#Title

Is it worth getting

a double major?
NAZIFA RAIDAH
Whether you’re a shell-shocked first-year student or a moderately seasoned second-year student, you might be asking yourself whether you should do a double major. In Bangladesh, only private university students get the chance to complete a dual degree owing to the open credit system.
As a double major student myself, I have mixed feelings on the issue. Completing a double major looks great on your portfolio and will impress potential employers. However, at the end of my undergrad life, I asked myself – is doing a double major justifiable?
“Getting a double major gives you an edge for Master’s”
The answer is both “yes” and “no”, depending on the university you’ll be applying to.
“In the UK, advisors won’t let you do a dual major in a similar discipline. They always recommend getting complimentary degrees so that your second major adds value to your first degree. For example, a computer science degree paired with economics adds a lot of value since, fundamentally, both subjects deal with data in varying fields. But of course, having a double major gives you an edge,” said Prinon Elom, a chemical engineering major at the University of Newcastle.
On the flip side, Anuva Annanya, a Ph.D. student at the Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration, said, “In my experience, it doesn’t really make or break anything if you get a double major. I graduated with a double major in Geology and Anthropology in my undergrad. While applying for grad school, some universities did not care about my double major at all. I’ve also come across planetary scientists, coming from a pure science background, commenting on how valuable it is that I’ve also majored in Anthropology.”
“It’s easy to get a double major done within four years if you’re determined”
The statement is an oversimplification as determination isn’t the only requirement. More often than not, universities in Bangladesh are not equipped to provide students with the right ecosystem to complete a double major. Different departments have vastly different metrics under which they consider a dual major to be complete. For a student interested in a double major, the very first order of business should be to clear out the details with the academic advisor.
Secondly, if you are considering a double major, you will not have the option to take things slow if you want to finish within four years. While there will be faculty members and seniors constantly talking about the pros of a double major, as the person having to go through with it, you must practically consider if you can handle the pressure.
“A double major helps you develop skillsets in two disciplines”
First of all, consider what your priorities are. If you want to get ready for graduate school as soon as possible, a double major shouldn’t be your priority. Rather, focus on maintaining good grades throughout your university life and building skills in your fields of interest.
However, if you’re the sort of student who needs to be held accountable, then a double major is extremely helpful since you have to constantly show up for classes and exams.
It must be said that in university, it gets tough to handle one major, let alone two. So, don’t beat yourself up if you opt out of getting a second degree as there are many ways to meet the edge that your double major contemporaries have. And for those of you deciding to get a dual degree, drink loads of water and get enough sleep. You’ll need it.
Nazifa Raidah is a student of IUB.