How's life with a double major?

guineagirl96
Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:04:04 +0000

It really depends on the school. Like @halcyonheather I’m a math/CS double major. The way my degree requirements work out, there are no more requirements for a BS double major than a BA. This is because a Bs in CS requires additional math and the Bs in math requires additional CS, which are courses that I would be taking as part of the opposite majors. We also have a lot of flexibility in which courses to take (for example, complex analysis and diff eq count as electives for the math major and we need 4 electives). I have yet to decide if I’m declaring a BS or BA.

Mainly because I am also a music minor, but I may end up declaring a music major too, which is only a BA. You need special approval from the dean to do a BA/BS dual degree at my school, but I doubt that they would decline me. I am heavily involved in the music department but don’t know if I can fit all the major requirements in. If not, I’ll only be one or two classes short (not worth spending an extra semester).

I wanted to double or triple major because I love all three subjects. I have a full-tuition scholarship that is dependent on me being at least a music minor. I also really love math and CS. I plan to go into cryptography or cryptanalysis, which combines both. I can’t imagine not majoring in either one. I came in with calc 1-3 and intro CS already done, so that also helped with easing the requirements.

Double majoring and still having minors is quite common at my school. Most of my friends are double majors with minors. I have one friend who is a double major with two concentrations in each major. We still have plenty of time and go out to events and such together. Most of the big social events are on the weekends at my school, so it doesn’t really conflict with anything.

My daily routine last semester consisted of class from 10:30-11:45 every day, class from 12-1:!5 MWF, and class 3-4:15 every, with other things scattered throughout. In the evenings, I have rehearsal MTR and I have other lessons and rehearsals on fridays, saturdays, and mondays during the day. I often had concerts in the evenings (mondays, tuesdays, and thursdays being most common) that I was either playing in or attending.

I would wake up and go to class, then eat lunch with my friends or by myself (depending on the day) and do some homework. Then go to my next class/lesson and afterwords do some homework. I’d eat dinner with my friends and then go to rehearsal or a concert. When I finished around 9, I’d go back to the dorm and work on homework till I was done. If I had time, which was often, I’d watch tv, especially on fridays and the weekends. I also had a part-time job as a grader for the CS department, so I graded home work assignments on the weekends.

I don’t find myself spending more time than those who have only one major. I’m taking the same amount of academic classes, actually a little less because of my music ensembles (since the have credit), as most. I just distribute my classes among my three subjects and the few gen eds I have, while those with only one major distribute their classes among gen eds, their major, and electives. Basically, I’m using my electives to complete my second major and minor (maybe major).