Depending on how you decide to complete the Chem major, it can be very possible to complete one, two, or even three minors if you love liberal arts classes like I do! I’ve completed the major in a pretty unique way—I may technically be considered a biological concentration, but I took all the math required for the physical concentration within the major. I took two classes toward the major at University College London while I was studying abroad. I’ll also graduate with minors in Mathematics, Spanish, and Law and Society.
When you’re looking at the major elective list, you’ll notice that while there are plenty of upper-level Chem classes of course, there’s also a wide variety of other courses so you can also find another (or more than one) subject area from which to choose your electives. For example, I love math and biochemistry, so I used three Math courses towards both the Chem major and my Math minor and I took both the Biochem course and the lab as major electives.
Don’t be ashamed to not take the honors route within the major, do what’s right for you. I realized that while I love chemistry, I wanted lots of room to explore other classes like Social Inequality, U.S. Supreme Court, Virginia Woolf, or Melodrama and Cinema (in Spanish) and doing the non-honors route left me the room in my schedule to do so and to fulfill requirements for the Spanish and Law and Society minors.
Nina Hazra, ’21
CPA@Cornell 