My mindset is to get as much opportunity as I possibly can. I’d like to have a wide variety of skills and the like for future jobs.
Double majors would demonstrate in depth capability in certain areas depending on what I plan on doing (currently considering law and business options) so my question is whether or not it’s worth it.
I understand two majors means twice as much work etc, so, is it really worth it? Is it too stressful, too much to handle in most cases? Worth the extra effort? Would this pay off for me in the job market?
This isn’t necessarily true. While you have more required classes, double majors don’t necessarily have twice the work. At a lot of colleges, depending on the majors, you may spend 30% of classes in your major, 30% on gen eds, and the remaining 40% are all electives. As a double major, you might spend 60% of classes in your majors (30% each), 30% on gen eds, and the remaining 10% on electives. Still the same number of classes, just distributed differently.
I’m a senior double major in Math and CS, with a double minor in Music and Dance, graduating in four years. I still only took 5 academic classes a semester (yes, I did overload credits, but those were to do music ensembles that were not required of me; I just wanted to). I came in with a decent amount of credits, so my breakdown when I graduate (not counting the overloaded music ensembles, just academic classes) will be approx 46% majors (23% each), 28% minors (a little more skewed towards dance), 15% gen eds, and then remaining 11% electives.
For me, being a double major was completely worth it. I loved both fields; my main areas of interest are cryptology and computer security. Crypto in particular really requires both to understand fully. I also have a job offer for when I graduate that involves doing both that I probably wouldn’t have gotten if I didn’t have the depth in both.
I second the response of @guineagirl96 though I will add it depends on your school.
It worked out for me; I’m a double major in International Affairs and Economics, also with a minor in Arabic. Taking 5 classes per semester (a fairly normal amount), I will get done with my GE’s, Int’l Affairs Major requirements, and arabic minor by taking 28 classes. This means I have ~12 classes left to do whatever I please. When I realized this, I decided to pursue a secondary degree in economics. While my buddies are filling up their time taking electives of whatever they choose, I’m just taking extra economics classes.
As far as if it’s worth pursuing, that something that’s subjective and based on your goals. Having strong understanding to two different fields of study isn’t often a desirable skill (though it can be in some instances for sure), but having a double major can show drive, ambition, and versatility.
This depends entirely on you and whether or not you value this kind of thing. Having two majors in and of itself won’t really help you get a job. Having two majors in complementary areas that help you develop skills and experiences that are of value in the job market could help you get a job - e.g., double-majoring in economics and math and becoming a quantitative economic analyst or a financial analyst; or double-majoring in English and computer science and becoming a technical writer, etc.
But there are other ways to build a wide variety of skills - just take classes in areas that interest you, or do a minor, or get a part-time job or an internship in an interesting area, go to seminars, workshops, etc.
Thanks to everyone who has responded, you’ve all shined some light on the subject for me and Im going into the decision making more informed, thanks again!