<p>Hi, those of you that know me from these boards probably have seen me talking a lot about law school and being a bioengineering student at Lehigh. Well I completely revamped my schedule this year and I am here with a very different question. As a result of two summer sessions and the large courseloads taken during my freshman year, I am now a standing Junior at my school (55 credits as a sophomore). However seeing as I do not want to graduate early I was considering doing a double Bachelor of Science program where I will graduate in four years with two degrees:biochemistry and behavioral neuroscience. My intentions are to go to graduate school but I was wondering if spending the extra time on two degrees would be worth it, rather than just graduating early with one BS? </p>
<p>Note: I already started research this year and I am making sure that my future courses will not compromise that.</p>
<p>Think about it: you're planning to go to grad school anyway. If you pay the tuition for an extra year, you'll get a behavioral neuroscience BS (assuming this is #2, since it is more specialized than the first). You'll then go on to grad school and get a doctorate in the same discipline. Will anyone give a tinker's dam about a second BS then? Will the universities you interview at look at a pool of CV's and say "Hm. All these people wrote spectacular dissertations and have great experience researching and teaching. But /this/ person took a couple of extra classes eight years ago to fill a second line on their diploma...automatic hire!"</p>
<p>If you have solid lab experience and a good academic record from the biochem degree, you can easily get into a neuroscience graduate program. Think of all the better things you could be doing with that year that will help a lot more down the road than a single line on a resume saying you have a second bachelors would: an internship at a biopharm company, a year working as a lab tech for a researcher in your field, or getting tons of research experience and invaluable knowledge as a master's student.</p>
<p>Way back when, when I was in college, I was in danger of graduating after 2-1/2 years because I would have had enough credits to do so. I was at a school that wasn't much of a challenge for me, and I typically took 21 or 24 credits a semester plus 9 more during an intersession each year. (Luckily we paid by the semester not by the credit!) I wasn't ready to graduate, so I picked up two more majors. I didn't get two B.S. degrees, just one degree with 3 majors and a minor (3 credits shy of another major). I ended up finishing in 3-1/2 years instead of 2-1/2. Did my extra majors do me any good? Aside from having some extraneous knowledge, not that I know of. I ended up going to UVa law school and not using any of them career-wise. However, I really enjoyed my extra year at school and grew up a lot during that year. I think I was better off in law school for having waited.</p>
<p>You make some very good points tkm256. I think I might just pursue one degree and spend a lot more time focusing on research, performing well academically, and taking outside courses I am interested in rather than cramming in requirements senior year. Thanks for the replies!</p>
<p>My Dd was a double major bio & psych and that has worked well for her as she is focusing on the neuro science aspect of cognitive sciences, so the two degrees come together in her area of interest, but that may be unusual. I would not stress a double major in case you really prefer your new major or feel the two will work well together</p>