Since starting college, I have always found deciding on a major to be a challenge. It is a choice that shapes the rest of your life and alters your daily routine until the day you retire. It is understandable that doing the same exact thing every day may not be fun for everyone. Picking a minor that is unrelated to your major can change this and make your life after graduation interesting.

Before college, I decided that I wanted to be in Computer Engineering. However, after getting into college and taking a few courses, I realized that it was not for me. That is the interesting thing about starting college, it is like a guessing game where you try to figure out what you like and do not like. I ended up going in the opposite direction and decided to major in Business Management and Marketing. When making this switch, I was not sure what to expect. At the time, it was pretty much an “anything but this” decision. Luckily, I LOVED Business Management and Marketing and developed a great interest for it.

As a child, I loved the arts, especially photography. Being a transfer student, I took a couple photography classes at my old school and decided that I wanted to pick up a minor related to this topic. Farmingdale State College does not have a Photography minor, so I had to look at other options. This led me to the Visual Communications department where my world opened up. I noticed all of the possible classes I could take. For this minor, I could take PHOTOGRAPHY classes toward my minor! I was so excite. It was one of the best decisions I made at FSC, besides coming to this wonderful university itself.

Now, you may be wondering, “Why would someone in the business field pick up a minor in art?” That is where creativity comes in. If you think about the aspects of any business, or any job in general, there are many different workers. Whether it be the managers, the graphic designers, the marketers, or the accountants, there are many positions that need to be filled. Upon receiving a minor in a topic unrelated to your major, you are ideally able to fill TWO positions which will be more desirable to potential employers. This is because instead of hiring two people, they can hire one person who can do two jobs. Not only will it cut costs and save money at the business and organization, but the individual have a better opportunity for a higher salary. The skills you can obtain from choosing a different major and minor can take you far. So if you have a topic that you are interested in pursuing that is unrelated to your major, do not fear! Check out the minor programs in different departments, as Farmingdale State College has 30 different minor programs for you to look at. It may be easier to get a job this way than you might think!