I didn’t talk to a single school counselor until the beginning of my third year at the U. I had my DARS report online and I figured I knew what I was doing. Oh, how wrong I was.
When I finally talked to a counselor, she informed me that I could graduate this year with relative ease. Through talking to counselors in other departments, I found that I could double-major, and also minor, in a number of subjects. I’ve been rushing to figure out what I want to do ever since.
Now I’m sure that many of you are shaking your heads at what a neophyte I am for not talking to my counselor earlier, but I suspect that I’m not the only one to make this mistake.
Indeed, Karleton Munn, undergraduate adviser for the history department, said, “October and November were my busiest months advising. Of course, that’s right before and after the spring graduation deadline. I saw students last week who were applying for spring graduation and the majority of them I had not seen before.”
Although I’m graduating this year, I’m returning to the U for another semester because I’m only five classes away from another major. Had I known about this earlier, I could have taken these classes instead of the filler courses I took through my years here.
This is why I am imploring all of you to do two things: plan ahead and double-major, or at least minor in something. For some, such as those in the department of engineering, this is very difficult. Many majors limit the number of courses a student can take. However, it is not impossible.
Assistant Dean for the College of Humanities Liz Leckie said, “Double-majoring doesn’t work for everyone; it’s a planning process,” however, “it’s fairly easy to do in Humanities.” Many majors overlap classes, and the majority of students can likely minor in something relatively easily.
For example, any Spanish major could minor in Latin American Studies by only taking one or two non-major courses. Obviously, some minors or majors require more or less, but unless you speak to a counselor or two, you’ll never know.
“We really strongly encourage students to look into other majors and minors,” Leckie said. She went on to explain that by adding majors or minors to their degree, students broaden their horizons and gain different perspectives outside of their specific department. This can help not only later in life, but also in the increasingly competitive job market.
Talk to your counselor, and find something else that interests you. You won’t regret it.
Jonathan Deesing