At a university like Northern, presented with options upon options of majors and minors to choose from, it’s difficult to choose and narrow down a path to study.

Not all majors require minors. In fact, talks are now going around that minors won’t be required at all. But the majors that do currently require a minor can be a daunting decision. We rack our brains to figure out if we want to keep things similar to our major or perhaps pick a different area of study to enhance the program we chose as well as broaden our horizons.

Minors are a good way to study a little bit of everything, which was maybe where the idea stemmed from in the first place. But in reality, it’s hard to try and go through one program, let alone two at the same time. Especially if there’s societal pressure to complete a bachelor degree in four years. 

In defense for the idea of a minor, it is a similar experience to that of a double major. Of course the work load is smaller, but it’s an easier way to benefit from learning more than one thing during college years. A minor can put less stress on one’s schedule and therefore feasible to complete, all put toward creating a well-rounded individual.

However, having a minor can oftentimes distract a student from their end goal due to a shift in mind to refocus on another subject, or because classes may not overlap, end up costing the student more money in the long run because the time it takes to graduate is no longer within a four-year expectation. 

What are your thoughts on the requirement of a minor? Do you think it’s an important concept to maintain throughout public universities, or should they be cut out completely? Email a letter to us at The North Wind. We’d love to publish your thoughts.