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So much to do, so little time. What is it like to double major? Can I choose two unrelated majors, or do they have to be connected?

I have a lot of things that I'm interested in studying, but my top two are theatre and psychology. Crazy, right? Would it be possible for me to do both at the same time? #college #psychology #majors #career #Theatre

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Amit’s Answer

Hi Audrey,

You are definitely not crazy! There is nothing against a double major in fields that are not common connected. If you can fit all of the courses needed to complete the major without having to sacrifice too much/extend your time on campus, then you should go for it. Who knows, maybe a lot of what you learn through one major will help you excel in the other major. In addition, you will have exposure to many different courses while working towards your goals.


Hope this helps,

Amit 

Amit recommends the following next steps:

Research both programs are your university and see if it is possible to take courses towards both majors without having conflicting class
Thank you comment icon Thank you Amit! I was worried that taking such varied majors was a bad idea, but I'm excited to explore both my passions :) Aubrey
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Carrie’s Answer

HI Aubrey,


First, I strongly agree with Ken and highly recommend you look into taking the Birkman questionnaire to assess your fit into different career paths. If you can't find someone local, I'd be happy to help you out with that. And the more you can learn early on about the daily life of different professionals, the more prepared and ahead of the pack you will be in college.


second, INTERN!!! Go to your local community theatre - and don't be afraid to also go to a professional theatre, if you have one near you. They would love to have you volunteer. And I'm sure you realize that Theatre is about so much more than just acting.... Volunteer for a few weeks in the scene shop, then move to costumes, usher and help run front of house. Learn about sound, lights and stage management - you may find a new love.


Lastly, Psychology and acting are not totally unrelated. Two words for you: Art Therapy! If you do end up double majoring, they will complement each other great. They both study human emotions, bahavior and interpersonal relations. If you fall in love with both and are leaning towards the clinical side look into art therapy, who knows it may marry two passions into a perfect career path for you. I'm sure it will only take you a few classes in each area to figure this out.


Best of luck to you!

Carrie recommends the following next steps:

Take the Birkman questionnaire or a similar assessment as soon as you can.
Intern as much as possible. Not only will it help you figure out where you belong, it will help you actually get jobs!
Shadow professionals in any and all areas you are interested in. Find someone along the way you connect with? Even if you don't fall in love with their career path you can ask them to be a mentor. And if you do: follow up, follow through and keep the relationship alive. If you ask for their help its your responsibility to make the relationship worth while for both of you.
Thank you comment icon Carrie, thank you so much! I'll definitely do some volunteering at some theatres, in fact it's what I'll be doing for my senior project hours! Aubrey
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Ken’s Answer

You may not need to take a double major, as may very well be able to have one as a major and one as a minor, the the best fit really depends on getting to know more about yourself and how your personality traits relate to those who are successful in your areas of interest.


Congratulations on being interested in finding the right career to follow.. It takes a special person to enter into a specific career field and meet the demands which that career area presents. The first step is to get to know yourself to see if you share the personality traits which make one successful in that area. The next step is doing networking to meet and talk to and possibly shadow people doing what you might think that you want to do to see if this is something that you really want to do, as a career area could look much different on the inside than it looks from the outside.  When I was doing college recruiting, I encountered too many students, who skipped these important steps, and ended up in a career/job for which they were ill suited.

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
• It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Thank you comment icon Ken, these are some awesome tips! I do have a follow up question. What interest and aptitude tests do you recommend? I'm sure there are plenty available on the world wide web but I'd like to make sure I'm taking a reliable one. Aubrey
Thank you comment icon The results will be much more meaningful and comprehensive if the testing is administered and interpreted by the professional counseling staff of your high school or college. Ken Simmons
Thank you comment icon Ok, I'll look into it at my high school. Thanks again for the help! Aubrey
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