Registration time can be a moment of crucial realization for all of us, especially when all of the sudden you feel locked in a major you don’t like/don’t feel competent enough to complete. In times of major crises, Bwog is a key source of wisdom on campus and there to remind you that you probably won’t need to drop out.
You never liked your major. You decided on it following a cryptic email from your mother on “being practical about the future” and some vague statistics on Columbia’s website. You’ve regretted it ever since. You still remember that first lecture, sitting in the back row and desperately thinking, “four years isn’t that long, right?” Still, you soldier on. Somehow, you make it to your junior year.
And then… disaster strikes: midterms 2014. The straw that breaks the camel’s back. In full crisis-mode, you write a panicked email to Bwog:
Help! I’m a junior now and I NEED a major (the one I’m currently in is too hard). What major could I complete in the next three semesters??
You sign it “Majorly in Need” and you are.
Sound familiar? Don’t panic. In fact, take off your panic pants right now and put on your business bandana. You wearing it? Good. Because we’re about to get down to business. Here are some majors that you could (conceivably, not comfortably) finish in only three semesters, arranged in order of ascending point value:
- Ethnicity and Race Studies (27 points required; 8 classes minimum)
- History (29 points required; roughly 9-10 classes)
- Political Science (29 points required; roughly 9-10 classes)
- German Literature and Cultural History (30 points required; roughly 9-10 classes)
- English (30 points required; roughly 9-10 classes)
- Anthropology (30 points required; roughly 9-10 classes)
- Philosophy (30 points required; 10 classes minimum)
- American Studies (30 points required; roughly 9-10 classes) **note: the introductory course is not offered through 2016, so this is included on the list solely for future generations.
- Sociology (30-31 points required; roughly 9 classes)
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies (31 points required; roughly 10-11 classes)
- Hispanic Studies (33 points required; 11 classes minimum)
- Women’s and Gender Studies (11 classes minimum)
- Human Rights (32 points required; roughly 10-11 classes)
- Classics (34 points required; roughly 11 classes)
- Visual Arts (35 points required; roughly 12 classes)
- Religion (36 points required; 11 classes minimum)
- African-American Studies (36 points required; roughly 11-12 classes)
- Ancient Studies (36 points required; 12 classes minimum)
- Film Studies (36 points required; 12 classes minimum)
- Creative Writing (36 points required; 12 classes minimum)
Note: Because Bwog is lazy not your personal secretary, we didn’t check to see if each major’s course requirements were being offered in the next three semesters. That said, if you’re making this big of a decision, you should probably check the course directory yourself at some point.
Serious business via Shutterstock
11 Comments
@Anonymous Just concentrate in Statistics. It’s literally 6 classes. You can do it in a semester if you’re crazy enough.
@lol good luck doing philosophy in 3 semesters
@Anonymous don’t forgot neuroscience!
@Anonymous impossible because you have to take 2 semesters of bio consecutively and 2 semesters of neurobio after that, in addition to already having had at least 1 semester of chem (2 for most)
@Anonymous If you’re selecting your major based on what’s easiest, I don’t think you understand the reason for college.
@Anon what, pray tell, is ~**the reason for college**~ ?
@Anonymous Classics would be a really bad major to cram into 3 semesters, considering you have to take 2 ancient languages, and one of them for 4 semesters. Just do a concentration should be the advice.
@angsty classics student Word. You also need to learn how to read Greek and Latin before your points even start counting towards the major.
@Classics is my life Yeah… 1101 and 1102 for both languages don’t count, plus you need 20 points in the primary language from intermediate and higher level classes. You also have to do 2 of either survey, prose comp, and the thesis – so yeah it’s quite a bit more than 11 classes overall.
@even better advice you don’t need a major to graduate from columbia! you can just do a concentration, many of which are only 21 pts. try american studies. it’s interdisciplinary, so a lot of different classes can count toward your concentration. and it’s a great department!
@Anonymous No Psychology? It’s 30 points, 9-10 classes. Should be near the top.
…or you could just graduate with a concentration.