Many students have difficulty choosing a major in college.  Some of those students who have difficulty cannot decide on a single major in which they are interested.  Others may have difficulty narrowing their choices down to one major.  Those students with multiple interests may consider opting for a double major or dual major.  You may be wondering whether this is a good choice for your student.  The answer is, it depends.  As with so many other decisions surrounding college, there is no clear answer.  It is important that your student consider carefully her reasons for the double major option, and the implications of choosing this path.

Why is your student making the double major choice?

Students may opt for a double major for a number of reasons.  Not being able to make up your mind between two majors may not be a very good reason — but it might be.  Your student should ask himself why he can’t make up his mind.  Is he truly, equally interested in both?  Does he feel an obligation to major in one area, but a passion to major in another?  Do the two majors fit together or complement each other?  Would a major in one area and a minor in the other serve the same purpose or satisfy the same needs?  (A minor often involves half of the number of courses of a major.)  Is your student considering a double major because one major satisfies his head (intellect) and one satisfies his heart (passion)?  Is he making this choice because he is considering graduate school and wants multiple options?  Will the double major give your student a broader perspective and added flexibility?

Read more

The short answer to when your college student should choose a major is when they are ready.  However, as we all realize, it may not be as simple as that.  Some students may be ready to choose a major early in their college career, or even well before they get to college.  Other students may have great difficulty settling on a single major.  And still other students may be ready to choose a major, but may not realize it.

Perhaps one of the first and most important conversations you should have with your college student about choosing a major is that choosing a major is not the same thing as choosing a career.  Many students are reluctant, or even fearful, of choosing a major because they worry that this choice will lock them into a career.  Students think career first, and then major.  You may need to help your student understand that a specific major may lead to many careers, and that several majors may lead to the same career.  Students should also be reminded that most people today may change careers several times during their working life, and may finally settle on a career quite far removed from their college major. If your student does not yet have a specific career path in mind, that should not inhibit them from choosing a field of study in which they are interested.  The more your student studies and learns about their area, the more career direction they will have.

Read more