What I Wish I Knew As A Freshman: Double Major?

Deciding which major to pursue is one of the most common conundrums of a college kid’s contemplations. Some students have it figured out before they arrive on campus while others take a couple years to figure it out.

“Roughly speaking, about 65 percent of Logan Campus students declare only one primary major over their USU career;” said Michael Torrens, Director of the Utah State Office of Analysis, Assessment and Accreditation, “28 percent change between two primary majors over their USU career; 6 percent change between three majors; 0.8 percent change between four majors and 0.1 percent change between five majors.”

Torrens also said most Aggies decide on their major early on. “The average Aggie picks their major in their first year,” he said. “For Logan Campus degree-seeking undergraduates, 70 percent choose their major as Freshmen. By Sophomore year, 78 percent have chosen; by Junior year, that’s 92 percent; and by Senior year, that’s 99 percent.”

Some students arrive at the university with sophomore status due to advanced placement and concurrent enrollment classes in high school, Torrens said, making it more than 70 percent who decide in their first year. But there is a less common option out there for those who just can’t decide: double majoring.

Double majoring can be a great option for students who want to diversify their education or who want to explore multiple options. But double majoring brings with it some problems of its own.

The most prominent problem is scheduling. As freshmen soon learn, registering for classes can be a stressful process, especially being at the end of the registration list. Fortunately, freshmen take mostly generals, which have such large class sizes that registration is not usually a worry. For those who double major however, registering can be a nightmare.

Here’s the common scenario: one major holds a required course at noon, and only during fall semester, which happens to be the only time a class for the other major is being offered as well. While this inconsistent overlap can be annoying, it is not impossible to work out. Navigating the double major coursework is a task made immensely easier by frequent visits to each major’s adviser and some careful planning. Students doing a double major should also expect to spend an extra year in school unless they plan on taking above 15 credits each semester.

Another factor is the amount of homework and the effect of a double major on grades. While double majoring increases the homework level, it also increases grade point average. Obviously this depends on the individual, but as far as averages go, doing a double major is actually better for your GPA than doing a single major.

“The average GPA of students with double majors is 3.3 GPA, which is higher than the average for students as a whole,” Torrens said.

Though I’ve been busy in my double major I have managed to keep up a solid GPA over the years. “Give the work to the busy man. He’ll get it done,” a professor once told me after I told him I couldn’t take his class because I already had such a heavy load from my majors (he wanted me to do a class required for my minor).

Those who do decide to double major are definitely the minority among students however, Torrens said. The amount of students who double major varies from year to year, between six and eight percent of the total student body. “The average percentage works out to about 7% of the total, across [the last five] years,” He said.

For most students, doing a double major won’t be part of their college experience. This doesn’t mean they’ll miss out since there are plenty of opportunities with clubs, student government, internships and other ways of getting involved and experienced. For those who want a little extra education and who are OK with studying longer hours however, the double major could be the answer.

–mikeburnham3@gmail.com