So I’m most likely matriculating next fall, for a double major in mathematics and statistics (that much is definite) with minors in French and computer science. I’ll have completed my statistics and general ed coursework before fall, so all that’s left is 4 math courses, 7 CS courses (haven’t taken any), and 7 French courses (I started with 101 in spring). Here is my problem: each semester, the 5 necessary courses (1-2 French, 1-2 CS, 1-2 math) after accounting for sequencing always coincide such that 3 of them are in 1 class period and 2 of them are in another.
I’m very passionate about math and will be doing departmental honors in my final two semesters, so I’m quite committed to those courses. I’m only in French 102 now, but I am doing quite well and love French and believe that a minor will greatly enhance my knowledge (I should have a strong reading knowledge and fairly strong speaking knowledge by the end of the minor.) I suspect that knowledge of ‘real’ programming languages (I only know MATLAB and R) as well as the CS minor will generally make me more well-rounded.
Now, the French coordinator has indicated that it’s entirely possible that the French courses could be moved to an adjacent time slot if enough students request it. Naturally, the CS courses are more set in stone. I haven’t asked about the math courses yet, but in the past they also have been set in stone.
So, do you have any advice for me? Drop both minors and take 14 electives? Ask for the courses’ times to be changed?
As you move up in a language, there are fewer and fewer sections of the course (202, 301 etc). What do you want to do with the minor? Teach? Personal growth? For the speaking courses, you might be able to get to that level during a summer program in France. I saw one offered at a local university for 4 weeks last summer and students could earn up to 6 credits at whatever level the student was able to handle.
@twoinanddone There’s 1 section of French at my uni starting with 201. I want to be able to communicate well (so personal growth). I also love thinking in another language, and if I go to Europe later, French may be useful. (It certainly can’t hurt.) I don’t know that I have a month of summer to spend in France (ignoring potential cost) - I have an excellent chance at some local STEM internships and find it hard to justify giving that up for immersion programs.
The first 4 courses are both speaking and grammar (I’ll start with the 4th course in fall of my freshman year). The next 2 are both writing and speaking, and then there is either 2 speaking and 1 translation or vice versa.
Here is another thought: WHat if you don’t major and minor officially in these things?
With French, I don’t think anyone case if you have an official minor. They care if you can speak French fluently.
Same deal with Statistics…what is your goal to have both? Do you want to be an actuary? Or can you major in Stats but take extra othe rmath classes? Can you just take some CS courses and not a minor worth?? Or could you take them over the summer?
@bopper Summer courses aren’t on scholarship and I will be interning (paid). All the courses in the French minor are quite useful to fluency - there’s nothing there I’d want to drop.
I’m interested in becoming an actuary (hopefully taking Exam P and studying for FM next summer). I’m thinking of taking only a couple of the CS courses, but then my math major has to switch from computational (my field of interest) to applied. For applied, only 1/4 of the remaining math courses (PDEs) is interesting and/or relevant to anything I want to pursue… for computational, all of them are very interesting and most are relevant. Stats is more of an add-on… I’m more passionate about math. And since I already have done a lot of the math major coursework, the major in stats only required 4 courses I wouldn’t already have.
One thing I’m considering is keeping the French minor, but majoring in applied instead of computational and taking a couple CS courses and most of the computational curriculum as electives. That would be 7 French 7-9 math, and ~2 CS courses over 2 years, and I’d still have room for other electives and more leeway on scheduling (obviously I can’t skip ahead in French, but I have all the prerequisites for all the math courses and could take them in any order). For computational courses I’ll learn Python, but I would like to learn some more CS-type languages (Java, C,…)
I am trying to keep my options open by having a somewhat broad degree - I’m 16 and although I know where my general interests lie, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do after graduation (I’ll graduate at 19-20).