career.” By pursuing two areas of interest, students can hone their craft in multiple fields. They don’t have to limit themselves or sacrifice a portion of their educational path for the sake of mastering one subject.
Others argue that dual-majoring is not worth the stress. University of Bridgeport News highlighted the cons of this collegiate path, explaining that “a dual degree is time-consuming, and you may be required to take summer classes.” Additionally, there is a financial variable to be considered — another major will require more coursework, which will cost more money. But these points are shortsighted as they fail to consider modern-day solutions. Schools like Binghamton University allow for payment by semester, providing flexibility to students for whom credit-based payment is problematic. This encourages students to take courses without being deterred by the cost of individual classes. Additionally, wide-ranging financial aid and scholarship opportunities are offered at almost every institution to accommodate the financial stress that educational opportunities like a dual major could present.
Moreover, online institutions offer courses that are affordable and legitimate in terms of transfer credits if a student finds that this works best for them. The University of Phoenix, Strayer University and Southern New Hampshire are just a few of the many that offer online opportunities to earn a bachelor’s degree. The opposition also fails to consider alternate ways students can pursue diverse interests, such as the minor, a method of incorporating a concentration within your degree without the strenuous requirements a second major presents.
After deciding to dual-major, I found myself enjoying the English courses while also taking greater joy in my biology coursework. The moderation made my biology commitments and research goals less of a burden and more of an interest because it was only a facet of my learning. All of my eggs were no longer in the biology basket, so I didn’t feel the stress of pigeonholing myself in the long term.
University of South Florida wrote on the topic, explaining, “By double-majoring, you’ll expand your education because you’ll complete two sets of academic requirements. You can use the skills you learn from your double major courses to help you land internships and jobs.” By expanding their range of expertise, students make themselves more valuable to potential employers. This is true of anyone who is looking for internships, first jobs or even those who want to start a new stage of their professional career.
Because of the variety of qualifications a double-major graduate possesses, they truly do fit the mold of criteria beyond the scope of one primary field of work. “You could find that your double-major makes you a more desirable job applicant.” On the surface, English and biology have seemingly nothing to do with one another. But, their combined range could also work toward an applicant’s advantage, giving them an edge against competitors who lack these unique skills. An English background could help one with writing abstracts, scientific papers and completing other language-based tasks. Or, dual-majoring affords one the opportunity to pursue one career path for one period of time and another at another stage of life, as changing jobs has become more common in recent generations.
Everyone’s educational path is different, but at its core, it should reflect the interests of the individual. I’ve never been more confident that my degree plan was inherently my own than after declaring two majors. The truth is, there is no wrong answer, unless one finds themselves unable to pursue an interest at the level of higher learning because of academic or financial restraints. The biggest injustice the higher education system can do is to let students sacrifice passions and ambitions for obstacles that are out of their control, and it is the system’s job to evolve and prevent this by making the opportunity to pursue these as accessible as possible.
Julia O’Reilly is a junior double-majoring in biology and English.