Academic advice needed

Hello everyone,

So I am up very late (or early lol) 3.50 am and have something on my mind I have randomly been polling people about, even though I know the decision is ultimately mine....here goes.....

right now I am entering my senior year in college. I am a straight A student for the most part and am a double major in Sociology and French. I was originally only a Soc. major with Spanish as my minor. I absolutely fell in love with sociology when I took the intro. class out of interest and was only taking French at the time as something to fullfill requirements I needed. But then I fell in love with French and went all out with the major my sophomore year (after declaring my Soc. major earlier that fall before I realized double majoring in that and French was an option)....well during my sophomore and junior year my interest in French really took off and most of my coursework was centered around that. I was even asked to write an honors thesis in the field last year. I am also a Spanish minor (I completed that though a while ago, so that isn't an issue)

So now I am going into my senior yea rlike I said, but in the fall have a huge course load (with the most amount of hours they permit a student to take), mostly b/c I have three uper level classes for soc. left, 1 for French, and have to start my thesis. I am becomming a little apprehanive now about if I am going to be able to pull that off along with three jobs and no days off during the week. I was contemplating dropping my thesis, but now am thinking maybe putting all my effort into just French would be worth it and turining sociology into a minor (which would already be completed)....that would really lighten my work load and actually allow me to have a social life my final year.

on the other hand having only 3 classes left to complete the soc. major and having succeeded in the field I can't help but feel funny dropping it...I mean I still like it and all, but almost feel like I majored in it initially b/c I didn't "know about" French for me (if that makes sense)....plus isn't a double major much more marketable than a single? I also always thought soc. was more stable for me than my foreign language majors and minors...why I don't know

I worry about my Soc. Professors reactions, being thrown out of their honor society, and what people may say (don't want to look lazy!)....

I almost feel like it's a question of writing a thesis or double majoring...and choosing that is very difficult...I have no idea which would be more beneficial

I just don't know what to do, b/c I want to do all those things and probably canif I really wanted to,...I just worry about what kind of year it is going to be....

any advice would be greatly appreciated...

again, I know it's utliamtely up to me

it totally depends on what's next for you.  if you're looking for a job, chances are they'll really only be interested in the fact that you have a degree (you're not technically going to be a sociologist, right?).

if you're looking at grad school, you should probably talk to potential supervisors.

multiple majors/minors are definitely a plus if you want to teach.  otherwise, it's self-imposed torture in the interest of academic advancement.  it's not much use in the real world.  if it gives you fulfilment, go for it, but don't do it because you think other people will care, because they'll probably never ask.

guess I should have included that...I would like to most likely go directly to Grad school for either a MAT degree in teaching French or to achieve an MA in French/French studies.....or possibly teach for a program like Teach for America

okay, simple then: which route will make you the better teacher?

incidentally, i'm not a teacher, but i've been a support worker in four different schools (and i've been a student in many more than that) and i can tell you with some authority that more education does not make a better teacher.  it just makes a better-paid teacher. 

if there's any one thing that makes for a better teacher, it's experience outside of academia. 

I have never heard anyone say, "I wish I didn't get that degree.  I have heard many people say, "I should have just finished that degree.  I was so close."

well I mean I'm not really "dropping a degree," just replacing one my majors with an Honors thesis....I was never clear on this, are you even considered to have "two degrees" if you major in two disciplines under the same major....like don't I still only receive one B.A.?

Talk to your academic advisor at the college about getting two degrees since you did the work for two majors.  He/she can tell you how the degrees are awarded.  If you have the money for tuition, I don't think it is ever a bad idea to finish the course work for two degrees (especially since you are so close), even if you technically only get one BA degree.

Look at it this way.  You don't know where you will be in 20 years.  If you are searching for a job, any job, it would be better to say something like, "I've done all the course work for my sociology degree.  I also have a degree in French and I minor in Spanish."   That will show future employers what a dedicated, hard worker you are.  More job opportunities will be available to you.

I know you are feeling overwhelmed right now.  You might have to put your social life on hold for a few months, if it means many years of success and satisfaction in the future.  Can you lighten your load and take an extra semester to finish everything?  It is impressive that you are in the honor societies and working three jobs.  Keep up the good work. 

Original Post by lalce1:

So now I am going into my senior yea rlike I said, but in the fall have a huge course load (with the most amount of hours they permit a student to take), mostly b/c I have three uper level classes for soc. left, 1 for French, and have to start my thesis. I am becomming a little apprehanive now about if I am going to be able to pull that off along with three jobs and no days off during the week. I was contemplating dropping my thesis, but now am thinking maybe putting all my effort into just French would be worth it and turining sociology into a minor (which would already be completed)....that would really lighten my work load and actually allow me to have a social life my final year.

do what you love - the french. if you overload too much you wont finish anything.  if you take on too much you will only do a half-aassed job at everything. i went to school and worked and single-parented simultaneously so i do have some insight in overloading, time management and setting priorities.

talk to your advisors about putting your soc work on hold and FOCUS on where your heart is. immerse. enjoy. maybe if you loosen up on trying to perfect everything at once you will have time to really think and decide which path you prefer.

superwoman is a myth.

good luck girl!

Is it financially possible to just take an extra year/semester? That way you could spread out your coursework and still finish both. I know personally I would want to kick myself for getting so far and then not finishing it.

Hey I was in a similar situation as yours about a year ago. I was majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. I had declared Psychology as a major around my sophomore year and started working towards it. No biggie. Until I took a programming class and I absolutely loved it. So I was going for Psyc major and CS minor - until I thought about it more. Which one did I like better? Which major do I see myself working with later in the future? Computer Science. So I made it double degrees. But there was a slight problem, I wasn't going to be able to finish both degrees by the end of my senior year. I could have easily graduated on time with Psyc major and CS minor but I really wanted to work in programming field than useless Psyc bachelors. (I really think Bachelors in psyc is useless- in order to secure a job in psyc field - would require gradschool, masters or PhD. but if you just want a job, it's fine.)Oh and for some odd reason, minoring in Psyc wasn't an option. Besides, I was only 3 classes away from finishing that Psyc degree! I'd rather spend extra time to get the BS degree after all that time and effort I had put in it.

So I told my parents about wanting to take extra year to finish both degrees. And even then my course loads are usually 4~5 classes with all of them 400 lvl (for upperclassmen). Stressful yes. But in CS field, it's rather important to get CS degree (not necessary but strongly recommended) so I went with what I wanted to do with my life/future. And there's no shame in taking extra semester or year.

I'm not going to stay an extra semester/year. I have no shame in that. It's just I went to college with so many AP credits and actually could have graduated an entire year early with Soc and Spanish....when I added French and the Thesis that stretched it out to a fourth year....and if I actually wasn't writing a thesis I could have even graduated a semester early....my combined credits by the end of this point alone is well over what one needs to graduate from my school.....therefore I am not going to go from the advanced kid who was ahead of everyone to finish something just for the sake of finishing it without any reason....

the problem is not being able to finish the double major, it's a matter of wanting to stretch myself thin (even if I lets say get all A's, graduate with full honors, etc.) or hone in on one area I love I guess and still get those marks and graduate with full honors......yes it's three classes to finish the one major. But the question becomes really is it worth literally almost killing myself this fall and not even that....cutting other things like an honors thesis and some very prestigous extra curricular activites and honors.....many of these things have recently accumulated and professors come finding me to do things....I am not going to lie, I am have a HUGE problem saying no and like to appease everyone....it's just that has left me with a million classes, a thesis, and a bunch of things I have to participate in....it was manageable in the past...but now I'm not so sure...and again I'm not lazy AT ALL, just worried. :-/...I would go to my advisors, but I fear they will simply be biased for their own programs/classes etc., which is only going to mess me up further

Original Post by lalce1:

well I mean I'm not really "dropping a degree," just replacing one my majors with an Honors thesis....I was never clear on this, are you even considered to have "two degrees" if you major in two disciplines under the same major....like don't I still only receive one B.A.?

yep, one degree.  no extra credits for self-flagellation.

I think you have already answered your question, if you think you would be finishing the sociology just for the "sake of finishing it without any reason..." then quit it now.

If however you are interested in the knowledge you will gain from doing the extra sociology subjects then I would continue with them, I would also not drop the thesis, that is about the only part of your undergrad education that will help if you want to go on to grad school, knowing how to write a thesis will help if you go on to write a dissertation.  I would take an extra semester.

Contrary to what you think right now, life isn't a race, some things will take some people longer. you say you have no shame in taking longer, but clearly that isn't the case, you seem to fear going from being advanced, to being average. Personally I'd get over that, and assuming you can afford it, take the extra semester and finish everything. If you have troubles trying to please everybody, well that is a separate issue.