Not sure if every college offers this, but I majored in Interdisciplinary Studies! My degree let me pick 2 main areas of focus and 1 minor. It's different than double majoring; you're not taking on double credit hours since you're not doing the full coursework of two majors. Instead, you're doing basically half a major of each focus area, credits-wise. I think it made me very well-rounded and gave me a lot of flexibility in what I want to do. Some people pick focuses that go hand-in-hand, like Film and Creative Writing. Other people who have a huge range of interests have picked totally differing focuses. I knew one guy who did Comp Sci & Theater. Doing that can give you a really unique perspective at the intersection of two subjects. My only caution is that this major translates less directly into a specific job after graduation. But they do teach you how to market yourself and your skills before you graduate in the senior Capstone course. Could be a good way to explore your interests while still getting a degree!
Since you're passionate about Religion and Philosophy, you could choose those as your areas of focus! They usually make you choose a minor as well to make sure you're getting depth in a subject, not just breadth. Just make sure to get some sort of internship or practical experience in one of your areas before you graduate, if possible. I made the mistake of kinda coasting thru my degree without going for internships, so it's taken me a little longer to build experience. But I think you truly can make any major work for you eventually, as long as you're putting the work in. Experience seems to end up mattering more than the specifics of the subject. I know someone doing a Master's in folklore studies in Florida of all places, and she's getting plenty of opportunities! Follow what you're interested in and everything will fall into place. :)
Interdisciplinary Studies can seem kinda impractical since it doesn't create a specific career path for you immediately. But I think it becomes really useful in the long run, since employers will like to see versatility and well-roundedness. In my mind, it's kinda the modern equivalent of being a "Renaissance Man" getting knowledge in different areas.
Mar 9, 2025
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(US perspective) at my school at least people frequently did double majors even in seemingly “random” combos. interdisciplinary work is amazing, so you might find the overlap of both fields interesting (do some googling?). i’m also biased but sociology is like the macro version of psych and philosophy combined, so you may want to check that field out as well if you haven’t yet!
i also think humanities are undervalued in theory but very useful in practice. unlike psychology, philosophy isn’t really a “field” unless you plan to become a scholar/professor one day, but you’d still graduate with valuable skills/knowledge. obviously someone hiring a therapist, would generally hire a psych, social work, etc student. but for a lot of other grad school programs and careers wouldn’t be as partial to either field. for example, i once was even told by a lawyer that (American) law schools seek diversity of academic backgrounds, and sometimes prefer or at least equally value philosophy students to pre-law students.
you should also look into each program at your school, as they can differ by school. you might find the philosophy or psych programs at your chosen school actually don’t match any of your interests or goals, and that is a deciding factor to go with one over the other. ie, maybe you want to study the philosophy of gender but there are no female or gender-focused philosophy profs at your school; or maybe you want to do child psychology but no courses on that or related topics are ever offered. or, maybe you can do a double major to cover all your interest areas.
my very very hot take (in America at least) is that if you have multiple career interests or a career interest that doesn’t require very specialized skills (jobs like becoming a doctor or a visual artist, for example), i wouldn’t make what’s most employable your main factor. a well-rounded student from most backgrounds can find ways to find a good jobs in their field of choice. and excelling in a field you’re passionate about is MUCH easier than forcing yourself to study a subject you lack interest in but feel is more practical.
and of course if you haven’t started school yet i’d recommend spending your first semester with an intro course in each subject area you’re interested, if possible, so you can see sooner rather than later how you feel. and speak to the professors about their programs etc for a feel of the vibes lol
good luck! :)
Aug 30, 2024
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I went into college thinking I would study political science or maybe sociology. I went to a really unique school where I didn’t have gen eds so I could take whatever classes I wanted starting from my first semester. I ended up taking Ritual Theory with a prof that came highly recommended and ended up taking another class and an independent study project with her the next semester.
By the time I actually had to declare a major, I had accidentally acquired a good chunk of my major requirements, so while I stuck with religion some of the other classes I took in anthropology, history, philosophy, gender studies, and art ended up counting towards my major requirements, too.
I’m gonna be so for real: your major is not going to impact your job security unless you intend to go into a very specific field anyway. The job market is challenging for literally everyone right now, but studying something you are interested in might increase your chances of sticking through school and actually getting the degree if that’s what you’re going for.
I went for a multidisciplinary approach in taking lots of other classes and doing research through more of a religious studies lens, and I currently work in an academic library where that experience definitely comes in handy. When it comes to majoring in the humanities, the skills you develop matter more than the general topic you study to employers (unless you hone in on something ultra specific and decide to follow that path, but I wouldn’t expect you to have a specific plan at this point).
I loved studying religion (and anthropology) because what people care about matters! How people live and what they live for matters! The humanities are so rich and meaningful and I hope that your college experience is a meaningful one, even if it is primarily a pathway to employment.
Mar 9, 2025
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i loved & miss university, it really helped me figure out some things i was passionate about, have some cool experiences & learn a lot about myself, plus i just love learning and being in school in general (i always say if i was rich enough to not work i'd spend all my money getting degrees for fun), but that being said.... i no longer work in said field nor do i have any interest to at all lol
i feel like if you're going to go to college you need to be sure of your field and the possibilities that come from it, or at the very least, go into something broadly applicable and then do as many things as you can (related clubs, volunteering, competitions, whatever) that allow you to explore the field while there. i got a broad degree (comms) but then made the mistake of not exploring enough avenues while in school and wound up locked into one that i didn't like post-grad. tried to leverage my degree to break into fields i'd enjoy more, but with my focused background, it's unfortunately not enough.
Jun 18, 2024
Top Recs from @gforce2001
I love doing collages, cuz all you really need are magazine cutouts and glue. There's a very low barrier to entry, skill-wise AND supply-wise, unlike painting. Digital collages are fun too, but I try to have less screentime by doing the paper ones. If I want to re-use pieces instead of gluing them down permanently, sometimes I'll just take a picture of the current arrangement to immortalize it, and then start over on a new composition. That way, I don't have to constantly buy new magazines to get new cutouts. This is one of my favorite ones I've done so far:
Aug 22, 2024
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This is the only thing that keeps me sane at work. It's so slow right now. If anyone is wondering why I've posted like 9 times today.
Mar 9, 2025
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i always get stuck choosing which stuff to watch/read/get into next when i look at my huge former watchlists & TBR's. a lot of items are things i put on there years ago and never got around to, so usually by the time i check the list again, my tastes have totally changed. i realized it was hard to get myself excited or motivated about half the stuff i put on there anymore, but i felt indebted to knocking it out anyway just because it was on the list. i'd recommend letting your current feelings/impulses take the wheel, and trust that you'll come back around to any of the other options if they're right for you later on.
Apr 18, 2024