Chapters 293 & 294: Major & Minor

On By samanthajillIn Thoughts

Happy Monday!

Hope you’re all having an excellent start to your week! 

So, part of college is deciding what subject you want to major in. Or in some cases, two subjects you want to pursue a career in. Or one main subject, and two lesser subjects. Or one main subject, and an another, lesser subject. That’s known as a “major/minor”, and that is what I am currently planning to decide upon this year.

And what am I planning to major/minor in you ask? Psychology, with a minor in Creative Writing.

I’ve been interested in Psychology for years, so it just seems like the natural course to take in my studies. I want to help people as much as possible, and learning about what makes a person ‘tick’ is a really interesting concept to me. And as many of you know, I love to write, and so I think minoring in Creative Writing is an excellent choice.

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So, what is/was your major/minor in college/university? Why did you choose it? Is your current career in that field, or something similar?

Hope you all have an awesome week! xxoo

 

68 thoughts on “Chapters 293 & 294: Major & Minor”

  1. I majored in English, but if the school had let me I would have gone for a double degree in English and then Psychology. I almost ended up majoring in Psychology, but I want to either teach literature or write novels, so English was the better option in the end. I’m teaching three different literature classes starting in the fall, so I guess I made the right choice!

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      1. BA in English Education and Broadfield Language Arts with a minor in Creative Writing. I feel your pain. Teaching gives a whole new perspective on writing / language arts. There is nothing like seeing the proverbial light come on and know that you had a hand in unlocking their passion. (of course there is nothing like seeing blank stares an glazed eyes at 7 am as you try to explain Hemingway either). Good luck with everything.

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  3. Your plan sounds perfect Samantha and if it is your plan it will always lead you to good places. My choices were a bit muddled and not entirely mine, what I learned was to keep true to my path and not give into the influence of others, something I remain vigilant about. Have a great week!

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  6. I majored in math and physics in college, but also had a psychology minor. I was interested in all of those subjects, and I am currently in graduate school pursuing a PhD in applied math.

    In psychology, my favorite sub-area is cognitive psychology, especially since some of the concepts are not innate to me.

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  7. gergy3

    I’m doing English Literature next year, and hopefully a minor in philosophy and/or something else. I chose it simply because I cannot imagine myself living a day doing something else, and I’ve been completely taken aback my literature from a young age, so I can’t wait basically!
    I hope you decide well!

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  8. awnnamarieevans

    I started out with a major in music and a minor in writing. It made me realize that studying any of the arts is pretty much the most frustrating thing ever. I could never get into being taught how to be creative. It took me about two months to realize I didn’t want to study it, changed my major to journalism and my minor to multicultural anthropology.

    I’m just about to start my sophomore year, but I’m on an accelerated track to graduate with a BA in Journalism in a total of 2.5 years. This summer I’m interning at a newspaper and I absolutely love it. It’s far enough from what I love not to make me hate it, but close enough to what I love for me not to hate doing the job.

    That’s all it is though, it’s a job. I could never see myself making a career of anything but creative writing. I just don’t think it’s something you need to study to be good at. In fact I think it might be the opposite.

    As for psychology, I think that’s a great choice! You’ve got a lot of career options to run with. Good luck!

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    1. I’ll be starting my sophomore year as well! I’m still deciding if I want to add a second subject to minor in, but it’ll be Creative Writing for now.

      As for creative writing, I chose it because I love to do it, even though it might not secure me a future job. Maybe it will though!

      And good luck to you too 🙂 xxoo

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  10. A group of folks at a bar waxed philosophically if the glass of whiskey was half full or half empty. An Irishman walked up, downed the whiskey and said, “Now you don’t have to worry about.” Study your passion. If you like what you do, the rest will take care of itself.

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  11. My major was originally supposed to be Accounting, but it was a 5 year program, I was out of state tuition, and my dad said 4 years only. I went with Business Management. It was a great decision. It gave me more options. Accounting would have pigeon-holed me. No minor, but I would have if I had known to choose one. I had no guidance through the process. I am halfway through my MBA in Marketing. But, now, though I thought I was so grown up at 18, believe 18 is too young to choose what to do for the rest of your life. I would love to become a nurse. Yes, yes, I could. I have applied and been accepted. I just don’t have the attention span for school right now… Which is why the MBA is only half done. Good luck to you! You have such a bright future ahead!! Learn all you can in school and life.

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  13. I majored in journalism (in which I work today) and minored in biology because science intrigued me and still does today. I had a friend who once told me that majors should be chosen for love and minors for like, although another friend rephrased it: majors for money, minors for love. Your choices are promising, I wish you the best of luck!

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  14. For awhile I was majoring in English, but then switched to Journalism. My current career is more of a job than a career. Freelance writing helps me pay my student loans and gain some experience.

    I’m hoping to minor in Creative Writing after I earn my Journalism degree 🙂

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  15. srwright607

    I went to University of Houston for psychology because I loved neuroscience and helping people with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. The job market shrank up and I’ve become a paralegal in the meantime to make a living. Being a psychologist you are getting a lot of your money from the state and it is hard to make a living doing that but it is always a good idea to pursue your dreams.

    I would be skeptical of anyone who says they survive off freelance writing or blogging. Most people get financial support from their parents or work on a cruiseline once a year to make 20k, it’s not “just the blog” like they are pretending.

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    1. It’s a really interesting story, because it also shows that your initial plans may not turn out the way you expect!
      Sometimes people figure out what they want to do for a career in after college too 🙂 xxoo

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      1. srwright607

        MOST of the time they do, and it was the job market that dictated what I ended up doing not my choice. When you have children you can’t just do what you’re passionate about. c’est la vie

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  16. My experience in both those subjects is that some of what is taught is valuable, but sadly some is utter hogwash! Teaching ‘creative writing’ and giving formula stuff, and regurgitating some of the utter bilge by psychologists who were definitely psycho … I am not a Freud fan.
    I say, replace that water with something alcoholic, and you’ll have my interest … 🙂

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  17. Coming from an old curmudgeon who has admittedly been in the wrong place at the wrong time most of his life… I’d say Creative Writing is really something to avoid. Personal experiences have shown that, in a lot of instances, they should probably call it UNcreative Writing; most of the instructors seem to want to bludgeon you into their style and preferences (and half the students, seeking to suck up in favor of a good grade, will form a gang that parrots that opinion).

    Judging by your posts, I’d say you’ve got the “creative” portion down (and most of the technical aspects, as well); I’d suggest something in Journalism or Literature (looks better on a resume, and is more likely to teach functional aspects that can improve your already-evident talent) while keeping a sideline of joining a writer’s/artist’s group or participating in workshops. But that’s just me. If the folks in your school’s program are more lenient/interesting/”creative,” then by all means, go for it.

    Good luck, whatever path you settle on. 🙂

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    1. Thank you for your advice! I’m only pursuing Creative Writing as a minor, because 1) My school doesn’t offer it as a major and 2) I know that a career in the field is highly unlikely. When I tell people that I plan to minor in it, I’m usually met with skepticism and concern. But I love it, so I’m willing to risk failure on the way.

      But because it might fail is another reason why I’m choosing to major in Psychology. I know that it’ll lead to more job opportunities, and I’m equally as interested in it. I think the combination will be successful, and hopefully lead to a happy and exciting future career. 🙂 xxoo

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  18. Philosophy because I realized Political Science would make my blood boil too often.

    Now I’m thoroughly confused about everything and have far too many questions to ask about anything and everything I see apart from becoming obscenely logical.

    Someone give me a job!

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  19. I’m majoring in Marketing and Philosophy and I still might pursue a Chinese minor! Marketing because I love the idea of building a brand – more than just a logo and ads, the brand is what your company has to say for itself and what it stands for. It’s like creating an identity for your target customers and convincing them that they should want to be that (oh, and buy stuff, too). Philosophy because I love logic and I love to be good at… thinking ha! Oh and Chinese because I’ve been to China and I think it’s an interesting culture and obviously a booming market a.k.a. its good to know Chinese if you’re a business major. 🙂

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  20. Bill Liktor

    Part of me is happy that I pursued philosophy in college, the other part wishes I had chosen a path that would have been more lucrative. I think you might have hit the right combination with english and psychology. All that time spent trying to get published can also be filled by having a decent paying job.

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  22. Wonderful that you’re choosing creative writing! I first thought of majoring in psychology but then chose English Lit, because I felt that reading fiction gave me more insight into the human mind. Also, the books were more enjoyable. 🙂 After college, I worked as an 11th grade English teacher for a year, then as a magazine writer and editor for 3 years, and then as a web producer for 10 years. Go figure. The career path is rarely straight after college, especially for people who major in the humanities. Now, I’m going back to writing, and also taking up photography. The important thing is to pursue what you love, and don’t give up when it gets hard. Work through the challenge; you will get better at it. Best of luck!

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  23. I received Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business because my parents said it was a “safe” major – should have majored in English Lit or something related. Just a little late finding my path, I guess. Do what you love.

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  24. Suilan

    I majored in Accounting with a minor in English Lit. Strange combination, but they catered for the two things I ended up doing later on in life. Business and writing. I think it takes a few tries to settle into what you want. Other times you might start out doing one major and in the middle you discover something you love. Hence, I still do business but my love is writing.

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  25. I’m going through the same dilemma. I’ve to choose one subject to major in, and two minors. And these are the subjects I absolutely love: Psychology, education, mass communication. But the thing is, I love them all! Okay so my interest in psychology exceeds the others slightly, but I don’t think I could pursue a proper career in it! Also, the people here are slightly prejudiced against psychology. (Hey, that could be my next topic for blog 😀 ) And then there’s education. I’ve always wanted to teach in government institutions… But the thing is, the university I plan to go to, they don’t have a lot to offer in this subject. Though I aim to become the minister of education for my country 🙂 … And then there’s mass communication. My sister majored in this. So I know how awesome it is to study this. I know I’ll get good guidance from her about it too. And I absolutely love to write, and to make my words matter. So you see, i’m totally and utterly confused… 😀 But I have about 3 months to figure it out.
    Good luck with finding your way!!

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