(US perspective) at my school at least people frequently did double majors even in seemingly ārandomā combos. interdisciplinary work is amazing, so you might find the overlap of both fields interesting (do some googling?). iām 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 havenāt yet!
i also think humanities are undervalued in theory but very useful in practice. unlike psychology, philosophy isnāt really a āfieldā unless you plan to become a scholar/professor one day, but youād 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 wouldnāt 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 donāt 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 doesnāt require very specialized skills (jobs like becoming a doctor or a visual artist, for example), i wouldnāt make whatās 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 youāre 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 havenāt started school yet iād recommend spending your first semester with an intro course in each subject area youāre 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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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 the 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 post-grad. 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 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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I went into college thinking I would study political science or maybe sociology. I went to a really unique school where I didnāt 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.
Iām 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 thatās what youāre 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 wouldnāt 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 donāt think dream jobs exist in the way weāre told because work is draining and is exploitative no matter what but i definitely have as close to a ādream jobā in terms of, most of my job duties are things i really want to and enjoy doing. on the other hand it is a Job and it is a very stressful job (and often iām stressed about my work when iām not even working!) and the workplace isnāt the healthiest, to say the least. i really enjoyed college and my degree program (sociology & gender studies) is totally one some people think is āimpracticalā even though i got great research and writing skills and issue-based knowledge
however the job market rn is AWFUL and i have a lot of friends who have been unable to work in their field or exact job of choice but it really is across most fields (including STEM, except for maybe medical). i know some people who are already onto their second job that is exactly what they went to school for even if their first job wasnāt. i think most people donāt have their ideal-type of job first thing in their career; i have colleagues who had different types of jobs before coming to where i work.
in terms of college i 1000% think itās worth it, if anything for getting to expand your knowledge of the world. but a lot of degrees teach you skills and things that are broadly applicable regardless of the field or at least for more fields than is in the title. unless you are wanting a career that requires highly specific skills (i.e. biochemistry, graphic design etc) i would worry less about what degree you get. this is especially true at liberal arts colleges where you get broader freedom in what you take, so you can explore interests and extra skills in electives i.e. taking python as an english major or a creative writing course as a computer science major. and TBH the world is falling apart so you may as well enjoy the 4 years youād spend in school and try to get a job thatād make you feel somewhat fulfilled
and if you arenāt working your dream job and have the freedom to do so, iād try to do something easier/chiller if you can so that you can relax more and pursue things you want to do in your free time. and of course all this is very privileged, i was lucky to get good scholarships to school and donāt have any dependents; my mom had a very different experience but she always does cool stuff outside of work and childcare.
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being traditionally cool is really quite boring and iterative, and itās actually very cool and sexy to geek out about something you like or share bits of knowledge on a topic youāre passionate about
Aug 17, 2024
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WORKERāS DAY!!!! i love having a union, i love being a union steward and getting to support my unit. when my union won its contract, i got a pay bump, better benefits, and increased protection as a worker. š„³
unions help address racial and gender pay gaps, issues workplaces impose on families and those having kids, addressing unsafe conditions, plus things like better health insurance, wages and overtime, weingarten rights to representation, and more!!!
if you donāt have a union but are thinking about forming one, check out AFL-CIOās page (linked) or Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee. thereās always more power in a union!! āš„š¹
May 1, 2025
a million times cooler than the lackluster āsleekā tech color palette used today
Feb 22, 2025