How to Pick a College Minor

College is the time you pick your career path and begin intense study of your chosen field. Most students focus on their college major because it’s the most important part of a college education. However, a college minor is the opportunity to explore a different field, pursue an interest or complement your major with a similar field of study.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Start making your college minor decision by writing down a list of areas that interest you and areas that complement your college major. Research your choice colleges, or the college you’re attending, for minors that fit your criteria.

2. Have fun with your college minor and choose something completely different from your major that excites you. This makes the extra work seem less tedious and lets you break away from the rigors of your regular studies. For example, if you’re majoring in marketing but enjoy criminal studies or the arts, minor in criminal justice, literature or art history.

3. Pick a college minor that complements your college major. A minor in sociology complements a degree in psychology, a philosophy minor complements a literature major and a business minor complements an accounting degree. This helps you develop your major area of study and looks good on a resume.

4. Choose a minor that stresses an area you struggle with and will benefit you after graduation. If you’re an English major but don’t write well, tweak your writing skills with a minor in creative writing.

5. Plan a minor around your future career or travel goals. Pick a foreign language minor if you plan on traveling after graduation or working in an area with a high population of non-native speakers.

6. Use a college minor for extra padding on your resume. If you lack work experience in your field, pick a college minor that enhances your college major and looks impressive on a resume. Any business or computer fields look good on a resume and help you land jobs.

Tips & Warnings

• If you pick a minor and want to study it deeper, talk to a counselor about switching from a minor to a double major.
• Don’t let people tell you a minor is useless. Even if you choose something just for fun, extra education is always valuable.