#major declaration

Back in November, I declared my major in engineering science. You can read more about that process here. In that post, I wrote that “If not engineering, I think I would major in computer science or statistical and data science” and that “I hope to pursue a minor in computer science.” Well, I have now declared computer science as a second major. Next week, I will dive into the rationale behind this decision along with my academic journey to these fields.

The process of declaring was incredibly quick, literally two days. Like the engineering department, the computer science department has a preliminary form where you rank your top choice advisors. Because of the current remote situation, the form was digital. Within an hour I had received an email from the computer science department’s administrative assistant informing me that I had been assigned to my top choice advisor. From there, I filled out the actual major declaration form and emailed it to my new advisor and eventually to the registrar. Declaring second majors is super easy because beyond your own signature you only need that of your new advisor. With a primary major, you need the signature of your liberal arts advisor as well. By the next afternoon, my second major and secondary advisor had been officially added to my student profile in BannerWeb. This was a very exciting process because upon entering college I didn’t think a double STEM major would be possible. 

In general, double majoring is not all that difficult. Yes, it definitely requires some advance planning, but since I love planning that is really not a problem. In my case, the complexity arises from the fact that engineering alone is sort of like a double major. Okay, let’s break down that previous statement. The B.S. in engineering has 22 required classes (including technical depth electives). On the other hand, the computer science major (B.A.) has only 11. Engineering has far more required courses because it is a B.S. and because it has a lot of foundational math and science courses in addition to the 13 engineering courses. 

It is worth noting that coming into college with AP credit for CHM 111 and PHY 117 reduces the number of courses I need to take for engineering. I also have other AP credits that can be applied to the required 64 credits required outside of my computer science major. Double majoring is made a little easier by the ability to double-count a few courses to both majors. There isn’t a set number of courses that can be double-counted, but for a minor, only two courses can be double-counted. Fortunately for me, both majors require MTH 111 and CSC 111. While I tested out of CSC 111, I will still need to make up the credit. It is also possible to find a computer science elective to count as a technical depth course towards my engineering major or an engineering course to count towards my computer science major as an elective. While double majoring in two STEM fields allows for double-counting of a few credits, it is actually easier to pair a humanities or social science major with engineering. This may sound counterintuitive, but it is because the B.S. in engineering requires either the fulfillment of the Latin Honors distributional requirements or a minor in a non-STEM field. Thus, if you choose the latter you are already well on your way to a non-STEM major. 

hi hi! i wanted to pop in and give you all a few updates from me!! 

so - i have officially submitted my application to my school’s social work major program. now is sort of the waiting period, as the deadline isn’t actually until october 15th. so sometime toward the end of october i should have a result for whether or not i’ve been accepted into the program. 

since the swk program here is accredited by the CSWE, there are certain credentials that students must meet to be accepted and continue in the program throughout their school career. i meet all of the GPA requirements, so let’s cross our fingers yeah?? 

anyway i just wanted to post about it since i’m very anxious about this sort of in-between period of uncertainty, but i’m hopeful and pretty confident in my chances of being accepted.  

I am extremely excited to announce that I have officially declared my major as a Bachelor of Science in engineering science! As you may know, the engineering program here at Smith is a large part of why I chose Smith. You can read more about my college decision process here. It is really exciting to have declared, but in many ways, nothing has changed.

Deciding to officially declare was somewhat spur of the moment, but the intention to major in engineering has been a constant in my life for the past few years. That being said, I was open to the notion that being in college could change my mind. If not engineering, I think I would major in computer science or statistical and data science. To declare, I went to the engineering office (in Ford Hall) to pick up two forms. The first form had me rank the engineering professors so that I could be matched with a major advisor. The second form was the official declaration of my major. I filled out the forms and obtained a signature from my liberal arts advisor/ pre-major advisor. Next, I turned in the forms to the engineering office. This all happened on Thursday, November 21st. On Monday, November 25th, I received an email that my form had been processed. The next step was to pick up the official declaration form and turn it into the registrar’s office. At the registrar's office, my declaration became official as they entered my major into BannerWeb. I was happy to learn that I had been assigned to my top choice major advisor. My advisor is Kris Dorsey, my current engineering professor as well as my former liberal arts advisor.

It is my understanding that declaring in other departments is even easier. I think only the form needed is the official declaration form (with signatures from your liberal arts advisor and major advisor). To declare a second major, only the signature from your new advisor is needed. Most Smith students have until the end of sophomore year to declare their major. Engineering majors are expected to declare by Spring break their first year. Being a declared engineering major is important for registering for sophomore-level engineering classes.

I am, as of now, officially an animation major and visual effects minor!

I am way more than excited to start my classes. Spring quarter I take ANIM 180, which is the first animation class, Action Analysis I. I don't start visual effects classes until sophomore year.