Should I take another year to double major?

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>I wish to major in Drama and English [with a focus on drama and creative writing. Acting is my main passion. I was thinking I could get work as an editor or in the administrative sector of a theatre company or even as an actor. </p>

<p>Please refrain from negative feedback about my major choices, i.e. "you'll never get a job with that, major in something legitimate," unless you feel like your advice is useful.</p>

<p>Anyway...</p>

<p>I graduated high school last year. I then took a "gap year," however I took classes at community college. These classes were all electives and don't transfer to much at the state school (best in the state) I'm transferring to next Spring. For the next two semesters (and future summer semesters), I'm knocking out all my GenEd requirements at community college. </p>

<p>I've researched the classes I'd like to take and it's a lot (I understand that I may not do all of them). I'm also interested in participating in the school shows. I have some learning difficulties, so I know that I need plenty of time to do homework. I'm pretty smart and I'm used to handling a large workload.</p>

<p>I think I could take no more than 5, possibly only 4, courses per semester. I could use your advice on how many courses to take as well.</p>

<p>So here are my three options:</p>

<p>When I transfer in Spring, I'd have 5 semesters to complete everything in order to graduate with my class and have a double major. That's a lot of work!</p>

<p>However, if I chose to stay on another year, I'd have a lot more time on my side. I think this option makes the most sense. Besides, it's not like I actually started taking courses that satisfy any requirements until this summer. So in some ways I'd still be graduating in 4 years.</p>

<p>I could also take even another year to graduate, but I don't think that will be necessary.</p>

<p>I don't care if I don't graduate until I'm 23. I do care if I'm graduating with my B.A. when I'm 25+.
Graduate school might be in my future, but that's a topic for later on.</p>

<p>Which of the three choices (or perhaps your own recommendation) do you think I should do?
Thanks, and sorry this was so long.</p>

2

<p>I think you need to focus on your goals, and figure out what is going to get you to your goals. If you need one extra year to get the qualifications you need to pursue those goals, then by all means take that extra year.</p>

<p>But I am not clear what your goals are. You say you either want to be 1) an “editor”, or 2) in theatre administration, or 3) an actor. I am guessing this is why you are double majoring in English (for the “editor” career) and in Drama (for the other two). Your first goal, “editor”, isn’t very specific. What kind of editor? What kind of company? What kind of editing job can you get with just a 4 year English degree?</p>

<p>I think its good that you have narrowed your thinking down to three options, but I would like to see you narrow it down to just one. You’ve still got time to give it some thought, but I am afraid that trying to work in three directions at once may find you not really giving any goal the attention it needs. Especially number 3), actor. People who succeed as actors are generally people who commit themselves fully to the career of acting. I am sure you could be an actor if you committed yourself completely to that goal, but it could be difficult if you are trying at the same time to pursue other careers as well.</p>

<p>KEVP</p>

3

<p>I want to be an actor for sure. I’m even considering eventually going to a graduate acting program. However, I think it makes more financial sense to pay back my loans and earn some money for grad school. </p>

<p>Grad school aside, I will need to make a decent living. I’m not so sure just being an actor will provide enough income. </p>

<p>I enjoy creative writing and such, so I figured I could major in English (with an emphasis on both drama and creative writing). I think I’d enjoy being an editor, preferably a content editor for books or magazines. I’d like to write stories, plays, and/or screenplays one day too. And emphasizing in dramatic work will undoubtedly benefit the actor side of me.</p>

<p>In short, my ultimate goal is to act. I want to delve in writing as well. I also want a job.</p>

4

<p>Your options confuse me, but basically, if you are concerned about double majoring for a career, I wouldn’t worry about that at all. You can go in the same direction – actor, writer, editor – with either an English or a Theater major. You can go into these fields with a Philosophy Major, or a Biology Major. My point is, you don’t need to be preprofessional in your choices. </p>

<p>I don’t agree with KevP – actors come from all backgrounds and all types of training. Plenty of successful actors came from BA programs, and not necessarily a theater major!</p>

<p>In my opinion, you have your whole life to perfect the craft of acting (and plenty of classes available) but only once get an undergraduate education.</p>

<p>And, for the record, my D is getting a BFA; I support her totally in her chosen path, but I stand by my assertion above…</p>

5

<p>Sounds like you want survival job skills, which is wise but probably doesn’t require a major…maybe you could minor in English. I’ll add that writing is probably a lousy choice for a survival job…lousy pay, little opportunity, and lots of continuous job hunting.</p>

6

<p>I understand that I can come into acting from any major, but I want to be well trained. I think everyone wants to be well trained in their career choice. </p>

<p>And I’m also majoring in English for my personal benefit (same with majoring in acting). I want to take so many of the English classes that I might as well major in it (I’d only have to take 3 classes that don’t relate to drama or creative writing). Just a degree in acting is good and all, but adding an English degree on top of it provides a little more career promise, I feel.</p>

<p>I know that I wouldn’t get much with just working as a writer. That’s more of a recreational vocation.</p>

7

<p>I think you need to give this a lot of thought, hester.</p>

<p>You really seem confused. In your first post you told us not to say “you’ll never get a legitimate job with that!” so I thought you might be someone who might be committed to the arts and didn’t worry so much about “legitimate”. But then in a later post you say you are worried about “a decent living”. It seems like you really need to decide what is most important to you.</p>

<p>SDon seems to have misunderstood what I was saying, I agree with him that you don’t need to have a college degree at all, but I do believe that if you want to have a succesful career as an actor you will need to commit to that career completely.</p>

<p>Instead, what you are talking about is having a job as a content editor for a book or magazine publisher, and then just doing acting and other writing on the side. That’s fine, but understand that what you are talking about is having a career in publishing while pursuing acting as a hobby. Nothing wrong with that. I have met many professional people who pursue acting as a hobby in addition to their career. But you don’t need to major or minor in theatre to keep acting as a hobby.</p>

<p>Can you participate in shows at the college you are going to be attending without being a theatre major (or minor?). That would be worth exploring, and could keep your “hobby” interest.</p>

<p>The folks who pursue acting as a serious career, rather than a hobby, find some sort of “day job” which is flexible enough that they can still get to auditions and rehearsals whenever they need to. Waiting tables is the traditional choice, but temping is another good option. If you have a career as an editor for a publisher, you won’t have the sort of flexibility that these folks have, and so you will not be able to pursue acting as a career. You can’t just take a day off, or even a few weeks off, to work on some acting.</p>

<p>I also don’t know about publishing jobs, are the sort of jobs you are interested in open to folks who just have a four year degree, or would you need a graduate degree?</p>

<p>I am sure you can do any of the things I have talked about. Either pursue acting as a career, or pursue a career in publishing while keeping acting as a hobby. Provided you decide which of these lifes you want, and then commit yourself to getting that life.</p>

<p>KEVP</p>

8

<p>SDon is a woman. :slight_smile: I understand you now, KevP. I still think, though, that OP is putting too much stress on her choice of major in terms of future employment. Whatever path OP chooses after school, English or theater major will be fine. I had the sense that OP is most concerned about what will help her most for jobs after college, and IMO neither one will be better or worse. </p>

<p>Both teach how to express and understand thoughts and ideas.</p>

<p>Strengthening your writing skills and your acting skills are both great pursuits and will help you keep your options open as you explore opportunities in the “real world.” You don’t need to double major to do that, though, and from what I’m reading it sounds like double majoring will add significant cost and time to your education.</p>

<p>With both writing and acting, you can build a portfolio / resume no matter what major you actually choose.</p>