Warrior Insiders: Choosing a minor that's right for you
Just like the beginning of any essay or blog, your academic journey begins filled with so many possibilities. Often, the thought of choosing a minor can feel like an extra layer of stress over an already overwhelming mountain of new life decisions.
That said, the right minor can open up a wealth of opportunities for your career and your personal growth. By examining our priorities, we can make the choice a bit less overwhelming as we narrow the options of which minors to choose from.
After determining my priorities, I considered the order in which these priorities matter to me. Most importantly, I wanted my minor to equip me with the tools to be more inclusive in both the range of individuals I can assist with my psychology degree and the issues I can address.
Second, I wanted to ensure that my minor complements my major in a way that enhances the competitiveness of my academic resume for both graduate school applications and hiring processes.
My third priority was for the minor to be personally important to me. I found that once this particular priority was paired with the first two, it helped to narrow the scope of choices immensely, providing me with a much more palatable set of choices.
As a psychology major, you have numerous relevant minors to choose from to help specialize your degree. Options range from criminal justice, education, sociology, and biology to public health, foreign languages, and gender studies, offering endless possibilities.
As I considered my top priority, I was able to eliminate some options. While biology and public health are excellent and interesting minors (I've taken courses in both!), they may not necessarily enhance my accessibility or ability to assist a significantly larger number of people. Additionally, when focusing on competitiveness, certain minors are ruled out.
After eliminating minors that didn't meet the most crucial criteria, I can further narrow down my choices by considering smaller priorities. This process continues until I'm left with a decision, perhaps the only choice that aligns with my personal preferences. What matters to me on a personal level among the available minors that meet my criteria? What will bring me joy in studying and lead to a sense of fulfillment?
Pondering these priorities made my choice increasingly clear: a foreign language should be my minor. It allows me to be more accessible and provide help to a wider range of people. What's more, learning Spanish allows me to connect with my Mexican heritage — leaving me personally fulfilled. As I embark on this educational journey, I look forward to the rich experiences and meaningful connections it will undoubtedly bring.
By CLAS Ambassador Jenna Brombach, psychology major, Spanish minor