Why you should take classes outside your major


When it comes to college, you face a lot of big decisions. What should you study? Will these classes help you start your career? Should you really go to that party tonight? There’s so much you have to ask yourself and it can be a while before you get the answers you need. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and trust your instincts. That’s why when it comes to taking classes outside of your major, you shouldn’t hesitate – just go for it. You’ll be glad you did.

Looking for variety

As exciting as college is, it can get boring pretty fast. Even if you’re studying something you’re passionate about, there’s going to be times when you’re sick and tired of your classes. Thankfully, if you choose other things to do that are outside of your major, you’ll have a bit more variety in your daily schedule. Rather than doing the same thing day after day, you’ll feel like you’re always doing something a bit different.

Photo: Unsplash.com

Developing extra skills

Another benefit to broadening your choice of classes is that you’ll develop skills in a wider variety of areas. Rather than being an expert in one discipline, you’ll be reasonably adept at several of them. That helps you become more of a well-rounded person, something that a future employer may well be looking for. Those additional classes might seem irrelevant to your major, but they could still look good on a résumé.

Expanding your social circle

The reason that many people love college so much is because it introduced them to life-long friends. It’s typically believed that the classmates you get to know during those three to four years become the people you’re closest to in later life. For that reason, it’s undoubtedly a great idea to get to know as many other students as possible. That’s why you should take classes outside of your major. It exposes you to new people on campus and allows you to meet someone who could one day be your future best friend.

Photo: Unsplash.com

Overcoming an obstacle

You’ll never get far in life if you’re always afraid to stray from your comfort zone. It’s important to put yourself out there and see what happens because you could learn something that you never knew before. By enrolling in a class for a subject you’re unfamiliar with, you’re allowing yourself the opportunity to do just that. That might not sound like a big deal now, but something like this will sit well with an employer. After all, they want to see that you can overcome obstacles and succeed.
If you’re ever going to take a risk in life, college is the place to do it. You have a platform where you can afford to test your limits and see what you can achieve in certain situations, so don’t waste it. A class outside of your major might sound counterintuitive when you’re a freshman, but you’ll soon come to realize just how much it can benefit you. That counts for both now and later on in life.

Recommended For You