Dear Editor,
The other day I was walking by the ostrich statue and overheard a tour guide exclaim something along the lines of, It is very rare that you will find a Tufts student who is neither double majoring nor pursuing a minor. When I was a prospective student, I actually paid attention to which schools mentioned the fact that a lot of the student body double majors, because how awesome would it be, I thought, to attend a school where everyone is passionate about so many things? During my freshman year, I was completely undecided about my major because so many subjects fascinated me, and I thought of myself as someone who would definitely double major or take advantage of one of the interdisciplinary, innovative minors that Tufts offers. This year, I finally decided on my one major, not long before I overheard this tour guides comment which almost made me second guess my decision.
This comment got me thinking about the amazing opportunities that a single major will give me during my undergraduate education. Earlier, I associated double majors with diverse interests, but now I feel like I have too many interests to package into two majors. I can take classes from as many departments as I want without worrying if they fulfill major requirements. I can study abroad for a semester, and if I wanted to, a full year. I can take four and a half classes every semester to have time for all the extracurriculars I am involved in. And I can take more classes than are required for my major to really dive deep into the graphs and numbers I love so much. According to Robert Mack, associate dean of undergraduate education, Many students define success by how much they can do, and ... many students are relieved when we talk and redefine success with experiences that are beyond that of an academic major or minor. In other words, having two majors does not define our success at Tufts; rather, success on this campus encompasses everything from taking classes that one finds interesting to holding leadership positions in campus organizations.
I understand that double majoring can be very beneficial and the right choice for many Jumbos, but I think more of us should consider single majoring. We came to a liberal arts college for a reason, to get a well-rounded education. The distribution requirements force us to take a handful of courses in different disciplines; however, this aspect of our education does not have to end with these courses. Its important to remember that we can go beyond the requirements laid out for us to further broaden our horizons and find more topics we are passionate about. For my arts distribution requirement, I took contemporary American theatre and realized that I enjoy looking at plays as an academic as well as an audience member. Ive also taken a bunch of classes that count for nothing and dont regret it for a second. So to all of you freshmen out there, just know that you have fellow Jumbos who will only graduate with one major and still receive an amazing liberal arts education.
Sincerely,
Allison Wainer
Class of 2016
