I’m already planning to major in accounting at Binghamton this fall, aiming to get my CPA. My post-grad job opportunities would most likely be on the up-and-up, the pay would be pretty solid, and I don’t really mind actually doing accounting—I’m not totally jazzed about it, but I don’t think it would be something I’d dread doing for a living. But there’s one thing that does get me totally jazzed up—writing. I’ve always loved to read and write creatively, and I’m seriously considering doing a double major in English with a concentration in creative writing, just because I think I would get a lot of personal fulfillment out of it. I don’t, however, believe it would make me as marketable to employers as an accounting degree would. But that’s just my perception.
Would it be doable to double major in accounting and English? I feel like I can manage my time pretty well already, but would that kind of pairing mean eminent burnout and premature death? Or is pursuing both majors completely manageable?
Also, how is the English program at Binghamton? I haven’t heard too much about it.
You’d be getting a dual degree, from both SOM and Harpur. I’m pretty sure that shouldn’t be a problem if you’re already accepted into SOM, since that’s the hardest school to get into. Take a look at a typical schedule for an accounting major:
The English major requires ten classes. You can see it’s going to be cutting it close - if you want to graduate in 4 yers, I assume, you should be taking advantage of every “non-management elective” as an English class. You’ll also want to aim for English classes that also fulfill gen eds so you kill two birds with one stone. If you have AP classes that count as gen eds already, even better. Most people take four classes per semester. I’ve taken 5 (also double majored) and it’s not toooo bad, but you don’t want to make a habit out of it. If you can get a Ryan Vaughan class, that’s an easy way to get an English class in there that will require virtually zero work.
Meet with an advisor when you get to school, though, to make sure it’s actually doable. They can potentially sketch out a 4 year plan for you.
I loved my English major! There’s a huge variety of courses to choose from, everything from Children’s Lit to Literature of the Civil War. Michael Sharp, Elizabeth Signorotti, Al Vos, and Liz Rosenberg are especially great.
The only issue with the major is that you might end up with a larger workload and have to overload. You don’t want your english classes to end up hurting your accounting major. But in general the english department is generally good. There are a wide variety of classes. The only issue is that for some reason, binghamton in their infinite wisdom doesn’t offer an english minor. If they did I would totally tell you to do that but since they don’t I would wait a semester or two to see it’s possible for you to declare an English major.
If the double major doesn’t work out you can always try to minor in English or just take a lot of English courses. If you plan to pursue a career in accounting the double major or not won’t be a factor in your job opportunities.