I am in my junior year, and I started as an engineering major but switched to history. I enjoy history, but the department here is small and doesn’t offer classes in the areas I want to focus on. There’s another university nearby with a much better history program and courses I’m interested in. Should I A) stay here, graduate, and go to grad school at the other university, B) transfer to the other university and take an extra year to graduate, or C) finish my degree here, then go back for another BA at the other university in history? What would make the most sense?
C is definitely not a good choice. A and B seem reasonable depending on what you want long-term, and if you’re planning to get a master’s degree.
Stick with engineering.
Mia said:
Stick with engineering.
Yeah, engineering may be tough, but it probably has better job prospects in the end.
Mia said:
Stick with engineering.
I haven’t been in engineering since my freshman year. I hated it, and I would’ve dropped out if I stayed.
Getting two bachelor’s degrees doesn’t make sense. You should stick with either option A or B.
Why not finish your current program and check out the reading materials from the other university? You can self-study and later consider grad school there.
Jason said:
Why not finish your current program and check out the reading materials from the other university? You can self-study and later consider grad school there.
I’m worried that if I go to grad school there without having taken classes in my interest area, I might struggle to keep up.
@Jane
That’s why it’s a good idea to check the readings now. Compare them with what you’re doing, and see if you can manage the material without transferring.
A second bachelor’s degree doesn’t seem helpful. Maybe consider independent study or transfer. What do you plan to do after graduation? What jobs are you aiming for, and what qualifications do they actually need? Getting another BA won’t necessarily help with that.
@LucyPiper
I’m getting a history teacher education degree, but honestly, I don’t feel confident about job prospects. I just want to focus on learning what I love right now, and I feel like I’m missing out on that with the classes here.
@Jane
I get that, but it’s probably best to finish the degree in the least expensive and time-consuming way, then do the extra learning on your own. If you’re planning to get a master’s, maybe stay where you are and then go to grad school at the other university.
I transferred in my second year, and it worked out well for me. I wouldn’t recommend getting another degree in the same field. Once you have your history degree, you can continue learning what you love independently.
Jane said:
@Chris
This is really encouraging, thanks for the advice!
Happy to help, feel free to ask if you have more questions!
If you can, double major. If not, transfer.
If it were me, I’d go back to engineering. History is interesting, but not super practical unless you pair it with something else. I have a minor in history, and my friend who majored in history is now an electrician.
@MarieraArteaga
I can’t see myself going back to engineering, I hated it. If I did, I’d just end up quitting.