The Road to Double-Majoring
Kate talks about her decision to double-major in history and theater, answering some of the most common questions that she got asked about the process
Kate talks about her decision to double-major in history and theater, answering some of the most common questions that she got asked about the process
This week, my request for a double major got approved! This means that I will finally be able to fulfill my dream of saying “I’m majoring in history and theater”. Although I love the history major, I felt like something was missing from my college experience. Although it’s been less than a week since my declaration got approved, I’ve already gotten a lot of questions. So, I’m going to answer some of the most common ones that I’ve been getting.
How does Double Majoring Work?
In spring of your sophomore year, you can only declare one major. From there on, you can petition to the Academic Standing Committee to initiate your double major process! I waited until the fall so I could have a better understanding of the course catalogue for the next year to make sure that I would be able to meet all of the major requirements.
What does this mean for comps?
Double majoring means double comps. This is why a lot of people decide to pursue multiple minors instead of a double majoring, as double compsing during senior year is a lot. The history comps is always winter senior year, but the theater comps can be any term of your senior year, so this flexibility makes it possible for me to not be double compsing at the same time. Since both comps are so different from each other, I am also getting to work on totally different skills.
Why not minor?
A lot of people ask why I double major if I could just minor instead. The answer? I really want to do theater comps. Being able to put on a show of my design is something that really drew me to the theater major, but it also allows me to still pursue my passion of historical research. I also get to work with a strong community of other theater majors who are passionate about the same things I am!
How long have you been preparing to double-major?
To be honest, I hadn’t started on my major requirements much before this term (I spent most of my time completing the liberal arts requirements). My theater journey started in freshman year, and I didn’t discover my love for history until my sophomore year. Although I wasn’t sure exactly what majors I would be when I started Carleton, I knew that theater would always be a really important part of my life.
How did you decide?
Ultimately, I decided to double major by speaking a lot with my history advisor and the theater department. I made sure that I could feasibly get both majors and that I was prepared for the work ahead of me. Balancing my interests of theater and history is going to enrich my college education and I’m really excited for the road ahead! Although double-majoring isn’t for everyone, I think it’s definitely the right path for me.
Even though double-majoring at Carleton might be extensive, I’m really excited at the opportunity to be able to dive even more deeply into history and theater in these next two years! I’m really happy that I don’t have to choose between either of my passions.
Kate (she/her) is a junior History and Theater double major from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in the Vocal Studies Program and occasionally the Experimental Theater Board when her fight choreography skills are in high demand. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she can sing or play the ukulele. She loves the campus during all the seasons but thinks nothing could compare to the beautiful colors of Northfield in the fall. When not in class, you can find Kate either petting the nearest cat or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.