Most of the time in high school, nobody really gives you advice on double majoring in college or information about possibly declaring a minor. When I applied to Cabrini University, I had no idea of the endless possibilities that this school has to offer in regards to your education and to tailoring your education to meet your goals and aspirations.
I applied as a Criminology major, with no thoughts about double majoring. This was until I attended a virtual summer orientation for freshmen. In one of the sessions, students met with the directors of their intended majors. I saw on my schedule that the Criminology and Sociology departments would be presenting together. Before this orientation, I had no idea how feasible it is to double major in Criminology and Sociology. I did not even fully know what Sociology was. They explained that the two majors had many of the same requirements, and there would only be a few extra classes that I would have to take in order to fulfill the requirements for both degrees. In my opinion, this was a decision that would be better made sooner rather than later. In August, I decided that I would declare both Criminology and Sociology as my majors.
At that point, I thought it would stop there. I did not know much about picking a minor, or why someone would add the “extra work” of a minor onto their schedule. I definitely thought that with a double major, minoring in anything would be too much work, and would distract from my majors (a common misconception). That was until I received an email from my Learning Community professor, explaining that our class had already fulfilled 6 of the 18 credits required for a minor in American Studies. The best thing that I did was respond to that email with a series of questions, still hardly even entertaining the idea of taking on a minor.
Whenever you are unsure about something having to do with your education, always advocate for yourself, and always ask questions! My professor provided me with so much information about the minor. She explained how simple it would be for me to add extra classes here and there to take 12 more credits worth of American Studies courses. She even explained to me how much American Studies lined up with my future career goals. I then met with my academic advisor, who assured me that adding this minor would not throw me off course with my majors, especially since I completed so many general education requirements in my first semester of my freshman year. In November, I declared American Studies as my minor.
Your professors and academic advisors at Cabrini University will make it very possible to achieve your goals and tailor your education to you, and even goals that seem out of reach, such as double majoring as well as having a minor, can be accomplished. I’m glad that the faculty members at this school are so knowledgeable and so helpful when you want to tweak something in your studies.
My biggest piece of advice to college seniors would be to apply to college with an open mind. You may end up keeping your major all four years, you may add or take away majors, and you might even declare a minor. Be open-minded to changing your original plans for your education, because it may very well end up changing for the better, before you even finish your first semester.