<p>I posted this on the "Other Majors" forum, but since that bore no fruit I thought I would try here.</p>
<p>Basically, I'm a high achieving student at a reasonably competitive Wisconsin state school. I'm in the honors program and I am currently a declared chemistry major. I am likely to finish the semester with a high GPA - in other words, I have been doing well in at least the introductory/fundamental chemistry/GE courses.</p>
<p>Although I believe I have potential in chemistry (I might be doing research with a prof. this fall), my interests are varied. I have a strong passion for history (among other subjects), and I find myself burying my head into a history book when I get the chance. Of course, I still want to study chemistry. </p>
<p>Anyway, I'm essentially wondering what people think of this plan of action: chemistry major with a history minor. I'm not going to ask for specifics as I want to receive a diverse array of responses. Any feedback is appreciated, provided it's not too caustic. :)</p>
<p>From what I have seen, as a parent, a science major/humanities minor is common. As long as you are happy in your major, and doing well in it, enjoying other interests is fine too. For many people, these interests can become hobbies or second careers. College is a time to develop yourself as a person, and while some students choose complementary majors/minors, others choose different interests.</p>
<p>Look at historical figures like Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein and others who had interests in science and other fields.</p>
<p>Thank you for the very positive feedback! Yeah, I like to think of those famous polymaths when I talk about having a different major & minor. I think it’s important to be well-rounded. </p>
<p>It doesn’t seem very common at my school, granted, I have not done much surveying of students & their major/minor. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I wanted feedback from others besides people who know me well.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if it is a trend or not. Some people may feel that complimentary majors/minors may help- like science/math, business/math. It may also be the fact that some of them have overlapping requirements so it takes less time to do both.
Perhaps it may be because not everyone excels at or enjoys both- but you do. I know of physicians and scientists who are also musicians, or artists, or who have other academic interests as well.
IMHO, in your life- you won’t only be a chemist, and developing a passion could bring you much happiness over the years in many ways, not just reading history, but travelling, being a member of a museum, history club, and taking classes over the years. As long as your major is the priority, a minor in a different area is fine.</p>
<p>I think it’s definitely a good idea. I’m a physics major right now, but after I transfer from my CC, I’m planning on double majoring in math and physics, with a philosophy minor. I think having a background in the humanities really just helps to make you a much more educated and well rounded person. In my case, the minor can be somewhat complementary too, since I want to go into astrophysics/cosmology. The critical thinking…thinking outside the box aspects that come with philosophy will, I think, be very beneficial for me.</p>
<p>Many people do similar major/minor combos. You’ve gotta explore all of your passions in life. That’s what makes us human.</p>