<p>Thanks to each of you for talking the time to post a reply. I showed my son this read and after reading all the responses, he felt much better. He was worried that he was being a slacker but now he feels more free to simply pursue what he wants. </p>
<p>ticklemepink: your post especially caught his eye. He would probably minor in Jewish studies if that were an option for him. He currently has been taking Hebrew at Drew University (the two schools have an articulation agreement) since his college offers neither Hebrew nor any Jewish Studies classes. Cross registering is very challenging schedule-wise, so he might not be able to take more classes there.</p>
<p>Again, thanks to all. I will continue to be interested in what other opinions people may have.</p>
<p>If you plan to teach in high school (and I hope that some very good people do), then you do want to qualify to teach more than one subject. I majored in math, but due to drop out and night school, I attended three colleges. One day I looked and realized that the different core courses required by the different colleges qualified me to teach social studies. Also the science courses I took for fun (chemistry and physics) and the biology courses I took so that I could have a PE minor qualified me to teach science.</p>
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Of course, he could also produce multiple resumes, depending on the job prospect and emphasize different skills in each. Some resumes wouldn't mention the minor and others would so it doesn't have to hurt. Nevertheless, totally unnecessary to pursue, in my opinion.
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<p>This is something that should be done anyway. Every time you send out a resume, it should be specifically tailored towards the job description.</p>
<p>My son's major (computer science at Carnegie Mellon) actually requires a minor. They seemed to have two competing thoughts about why. One is that since it's an applied science you might want to know a bit about something else to apply it to. So many kids minor in Robotics, or Physics or Math. OTOH they also are happy if it just makes you well rounded so they are very proud of the student who minored in Bagpipe performance as well. </p>
<p>I'm of the school that thinks that minors can probably only help you, but that at the same time you shouldn't minor in something unless it's relatively painless. If you would have taken most of the courses anyway because they were of interest - why not take the one or two extra and make it official? My husband ended up with a double major because he'd taken so many physics and bio courses he could. Not because he really set out to do so. As it happens his Ph.D. was in Biophysics so it did all make sense in the end.</p>
<p>To me it seems it would be more (or as) useful to be able to say "I'm fluent in French" or "I can program computers" than to actually have the minor. But I'm not out there hiring. That's just supposition on my part.</p>
<p>I'm trying to encourage my d. to choose a minor. The main reason? She will be majoring in interior design, and I'm afraid that it can result in a very limited career path. If the occupational outlook is poor (which often occurs during a bad economy), then I think it best to have a "plan B". But, I also advised that the minor can be approached from different points of view. It can be considered a back-up plan; it can be something unrelated that she just loves, and wants to learn more about; or it can be a suppliment to a major (for example: art minor / psychology major for someone interested in art therapy graduate study).</p>
<p>I agree with everyone who says that unless the school requires it, it's not necessary to have a minor. However, I do believe that it depends on how "marketable" that minor is. Like the poster above whose D minored in Spanish, it could have an impact on specific job opportunities.....it's also possible that you can get a job more based on the minor than the major...(such as major in Philosphy, minor in business of some sort)... Now, if you were a business major with a minor in philosophy, you probably wouldn't expect the minor to be much of a boon in terms of employment....of course the skills of reading, creative analysis, and writing that you'd have gained with a minor like this would be very helpful to you. However, I think this would be a case more of minoring in the area because it is interesting to you and you want to learn about it.</p>
<p>D is able to double major in Astronomy and Physics, thanks the AP credit boost....she's considering a minor in German, because it interests her and she wants to take more classes.</p>
<p>I am currently planning to pursue medicine as a career, and I was wondering whether minoring will help in medical school admissions. Right now, I'm considering majoring in Biology and minoring in Spanish. Do you think this will not make any difference or show that I took the extra step in my studies?</p>
<p>^^ They'll give you more Spanish-speaking patients. Do you want that? If not, then don't minor in Spanish. Remember, do it because YOU want to because obviously you need to do well in order to get in med schools and if you're just so-so in Spanish, then don't do it as part of your regular coursework that counts towards your GPA.</p>
<p>bookreader- It's great that your son has been able to get some Jewish Studies courses. I'm sure that as he's doing them, it's not an easy minor/major! So much thinking of different perspectives in the Diaspora and history. Oy vey! I actually celebrated when I finished my last Jewish Studies course at my university! (though I am still studying Hebrew but it doesn't count anymore)</p>
<p>My impression (dh only does MD-PhD admissions not the regular med school admissions) is that overall GPA and science courses are all that really gets looked at.</p>
<p>It's very difficult to minor at my son's college, and a double major is extremely difficul because of the senior thesis requirement for each major. And in general, I have never heard that a minor is important for anything. If you <em>want</em> it, sure, but the idea that somehow you're not doing college right if you don't have a minor -- that's silly.</p>
<p>I am of the mind the more the better. I majored in one thing only however, I saw friends who had double majors who were able to fall back on things either in hard times or when they became mothers and wanted part-time hours or less stress.</p>
<p>We encouraged my daughter, a psychology major to also minor in business. She is now graduating and has decided she definitely does not want to go the psychology route. She is now looking for marketing and advertising jobs.</p>
<p>My eldest majored in economics and minored in German. He is fluent in German, and felt that getting the minor was a more concrete way of saying "I speak German" than just his word on it. I don't know that it has factored in any way in his post college career as an economist, but at the time, he wasn't sure what direction he would go after college, and desired the official stamp of "mastery". </p>
<p>Many colleges are not only requiring minors or "thematic sequences" - but they are requiring them in fields unrelated to the major. Apparently some schools feel that exposure to a broader education is a good thing - imagine that. My D ended up turning down Allegheny because (in part) they required a minor or double major in a different school from the first major. My D was interested in both music and languages - and they both fell under the Humanities designation at Allegheny, so she wouldn't be allowed to do both. She is doubling now in music and German; not at all sure what her final destination will be.</p>
<p>I'm amazed that an engineering major would have time for a minor! I do not think a minor would enhance an engineering major necessarily - around here, engineering majors with good grades get jobs, not sure I've ever heard my H mentioning hiring someone because of a minor!</p>
<p>That said, the few I know who have gotten minors have all gotten them in music, for some reason. Think it has more to do with what they like!</p>
<p>Well i want to go into business finally .....so economics was my choice...in fact i don't know bout the course load yet...i just have been accepted but will be starting my college this fall</p>
<p>I can empathize with your son. Even though I'm a freshman, it seems like all my peers have at least a major/minor sketched out, and quite a few are already planning their double majors. Most responses here seem pretty good. A minor certainly isn't bad, but you'll do fine without one.</p>
<p>Well, thanks to all the posters at CC, you and my son will not have to feel like slackers any more! </p>
<p>He has a wide range of interests so he has been taking classes in a variety of areas so it would be tough for him to get the required 18 credits in one area to have an 'official' minor.</p>
<p>UW-Madison hasn't required a minor since at least the early 1970's. Taking more courses to complete a more comprehensive major is the idea, a double major is better than a minor. I wouldn't complain about someone meeting the requirements for two majors, even if there was significant overlap, such as math-physics. One difference in college compared to HS is that you are forced to choose one (or perhaps two) fields in depth, you have to either go to school longer or give up some of the general courses in many fields. Being a "jack of all trades" will not get you a degree, mastering one will.</p>
<p>beanieboo,
Nursing students at my college have a similar situation to your brother's. The requirements for a Bio minor are any 15 credits in Bio classes. Between A+P I and II and Microbiology, nursing students can take one extra bio class (Some are Nutrition, Human Sexuality, etc. look pretty interesting) to have the bio minor!</p>