Once upon a time, I was an ambitious freshman contemplating a minor in psychology. As a social work student, I knew I wanted to concentrate on mental health in my field, so a minor in psychology seemed like a good fit. I enthusiastically spoke to my advisor about it. If I used all of my electives for minor courses, I only needed to add two additional classes to my curriculum to get the minor. As I debated which semesters I should add classes to, rearranging my entire planner to ensure a manageable workload, my advisor lent me a quizzical expression. 

My advisor asked me why I was trying to put forth so much effort just to get a minor in psychology. She explained that most employers aren’t going to be super impressed just because I have a minor. I have always been a stubborn person, so I insisted that I still wanted a minor in psychology. I wanted to learn as much as possible throughout my college years. 

As I went on to my sophomore and junior years, I realized just how much work I would be burdening myself with if I chose to pursue a minor. I’d need to take 18 hours of classes for two semesters if I wanted to graduate on time. A minor in psychology would require me to take at least two 300 or 400 level psychology courses at the same time I would be taking upper level social work courses. While this may not be an impossible workload for someone with great time management skills, my class and work responsibilities would eat up what little free time I currently have. 

As I researched the potential benefits of minors, I found little evidence that declaring a minor could expand my career opportunities. If I’ve learned anything in the past two and a half years of talking to administrators, employers and professors, it’s that classes and grade point average scores don’t mean anything unless you’re going to graduate school. What employers do like to see are Internships, volunteer experience and leadership roles. These are the things that stand out and impress on a résumé. These are the things you won’t have time for if you’re busy taming a massive course load. Instead of declaring a minor, I decided to pursue research with one of my professors and became the co-president of a mental health advocacy organization which I helped establish. 

There are many ways to pursue an education without taking formal classes. I am a big fan of reading. At my apartment, I have a stack of books written by successful psychologists on a number of interesting topics. There is nothing wrong with learning as much as you can. When you’re contemplating whether or not to choose a minor, though, remember that it’s the experience that counts, not the classes.