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Minor vs. No Minor

preciousgems
edited February 2008 in General
I'm in my 2nd year of Criminology (just about to declare it as my major after this term) and up to this point, I haven't really thought whether I wanted to minor in anything.

I did some calculations quickly tonight and if I do decide to take up a minor at this point, I will stay behind one semester after my expected date of graduation. I've been thinking of a minor in English.

My question is...is it worth it? Does a minor really matter that much? I will definitely do it if it will somehow affect whether I get jobs or not or even my salary, but for those of you who did declare a minor and then went on to find jobs...did it really help? The one thing I'm afraid of is while job hunting, having to compete with someone who has the same major as I do, but they have the upper hand because of a minor.

Honestly, I just want to graduate and get out of here - I already wasted 1.5 years in the beginning taking classes that are of no use to me now.

Thoughts?

Comments

  • randomuser
    edited November 2007
    In my opinion you should only get a minor if you're not getting a major, otherwise its a waste of money.

    I dont think any employers are going to care about something you have a minor in, just the fact that you have the BA.
  • Kevin M.Kevin M.
    edited November 2007
    I'll put it like this...it doesn't hurt to have a minor. If you have the energy and resources to go through another couple of semesters, a minor can open up more options when it comes to choosing a career. For example, if you have a B.Sc. with a minor in something like criminology, it would be easy to switch careers if you ever wanted to. However, if you have only one major you are restricted to working in that field whether you like it or not. Obviously it depends on your degree and where you apply, but the person above is right too, most employers will value you based on your BA, not really what your major or minor is.

    P.S. I have a minor in English, and I think it's a good way to show employers that I am well versed and can articulate my arguments effectively. If it's only a couple more classes you have to take, why leave such a strength unproven...remember, a lot of English classes are offered through distance education so you may not even have to come to school.
  • baby e
    edited November 2007
    I need upper division courses in something other than my major anyway, so why not get those while completing your minor at the same time.

    ps im minoring in English too.
  • JayDub
    edited November 2007
    randomuser;17870 said:

    I dont think any employers are going to care about something you have a minor in, just the fact that you have the BA.
    A university is not a place to get trained for a job, it is for gaining education. I am getting a minor in criminology since my major requires 120 credits and the mandatory classes do not use up that much so I may as well use my electives for a minor.

    I have to graduate in a total of four years and I am going to be able to get my minor and major in that time.
  • randomuser
    edited November 2007
    I'm aware university is not a place to get trained for a job

    Most people dont even do work related to their own field when they grad with BA's, the fact you have a BA puts you ahead of a lot of people without a BA if you have similar work experience, I cant imagine any employers nitpicking to whether you got a minor or not, can it hurt to get a minor, no, but if you cant pull it off in the four years or you want to grad sooner why bother
  • toast
    edited November 2007
    if you want to get a job, go to BCIT, not university
  • andysh
    edited December 2007
    im doing a minor in criminology and legal studies.
  • Kevin M.Kevin M.
    edited December 2007
    toast;17925 said:
    if you want to get a job, go to BCIT, not university
    I concur
  • star
    edited February 2008
    So far, I heard three are minor in English and one in criminology or two?

    Are most English courese for minor are distance coureses? English is for practise and learn from some one who can explans.,if study by myself, i am not sure how much i can get those.
    PS, my first language is not English. Thats why I am considering to minor in English to improve my English skill.

    Anyone major in BA and minor in science or something?
  • illicit
    edited February 2008
    is a minor in BUSINESS going to make a difference? as in terms of a job. obviously it will help to have an extra credential.

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