The pressure to figure out what your major will be is felt as early as your summer orientation program and the stress levels immediately start to rise. Your major is important of course, and you need to take some introductory courses to get a feel for your interest area. You’re starting to grow up, making decisions about what to take on and what to leave behind.
One thing you shouldn’t leave behind and definitely should take on if you have any interest in it is a minor or major in a foreign language. There are many tangible and intangible benefits to learning another language and finishing your college degree with some form of degree in it. To start, the best way to learn about another culture is through its language and you should take advantage of this opportunity while you are in college!
Foreign language professors at colleges and universities are typically from a country where the language is the official language, which gives you another opportunity to meet someone new and learn about a culture you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. While you’re in college, there are amazing options for study abroad, whether your language level is a beginner or more advanced.
Practice, practice, practice your grammar while staying in an apartment in France or over breakfast with your Spanish host mother. Finally, foreign language experience is important to employers. While you may not be heading into the field of translating or even using the language directly, employers want to see that you have experience with diversity and an interest in new things. You never know who you will meet that has a connection, big or small, to that language you learned every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in college- use it to your advantage!