Ah, college. The time to build strong friendships, experience just about everything, make great memories, and maybe get a little homework done, right? Not for double majors! We dream about going out and doing all the fun things our friends our doing, but sadly, we don't get to fulfill that dream as fully as we'd like. We experience college a little differently, and here is a list of 12 things every double major knows all too well.
1. You have to fit a bunch of classes in every semester so you can still graduate in 4 years.
You know how you go to the store and you plan on getting just three things and you end up leaving with two carts full and you kind of hate yourself for it? Yeah, that's what registration day is like for double majors. There's a constant internal debate between taking a crazy amount of classes and graduating in four years, or taking a normal amount of classes and graduating in five years.
2. Trying to plan your schedule when your advisors won't cooperate with each other.
When the time comes to start planning your classes for the upcoming semester, every double major knows that it's best to get a head start because nine times out of 10, your schedule won't be easy to figure out. Whether it's overlapping classes, a class that you can't take yet, or just not knowing what would be best to take, you have to have a close relationships with both of your advisors, and just pray that they have a close relationship with each other, too. Nothing compares to the stress of having two advisors that don't see the importance of working together.
3. Seeing the final product of what your schedule is going to look like each semester.
Whether it's your second crazy semester or your fifth crazy semester, nothing will ever be able to take away the shock of seeing the never ending list of classes on your schedule. And no matter how early you register for classes, no amount of time is enough to mentally prepare for all of the work that will soon be coming your way.
4. When your friends ask you to do something and you can’t because you have five assignments, four tests, three projects, two papers, and a presentation to prepare for.
No one ever said that double majoring would be easy, but they also forgot to mention that it would mean you have basically no social life. There is always something to do; you are never finished. Sometimes, you have to just push it aside and go have fun for your sanity, but don't make it a habit, because you will never be able to catch up.
5. Sometimes your friends forget what you look like because you get sucked into homework for days at a time.
After a long week of studying and working on homework, double majors will go out for some much needed fresh air. However, after going MIA for a whole week, you definitely owe your friends an apology.
6. You suck at making decisions, I mean, you couldn’t even pick one major, how are you supposed to decide whats for dinner?
Yes, I know, you absolutely need both majors to go into the career that you want, but you can't deny that this is still true. Asking a double major to make a decision is basically the same as asking a fish to climb a tree; it's not going to happen.
7. You have a script that you go by every time some one asks “How do you plan on using both of those?”
It doesn't take long to get fed up with trying to explain to everyone why you chose the majors that you chose. Eventually, you come up with a short, simple, and straight to the point way of explaining your majors, and you always have it ready when someone asks this dreaded question.
8. You don’t get to take as many fun classes, and you’re (not so) secretly jealous of all of your friends that get to take Pottery and Yoga and everything else that makes you smile.
Being a double major, it is hard enough to fit in classes that you actually need, so you can almost always count on not being able to take a fun class that requires little effort. Your friends will talk about these classes around you, and it will take everything you have not to punch them in the face because you will never know such a luxury.
9. You actually don’t get a break during school breaks.
It's truly heartbreaking to go home for a break, say hello to your family and friends, and then go straight back to your studies. Of course, it is a "break," so you do procrastinate more than usual, but you still don't want to get so far behind that you're drowning in work once you get back to campus.
10. “Why don’t you just major in one and minor in the other?”
This is another question that is hated by all double majors. And quite frankly, it's one of the dumbest questions you could ask them. Of course we have considered dropping a major to a minor, but for some reason, it just won't work out the same. If someone is double majoring, I promise there is a reason behind it; no one would do this just for fun.
11. You don’t get the luxury of never having to take an 8:00 AM and get really salty when your friends brag about it.
Sleep is something extremely rare among all college students, but while most brag about not having classes until 10 or 11 every day, sleep deprived double majors will momentarily hate you. They rarely can avoid having to take an 8 AM and they die a little bit inside whenever they are reminded of it.
12. When your friends start to think that you don't actually like them.
I promise I love you, I'm just literally always busy. Your double major friends aren't ignoring you, they are just probably crying into their text book somewhere. College is hard no matter what, but double majors have twice the normal amount of work. Please don't take it personally when your friend can't hang out for a while, I promise there are no hard feelings, and they would much rather hang out with you than do what they are doing.
