As a student at Grand Valley State University pursuing two vastly different degrees, I’ve found it very difficult to manage what you need to know and what classes you have to take. 

I am a double major in biomedical sciences and English language and literature who is also in the honors college, which basically means I have a lot of classes to complete and a lot of advisors to meet with. 

Now that I’m in my junior year at GVSU, it’s been really important for me to try and figure out what I need to do to make sure that I am graduating in four years with both a bachelor of art and science. Being a double major is great due to the variety of classes and information you learn about, but it can be easy to lose track of what requirements are being met. 

There are a few things things I’ve learned along the way that’ll help anyone else looking to get two degrees in different fields. 

First of all, you need 150 credits to graduate, not 120. While this is a 30-credit difference, it’s honestly not too difficult to obtain depending on the programs that you’re doing. 

In addition, it’s important to note that you need to take a language for a bachelor of arts degree. GVSU requires three semesters if you don’t take a language placement exam or carry over credits from high school. 

It can be overwhelming at times trying to meet with all of the different advisors and figure out what classes you need to be taking each semester. I recommend trying to sort your classes on your own and then making a checklist so you’re prepared when/if you decide to meet with your advisors. 

In terms of whether you have general education requirements or honors requirements, you’ll also need to fulfill those as well. While I can’t speak on general education requirements (because I don’t have them), honors is a whole different story. 

One of the best ways to fulfill your honors requirements is studying abroad. While it’s expensive, it ends up being worth it for the amount of classes it counts towards. 

Being a dual-degree seeking student can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. There are ways to double dip in your classes depending on the majors that you have, and advisors are always willing to help and make adjustments.