For those of you who started off your college careers like me, I understand your struggle. At the beginning of my freshman year, I barely had a major narrowed down. Of course, I had an idea of what I wanted to pursue, but I didn't have a definite answer. And a minor? I was still trying to figure out my major. How could I possibly know the exact path I wanted to take within the first few weeks of my college career?
In high school, I was one of those kids that was good at everything. I got high marks in all of my classes, and not one subject area stood out from the others. Some of my advisers encouraged me to try a STEM field because I was excellent at math. Others encouraged me to go into an English field because I loved to write and had a distinctive writing style. Unfortunately, English and math are at two opposite ends of the spectrum. How could I choose one subject area? The decision took me weeks, if not months, to make.
Upon applying to colleges, I chose the English path. I loved writing more than I loved math. I decided to attend college with an intended English-Professional Writing major. Now in my sophomore year of college, I have not second guessed my decision yet. I love all of my English classes, and my professors are outstanding. The English major is where I belong.
Surprisingly, last semester, I picked up a minor in mathematics.
Upon meeting with my academic adviser last spring, she suggested I pick up a minor and try it out. She told me my minor could be in any field I wanted, and it didn't need to have any correlations to my major. If I was interested in something, I needed to give it a try.
After more thought, I decided on a minor in mathematics. I talked to my adviser and my calculus professor at the time, and they each approved of my decision. Now, I am an English-Professional Writing major with a minor in mathematics- a path that stands out in a crowd.
So, for those of you with an intended major, but no minor, I encourage you to branch outside of your comfort zone and consider new options. And to those that have a set path, major, minor, and everything in between, I simply encourage you to try new things and take a few unusual classes.
By definition, a minor is a secondary course of study to a major, usually less-intensive in nature. Many peers that I encounter have a minor that adds to their major; engineering with a minor in physics or Japanese with a minor in Asian studies are just two examples. Why not branch out and try something different?
At my college, any student can have a maximum of three majors or three minors. I'm sure many other schools follow the same structure. This allows for lots of freedom and flexibility to try those subjects you never got to in high school.
For many, college is the last opportunity to experiment with differing subjects before settling down and marrying a career. Make it worthwhile. Try those classes that intimidated you in high school. Try to learn something you always wanted to, because you wanted to.
I am an English- Professional Writing major with a minor in mathematics. What will you be?
