Myth: You should complete all of your general education requirements before starting your major.
You should take at least one course relating to your intended or possible major your freshman year. Many students change their majors from their original interest to another selection during their college career. If students wait until they have completed their general education courses to begin their major, and then discover they aren’t satisfied with the major they have selected, they won’t have time to choose and complete another major and still graduate on time.
Some major curricula are extremely intense and focused. Therefore many students prefer spreading their major courses through all four years. Finally, some majors take three years to complete, due to the high number of hours and structured prerequisites, so starting early will help insure timely graduation.
Myth: Your major will determine what career you will have for the rest of your life.
There are a very few careers which require completion of a certain major. For instance, to be a nurse, a student must complete a nursing degree. However, most careers are not dependent on a single major, and one major can lead to a variety of careers. All signs indicate that college graduates will have at least three different careers in their working lives. To explore the link between majors and careers, Career Development has more information.
Myth: A double major is always better than a single major.
Some students pursue double majors under the assumption that employers and graduate schools will find double majors more attractive than single majors. That’s just not true. Both employers and graduate schools are looking for students with high academic achievement as evidenced by a strong grade-point average and the completion of challenging courses, demonstration of strong analytical and communicative skills, and relevant experience. This can include internships, study abroad, or research activities, and the mastery of skills relevant to the career or field of study like the ability to speak a foreign language or computing skills. For more information on careers and graduate school, please go to Career Development.