<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I'm a Foote Fellow, incoming class of 2016, and have a question about majors and credit hours. Because I am a Foote Fellow, I don't have any general education requirements and therefore the classes I take throughout all four years will mainly be dictated by 1) what's required of my major(s) and 2) what interests me, regardless of whether it pertains to my major. I know that being a FF adds flexibility to the college career, but I think I am just now realizing to what extent.</p>
<p>Originally, even before learning that I was a Foote Fellow, my plan was to double major in computer science and criminology. I realized today though, that just those two majors is a total of 64 credits, which divided over 8 semesters is a mere 8 credit hours per semester of required courses... this leaves a lot of open room. So I decided to explore other majors that I may be interested in and came up with this list of majors/minors and corresponding required credits for each:</p>
<p>Computer Science - 33 credits (as a second major)
Criminology - 31 credits (major)
Legal Studies - (18 credits as a major, 12 as a minor)
Human/Social Development - 15 credits (minor)</p>
<p>Based on this info I could theoretically triple major in computer science (33 credits), criminology (31 credits), and legal studies (18 credits), and on top of that even minor in human/social development (15 credits), for a total of 97 credits, coming out to about 13 credits per semester. </p>
<p>13 isn't a lot compared to most college students (right?). Is this accurate and is it really THAT do-able? Or are there factors I'm forgetting to consider? </p>
<p>My goal is not to overachieve or take on coursework more than the average college student as I'm going to college for the college experience, networking, the social life, and not just education. It just seems surprising and hard to believe that it would be this reasonable/manageable to take on three majors and a minor in a 4 year period...</p>
<p>Any input is appreciated!</p>
<p>As a foote fellow, being excluded from general education requirements, it could be doable. Note that some of the courses are prerequisite for other courses, and this can create complications. Also, your flexibility to pursue other various interests will be restricted under this kind of plan.</p>
<p>Most students take around 15 credits per semester, but some take 17 or, with special permission, more. If you take less than 12, you’re no longer considered to be a full-time student.</p>
<p>As a side note, if you get a minor related to science in there, you could get a B.S. and a B.A. (two degrees in four years! 
)</p>
<p>Look into the differences between the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. A BS degree is more quantitative requiring advanced math courses beyond Calculus 1 in Computer Science. This background could help you stand out from everyone with a high GPA. The BS generally takes more credits to earn.</p>
<p>Many employers don’t care how many majors or minors you have earned, but instead the skills you acquire. Ex. Writing ability, Public Speaking ability, Critical Thinking, and in the case of Computer Science: Quantitative ability and Logic.</p>
<p>I was also considering triple majoring at one point. However, I realized that I’d much rather do study abroad opportunities and undergraduate research/internships than be bogged down with extra classes. Just something to consider. Research and internships provide relevant experience that will definitely help you to land a job or get into grad school, and from what I’ve heard it’s better on a resume than a triple major. Of course, I’ll be going into a hard science where everything is research-driven, so it might be different for your situation. But the good thing about Foote Fellows is that we have the flexibility to basically do whatever we want, so we can really personalize our individual college education to fit our needs :)</p>
<p>Hm, thanks for the input, I appreciate it! Really good point about research/internships too, Marinebio, thanks! </p>
<p>Rankin, I kinda like the idea of graduating with both a BS and a BA… I presume that would be more valuable than just two BA degrees, right? How much more valuable is that overall though, when considering possible grad school or career placement? </p>
<p>If I were to pursue that plan (BA/BS), I think I’d just do the 70-credit BS in Computer Science program and the 31-credit BA in criminology program, leaving room for “dropping in” on courses in other areas I may be interested in (e.g. human/social development, some business classes, legal studies classes, etc.) however/whenever I can fit them.</p>
<p>I’m realllllyyyy trying to resist the temptation to be getting so technical at this point in terms of planning what I’m going to study/do but when I consider the fact that there are no “typical freshman” required classes for me to take, I wonder what the heck I’m going to do my first year. Are there any classes just for first-year students (like UF has First Year Florida)?</p>
<p>There are such freshman classes, particularly one called UM X, but I personally think they’re a waste of time. But, I mean, why not, especially with the flexibility you have.</p>
<p>And the advantage to a BA/BS would be that with the BS you’re generally considered to be more skilled. Getting into any science industry without a BS would be hard, and if you’re getting into a non-science industry, or a semi-science industry (like Anthro or Sociology or Criminology) a BS looks good.</p>
<p>But the downside is that it severely restricts your schedule.</p>