4321234

hi,
i'm in a bit of a dilemma here. i have 3 options i don't really know how to choose. on top of these choices, i also have a part time job i must keep. please give me any suggestions if you have any. greatly appreciated. thanks.

option 1: double major

pros: i wanted to double major in creative writing and philosophy (the second one), because i find philosophy interesting and i think it would help a bit better if i ever decide to go on to grad school, and philosophy could help a bit with logic and the arguing side. philosophy is also more intensive and rigorous, but good training for the future.

cons: philosophy is pretty difficult and my gpa would probably be lower. it also doesn't do too much in terms of finding a job.

option 2: major in CW and take electives i always wanted to take

pros: my electives would mainly be acting and other artistic electives, just because i think it would be fun. i dream of acting many nights, and i think i would miss it a lot if i don't get to do it anymore. it would help my gpa and it has made me happier when i take these classes. other electives include business classes just to get a basic intro on them in case i do some business.

cons: i have taken pretty much all the basic acting classes and the higher level ones require auditions. it is also time consuming though i find it well worth it. a con to the business electives are that... well... i don't like business classes.

option 3: major in CW, take it slowly, and focus on internships.

pros: internships can help a lot when i go out into the real world, and it would give me a big step up. but it is also manageable to do an internship while i double major... but probably not doable if i do acting as well, since acting takes up way too much time. but if i do double major and do an internship, i wouldn't be able to focus too well, because there will be so much going on.

cons: i would feel like i missed out on stuff i wanted to learn in school, and may feel like an entry level job somewhere is better after i get out of college and when i can really focus out of school.

Venkat89

Here's my take on a double major: You have your primary major that you really want to do. If you had complete freedom in your remaining classes which ones would you take? If the vast majority would be in one department (like philosophy) then you probably want to turn philosophy into a minor or second major. If the classes you really want to take are all over the place and spread across a bunch of different departments, then you're better off not doing a double major. People argue against a double major because they say a student should learn one thing well or that students need a broad based undergraduate education and a double major forces them to focus on two fields rather than exploring many different ones.

A whole philosophy major doesn't seem like something you're really excited about, so just take a handful of philosophy electives and get a taste for the thinking skills it teaches you while still having the freedom to take a few acting classes. You don't *need* to take a business class, but good ones like accounting and finance could help you in a future job.

redwingshockey

i think venkat gave some really good advice, although i would throw in that an internship for writing might be a great idea -- it will definitely help you get a job when you're out of school

kelseyg

Re: double majors. I think they're most worthwhile when you're learning a language, for example, where you're going to have to take a lot of classes from one department. Philosophy is a more broad and less defined major, and you can get similar "philosophical" experiences from many different electives.

Basically, I wouldn't go for a double major if you're not super interested in taking a lot of courses from that one department.

salamander

It seems interesting to me that, if you didn't double-major in creative writing and philosophy, you would want your electives to be in different areas- acting and business. You could always take electives in all three areas without a double major, but unless you feel like you'd devote nearly all of your electives to philosophy anyway, I wouldn't recommend it.

I'm assuming that you still have some time left in school, so I don't see why you couldn't do a combination of 2 and 3- get internships during your summers and during some semesters, and spend other semesters focusing more on your major classes and electives.

ElectricTech

I would choose the CW major and only minor in philosophy and take electives alongside. The double major would consume time and restrict you from taking classes you're interested in. Having said that, option 2 would be the best choice out of the 3; take electives in philosophy, acting, and business. You could also consider obtaining internships in the summer. It would make an incredible use of your summer (if you don't plan on taking summer courses) and it'd be impressive on a resume.

URichmond2010

If you're thinking of pursuing writing or the media industry, you should do at least one internship.