Major Stressing: Two Majors, With a Minor on the Side
by Craig Briess

How to Choose Your Major
How I Became a Psych Major
How I Became a Photography Major
How Journalism Became My Destiny
Two Majors, With a Minor on the Side

When I first came to college, I wasn't sure what I wanted to study. I thought I'd listen to what all my friends and family said about taking the "right" and "pragmatic" majors, and go for something like business or economics. I'd never taken any of those types of courses before, though, so I wasn't convinced I'd enjoy them. In fact, I was pretty sure the next four years were going to be absolute drudgery.

The school I enrolled in had a program called a "Freshman Seminar." Every incoming freshman was strongly encouraged to take one of a number of "experimental" courses taught by professors who, most likely, had never formally studied the subject. A French professor would teach, for example, a course on dreams, an art professor would teach a course on death and dying. These seminars were meant to go beyond one field of study and show that all intellectual fields overlap.

I signed up for "Know Thyself," a philosophy class. We read the works of a number of famous thinkers — Augustine, Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, Malcolm X — and analyzed what they considered self-awareness to be. The class was taught by a religious studies professor.

I really loved his teaching style; he was very personable, always receptive to questions, and was more than willing to discuss the material on his own time. The following semester I took another course with him: History of Christianity and Origins of the New Testament. Before I knew it, I was a religious studies major — much to my own surprise.

What really appealed to me about religious studies was not only that it taught me to think critically, but that it also satisfied me on a personal and intellectual level. Since my freshman year, I've learned so much from all I've read and studied. I don't just mean academic learning; religious studies has opened up the more ethereal, untouchable side of learning, the part that gives one a better understanding of oneself and the surrounding world.

Religious thinkers are more like the average person than you'd think. They've grappled with the ups and downs of life, dealt with the economics and politics of the everyday world, and even struggled with love and sex (gasp!). Religious studies provides enough broad-reaching wisdom that it can be applicable to anyone from a Mormon to a hardcore Atheist.

Deux Autres? Pourquoi Pas!

I declared French as my double major the same time I declared religious studies. I guess you could say I fell into that one rather than actively choosing it: I'd taken French classes every semester from junior high right through high school. And my father's French, so I grew up immersed in the language somewhat, and spent many of my summers in France and Switzerland visiting friends and family. Before college started, I was required to take a French placement exam. I scored very well on the test, so I figured I might as well keep right on going.

My Asian studies minor was an easy decision to make, since many of the classes were cross-linked with my religious studies major. For example, Religions of China counted not towards both religious and Asian studies. I did have to take some courses that counted only for Asian Studies, though — like History of Chinese art and Japanese Culture.

It All Comes Together

Now that I'm a senior, I've had time to take some courses outside of my majors and minor. Last semester I finally took two business courses; one was general, the other focused on marketing. I enjoyed both thoroughly, and I think my religious studies courses helped me see the subject from a different angle than many of the other business majors there.

For instance, when I did marketing projects, I'd often think of the Chuang-Tzu, an old Chinese Taoist text that deals with life's constant changes. The text itself addresses the distinctions between good and bad, right and wrong, here and there. So when I sat down to discuss marketing plans and techniques with my partners, I tried to empty myself of all preconceived notions, forget every practical rule and idea I'd been taught in class, clear away my distinctions between "this" and "that." Most people would think it's an extremely odd way to approach anything, but it proved pretty useful. We were able to formulate completely unorthodox strategies and tactics, things so bizarre — yet efficient — that no one else had thought of them.

In addition, my religious studies courses helped remind me that even though we had great marketing plans and techniques, a "humanistic" understanding of the market was also critical. For example, Malt Liquor might be a great product, and we might have a killer ad campaign lined up for it, but why would we try to market it in a religious Muslim community?

It's true that we only have four years here, but still, so much pressure is placed on us to choose a single major, to focus on a single course of study instead of taking a general approach. There's too much emphasis on what our transcripts say rather than what we actually learn.

Many professors have told me the tides are turning, though; that employers are now looking for well-rounded individuals who really know how to think and can come up with original ideas. Still, I'm not convinced.

One thing I really can't stand is how people look down on what others study. If I say to someone studying economics or engineering that I'm a religious studies major, they look at me and say, "What are you going to do with that?"

There's a Chuang-Tzu proverb that says, "Good fortune is light as a feather, but nobody knows how to pick it up. Misfortune is heavy as the earth, but nobody knows how to stay out of its way." I think too many people fail to realize this. The success of life isn't about absolute pragmatism. It's often the experiences that personally enrich us and bring us happiness that help us become efficient, practical, successful people.

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How to Choose Your Major
How I Became a Psych Major
How I Became a Photography Major
How Journalism Became My Destiny
Two Majors, With a Minor on the Side

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