Why Triple Major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many employers value two related majors plus a foreign language.

Accounting & finance plus Spanish for one Big Four which acquired & expanded into Spanish speaking markets.

CS/econ/stats/data analysis are 4 majors which--if any combination--are favored by employers.

Creative writing/English/theater triple major for screenwriters.

Astonished by the posters who fail to understand the value of a triple majors as it creates more options for the student in the real world.

+1

Very few are just triple majoring without a plan. It's typically two majors that are related, and often have cross over requirements (CS and Data analytics or Accounting and finance or IR and history/political science) and then they add in a separate major that is helpful (think Spanish for any business major or health sciences major or IR). Very few are majoring in art history, accounting and Russian.

I think it's more accurate to say it’s a cool idea, but not necessarily helpful. Would an Accounting/Finance/Spanish major fare better than an Accounting/Spanish major with a few finance credits? Not really, but it's cool that they did all 3.

That’s not true. If 2 applicants have the same stats on Accounting and Spanish, then the applicant with such deep course work to obtain a Finance major within the same 4 years as the other applicant will stand out as more accomplished.

I don't care how accomplished you are. I care if you can do the job I'm hiring you for.

Exactly. And can I stand to spend 8-10 hours a day with you. Personality and ability to get along with coworkers matters. A lot. As does common sense. You could quadruple major but if you are a jerk or you can’t function in an office environment, it won’t matter.

Of course, Captain Obvious. The same holds true for someone who only single majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone on the Northwestern thread said it was easy to triple major there.

My question is why? Do employers now want/w pect this? Or are students driving this for done reason.

To me, triple majoring seems so limiting to me. Doesn’t all that focused effort remove the opportunity to try/explore new areas or to learn just for the sake of learning?

FWIW, loved my major in college. And it served me well after I graduated. But I can say the same about most of the electives I took - across many different areas. They helped expose me to the wide world of ideas, and engaged my mind and curiosity, too. I still refer to many of those classes now, 25 years later, though I ne er officially used them “professionally.”

I can only speak to my banking employer...but we don't care much about the number of majors (as long as you have one). Internships and other non-academic aspects are far more important.

If your majors consume so much of your time that you aren't networking with your peers or alums, then don't pursue multiple majors.

This is an extremely narrow view. This isn’t just about heading into banking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone on the Northwestern thread said it was easy to triple major there.

My question is why? Do employers now want/w pect this? Or are students driving this for done reason.

To me, triple majoring seems so limiting to me. Doesn’t all that focused effort remove the opportunity to try/explore new areas or to learn just for the sake of learning?

FWIW, loved my major in college. And it served me well after I graduated. But I can say the same about most of the electives I took - across many different areas. They helped expose me to the wide world of ideas, and engaged my mind and curiosity, too. I still refer to many of those classes now, 25 years later, though I ne er officially used them “professionally.”

I can only speak to my banking employer...but we don't care much about the number of majors (as long as you have one). Internships and other non-academic aspects are far more important.

If your majors consume so much of your time that you aren't networking with your peers or alums, then don't pursue multiple majors.

This is an extremely narrow view. This isn’t just about heading into banking.

I don't know any career where they are looking for students with triple majors, seeing as it's a pretty unpopular thing to do, even if you have the coursework for one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of a recent triple major graduate, who is headed to a top ten law school next year, two thoughts. First, being a triple major does get attention. It's not an instant passport to anything, but it always seems to spark a conversation about academic interests, which is usually a big plus. But second, your child should check on whether each major has a thesis or capstone requirement. My child worked his butt off with three theses, while most classmates coasted through senior year.

But that does not make your child better…or even normal TBH.

I am sure that most kids in your kid’s “top ten” law school did not triple, or even double major. It is not necessary is the point. And it is suspect in the eyes of some (ie “what are they trying to prove? Did they have any life outside of school”, etc).

Many of you are desperately trying to dissuade us from our perspective…but we disagree with you. Sorry for all of those (potentially) wasted hours and/or tuition dollars.

Parents whose kids had just one or 2 majors are getting all defensive & panicky here. Nobody is saying you or your kid is a loser. But FFS stop acting like it’s not impressive that a kid can be versatile & industrious enough to knock out 3 majors in 4 yrs. Just being able to configure their schedule to fit in 3 different sets of classes required for majors is quite an achievement, much less completing the classes themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s the natural follow up to the AP arms race. If people want to do it, they should. I don’t see it having any distinct advantage in the workplace, though, in most cases.

It can have an advantage with landing that first job. It’s special. It’s rare. And, it definitely has an advantage for that Ph.D. application!

Spoken like someone who doesn’t actually work in the commercial sector.

It doesn’t matter one bit in terms of landing that first job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many employers value two related majors plus a foreign language.

Accounting & finance plus Spanish for one Big Four which acquired & expanded into Spanish speaking markets.

CS/econ/stats/data analysis are 4 majors which--if any combination--are favored by employers.

Creative writing/English/theater triple major for screenwriters.

Astonished by the posters who fail to understand the value of a triple majors as it creates more options for the student in the real world.

+1

Very few are just triple majoring without a plan. It's typically two majors that are related, and often have cross over requirements (CS and Data analytics or Accounting and finance or IR and history/political science) and then they add in a separate major that is helpful (think Spanish for any business major or health sciences major or IR). Very few are majoring in art history, accounting and Russian.

I think it's more accurate to say it’s a cool idea, but not necessarily helpful. Would an Accounting/Finance/Spanish major fare better than an Accounting/Spanish major with a few finance credits? Not really, but it's cool that they did all 3.

That’s not true. If 2 applicants have the same stats on Accounting and Spanish, then the applicant with such deep course work to obtain a Finance major within the same 4 years as the other applicant will stand out as more accomplished.

I don't care how accomplished you are. I care if you can do the job I'm hiring you for.

Exactly. And can I stand to spend 8-10 hours a day with you. Personality and ability to get along with coworkers matters. A lot. As does common sense. You could quadruple major but if you are a jerk or you can’t function in an office environment, it won’t matter.

Of course, Captain Obvious. The same holds true for someone who only single majors.

Captain Obvious, the point is 3 majors don’t give you an advantage if you don’t have the soft skills. Some kids should be spending time networking and developing those skills instead of pursuing a third major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s the natural follow up to the AP arms race. If people want to do it, they should. I don’t see it having any distinct advantage in the workplace, though, in most cases.

It can have an advantage with landing that first job. It’s special. It’s rare. And, it definitely has an advantage for that Ph.D. application!

Does it? My kid is in the top PhD program for her field. One major and a minor at a LAC. What gained advantage were her publications and research and her networking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s the natural follow up to the AP arms race. If people want to do it, they should. I don’t see it having any distinct advantage in the workplace, though, in most cases.

It can have an advantage with landing that first job. It’s special. It’s rare. And, it definitely has an advantage for that Ph.D. application!

Does it? My kid is in the top PhD program for her field. One major and a minor at a LAC. What gained advantage were her publications and research and her networking.

PP here. It’s a STEM field fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s the natural follow up to the AP arms race. If people want to do it, they should. I don’t see it having any distinct advantage in the workplace, though, in most cases.

It can have an advantage with landing that first job. It’s special. It’s rare. And, it definitely has an advantage for that Ph.D. application!

Does it? My kid is in the top PhD program for her field. One major and a minor at a LAC. What gained advantage were her publications and research and her networking.

Is there really a "top PhD program in each field of study" ?

My understanding is that PhD programs were about matching research interests with a professor rather than targeting a specific university.

[Anonymous]

Double or triple majoring might be done because the student has a strong interest in an area with poor employment prospects so that student earns another major or two in order to have decent employment prospects upon finishing undergrad school. Otherwise, it might be on to grad school & more student loan debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of a recent triple major graduate, who is headed to a top ten law school next year, two thoughts. First, being a triple major does get attention. It's not an instant passport to anything, but it always seems to spark a conversation about academic interests, which is usually a big plus. But second, your child should check on whether each major has a thesis or capstone requirement. My child worked his butt off with three theses, while most classmates coasted through senior year.

But that does not make your child better…or even normal TBH.

I am sure that most kids in your kid’s “top ten” law school did not triple, or even double major. It is not necessary is the point. And it is suspect in the eyes of some (ie “what are they trying to prove? Did they have any life outside of school”, etc).

Many of you are desperately trying to dissuade us from our perspective…but we disagree with you. Sorry for all of those (potentially) wasted hours and/or tuition dollars.

Parents whose kids had just one or 2 majors are getting all defensive & panicky here. Nobody is saying you or your kid is a loser. But FFS stop acting like it’s not impressive that a kid can be versatile & industrious enough to knock out 3 majors in 4 yrs. Just being able to configure their schedule to fit in 3 different sets of classes required for majors is quite an achievement, much less completing the classes themselves.

Was going to double major but the intro courses were frankly beneath me so I did not. Took upper level courses in that field and another instead. If I saw a triple major I would think, wow, this kid really must like intro courses….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of a recent triple major graduate, who is headed to a top ten law school next year, two thoughts. First, being a triple major does get attention. It's not an instant passport to anything, but it always seems to spark a conversation about academic interests, which is usually a big plus. But second, your child should check on whether each major has a thesis or capstone requirement. My child worked his butt off with three theses, while most classmates coasted through senior year.

But that does not make your child better…or even normal TBH.

I am sure that most kids in your kid’s “top ten” law school did not triple, or even double major. It is not necessary is the point. And it is suspect in the eyes of some (ie “what are they trying to prove? Did they have any life outside of school”, etc).

Many of you are desperately trying to dissuade us from our perspective…but we disagree with you. Sorry for all of those (potentially) wasted hours and/or tuition dollars.

Parents whose kids had just one or 2 majors are getting all defensive & panicky here. Nobody is saying you or your kid is a loser. But FFS stop acting like it’s not impressive that a kid can be versatile & industrious enough to knock out 3 majors in 4 yrs. Just being able to configure their schedule to fit in 3 different sets of classes required for majors is quite an achievement, much less completing the classes themselves.

Sounds like you are defensive and "panicky" (I don't sense any panic from anyone in this thread BTW) when you realize the real world doesn't give a rat's a** about having multiple majors.

[Anonymous]

Triple major is a weird flex. If my kid wanted to do it, I would tell them to slow down on classes and have some fun instead.
I guess some kids take extra classes in the summer which gets expensive and may not be the best use of your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of a recent triple major graduate, who is headed to a top ten law school next year, two thoughts. First, being a triple major does get attention. It's not an instant passport to anything, but it always seems to spark a conversation about academic interests, which is usually a big plus. But second, your child should check on whether each major has a thesis or capstone requirement. My child worked his butt off with three theses, while most classmates coasted through senior year.

But that does not make your child better…or even normal TBH.

I am sure that most kids in your kid’s “top ten” law school did not triple, or even double major. It is not necessary is the point. And it is suspect in the eyes of some (ie “what are they trying to prove? Did they have any life outside of school”, etc).

Many of you are desperately trying to dissuade us from our perspective…but we disagree with you. Sorry for all of those (potentially) wasted hours and/or tuition dollars.

Parents whose kids had just one or 2 majors are getting all defensive & panicky here. Nobody is saying you or your kid is a loser. But FFS stop acting like it’s not impressive that a kid can be versatile & industrious enough to knock out 3 majors in 4 yrs. Just being able to configure their schedule to fit in 3 different sets of classes required for majors is quite an achievement, much less completing the classes themselves.

Was going to double major but the intro courses were frankly beneath me so I did not. Took upper level courses in that field and another instead. If I saw a triple major I would think, wow, this kid really must like intro courses….

In my experience, this is not accurate.

Students are able to triple major usually because the student enters a university with advanced standing in a particular subject area (or two) such as a foreign language or math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of a recent triple major graduate, who is headed to a top ten law school next year, two thoughts. First, being a triple major does get attention. It's not an instant passport to anything, but it always seems to spark a conversation about academic interests, which is usually a big plus. But second, your child should check on whether each major has a thesis or capstone requirement. My child worked his butt off with three theses, while most classmates coasted through senior year.

But that does not make your child better…or even normal TBH.

I am sure that most kids in your kid’s “top ten” law school did not triple, or even double major. It is not necessary is the point. And it is suspect in the eyes of some (ie “what are they trying to prove? Did they have any life outside of school”, etc).

Many of you are desperately trying to dissuade us from our perspective…but we disagree with you. Sorry for all of those (potentially) wasted hours and/or tuition dollars.

Read the post. We are not the ones getting defensive.

Parents whose kids had just one or 2 majors are getting all defensive & panicky here. Nobody is saying you or your kid is a loser. But FFS stop acting like it’s not impressive that a kid can be versatile & industrious enough to knock out 3 majors in 4 yrs. Just being able to configure their schedule to fit in 3 different sets of classes required for majors is quite an achievement, much less completing the classes themselves.