Triple majors make 27 at Cal noteworthy (SFGate)

First three paragraphs:

Quote:

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A remarkable thing about some UC Berkeley students, 27 of them to be exact, is that they don't think they're remarkable.

Like all 25,774 UC Berkeley undergrads, they are noteworthy for having earned a rare spot at one of the world's great universities.

But 0.1 percent of the brainy undergrads stand out for a different reason: They've packed three majors into the same four years most students use for one.

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overcompensating for lack of confidence in their major (jus sayn)

Davidson;842055176 said:

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overcompensating for lack of confidence in their major (jus sayn)

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This.

Davidson;842055176 said:

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overcompensating for lack of confidence in their major (jus sayn)

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+1

Have three majors is impressive but I much rather spend the extra time studying for another class out with friends. That is what college is all about.

It's not that impressive IMO unless the majors are in diverse subjects. Econ, math and stats? Those all require basically the same skills and probably have a lot of cross-listed electives to keep the units manageable by double or triple dipping. For someone strong in math who figures out the "course roadmap" early that should be very doable. Frankly I'm surprised Cal lets people combine those because to me they're too close.

I think every single scholarship athlete who graduates does something harder than any of this because they have to excel in 2 totally different realms. Just look at how many walkons leave the team to focus on academics, it ain't easy.

How many pre-med, business, and EE majors out there....?

hint: same # of rose bowl.....oh nvm

OldBlue1999;842055205 said:

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It's not that impressive IMO unless the majors are in diverse subjects. Econ, math and stats? Those all require basically the same skills and probably have a lot of cross-listed electives to keep the units manageable by double or triple dipping. For someone strong in math who figures out the "course roadmap" early that should be very doable. Frankly I'm surprised Cal lets people combine those because to me they're too close.

I think every single scholarship athlete who graduates does something harder than any of this because they have to excel in 2 totally different realms. Just look at how many walkons leave the team to focus on academics, it ain't easy.

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Econ, math and stats is a very good combo for grad school in econ. Most econ majors who want to do graduate work need to take a lot more math and stats than an undergraduate econ major requires, so you might as well pick up the degrees for the work while you are at it. Also a great combo for a high paid first position modeling/researching at a hedge fund.

I was almost Computer Science, Cognitive Science, and Economics triple, but as I got into upper divisions for the latter two, I started to dislike the professors and the subject matter, respectively, although I think I was just taking the wrong Econ classes (I took the easier upper div instead of the harder ones). It didn't seem that difficult to me and I partied a lot, studied very little.

Agree, econ, math and stats is a very good combo and you can get into forecast modeling, even for sports. While I have no connection, my sister wants me to mention math and stats to my 17 y.o. nephew who's good at math and into sports. I don't think he geeks out on sports enough however...it really takes an obsessive or a natural affinity with numbers but some kind of "social" or psychological sense of how society runs.

BTW, I don't think these kids are over-compensating because there's so few. My guess is they have OCD or are the crazy 0.01% over-achievers.

I majored in girls, golf, and skiing in college. I didn't get very good grades with the girls though.

^ are you triangle man????

beelzebear;842055162 said:

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Triple majors make 27 at Cal noteworthy (SFGate)

First three paragraphs:

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I love the triple major in math, physics, and chemistry. What a pussy. Obviously couldn't cut just one major in engineering....

Right, .....

I majored in Latin, History, Biochemistry, and Mathematics. We walked uphill 2-miles through the snow every day on the way to and from school. I had to get up in the morning at eleven o'clock each night, half an hour before I went to bed. I played 2 varsity sports and one club sport, was drunk every OTHER night, and graduated in 2 years.

Of course it was not all fun and games in those days. We had to prepare for the working world too. We worked twenty-nine hours a day down in the mill, and paid the mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our friends would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing "Hallelujah."

Tell that to the spoiled undergraduates of today and they won't believe you !

you really want to scare them? tell them you didn't have a iphone

How many have a bachelors in engineering physics, masters in physics and a PHD in Biophysics---all from UC Berkeley.

What's wrong with majoring in multiple majors? Just because you weren't able to do more than one doesn't mean they had to give up everything to do their three (or two).

Let people do what they want, some people like the learning (I know, a surprise about the people at Cal!).

I triple majored at Cal in poli sci, mass communications, and geography.

OldBlue1999;842055205 said:

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It's not that impressive IMO unless the majors are in diverse subjects. Econ, math and stats? Those all require basically the same skills and probably have a lot of cross-listed electives to keep the units manageable by double or triple dipping. For someone strong in math who figures out the "course roadmap" early that should be very doable. Frankly I'm surprised Cal lets people combine those because to me they're too close.

I think every single scholarship athlete who graduates does something harder than any of this because they have to excel in 2 totally different realms. Just look at how many walkons leave the team to focus on academics, it ain't easy.

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This is laughably ignorant. I double majored in EECS and math, there was not a lot of crossover between the two in terms of course requirements.

Triple majoring is impressive but I worry that it leaves one without sufficient depth in any of the fields. I know I struggled with it as a double major and didn't get to take all the classes that I wanted to even though I ended up with something like 150-160 total units (excluding AP credit units)

I'm triple minored, but only because there is no Education major.

Knew there'd be some hardass who took offense. Glad to help you out with a laugh.

BerkeleyChris;842055365 said:

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This is laughably ignorant. I double majored in EECS and math, there was not a lot of crossover between the two in terms of course requirements.

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Actually, Cal is kind of complicated on this. There's a thing called Simultaneous Degrees and Double Majors and they're two different things.

With double majors, there are "pre-set" in a way that allow you to Double Major with a pre-determined courseload that amalgamates the upper-division requirements of both majors. For example, on page 47 of the College of Engineering Announcements you can see the pre-defined courses that you have to take to double major in Bioengineering and MSE. It shaves off the upper division redundant courses (for example, you don't have to take the general Engineering Thermo class and the MSE Thermo class), and it has the added benefit that you only have to take one set of "breadth" courses to go towards your two majors. The double major courseload is smaller than the sum of the two individual courseloads needed for each degree.

If any of you double-majored at Cal, you got one Diploma with a double major distinction.

With simultaneous degrees, it's as if you're taking the courses to fulfill one degree, then the other. That means that you have to take 2 sets of lower-division breadth courses and you're only allowed to transfer credit from 2 upper-division courses from one degree to satisfy requirements for the other degree (given that the upper-division courses are redundant). Simultaneous degrees are much more difficult to get, if only because you have to take so many breadth courses (Berkeley boots you out once you've reached a certain unit ceiling).

However, if you get simultaneous degrees, you get two Diplomas.

So BerkeleyChris, I'm gathering that since your two majors were in two different colleges, you got simultaneous degrees that made you take double the breadth courses and complete the upper division courses as if you were doing them separately.

I can't imagine that these "triple" majors are triple simultaneous degrees, but are a combination of the pre-set double (triple) majors and simultaneous degrees.

Having two majors vs having two degrees (from two different colleges) is a huge difference. The second is much harder to pull off. Although I think if you're good enough to pull off the simultaneous degrees, I think it's more worth it to get a bachelor's+graduate degree in the same amount of time, rather than 2 bachelor degrees. Graduate degrees take much less time to complete than bachelor degrees and open you up to better opportunities.

yellerbear;842055413 said:

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Actually, Cal is kind of complicated on this. There's a thing called Simultaneous Degrees and Double Majors and they're two different things.

With double majors, there are "pre-set" in a way that allow you to Double Major with a pre-determined courseload that amalgamates the upper-division requirements of both majors. For example, on page 47 of the College of Engineering Announcements you can see the pre-defined courses that you have to take to double major in Bioengineering and MSE. It shaves off the upper division redundant courses (for example, you don't have to take the general Engineering Thermo class and the MSE Thermo class), and it has the added benefit that you only have to take one set of "breadth" courses to go towards your two majors. The double major courseload is smaller than the sum of the two individual courseloads needed for each degree.

If any of you double-majored at Cal, you got one Diploma with a double major distinction.

With simultaneous degrees, it's as if you're taking the courses to fulfill one degree, then the other. That means that you have to take 2 sets of lower-division breadth courses and you're only allowed to transfer credit from 2 upper-division courses from one degree to satisfy requirements for the other degree (given that the upper-division courses are redundant). Simultaneous degrees are much more difficult to get, if only because you have to take so many breadth courses (Berkeley boots you out once you've reached a certain unit ceiling).

However, if you get simultaneous degrees, you get two Diplomas.

So BerkeleyChris, I'm gathering that since your two majors were in two different colleges, you got simultaneous degrees that made you take double the breadth courses and complete the upper division courses as if you were doing them separately.

I can't imagine that these "triple" majors are triple simultaneous degrees, but are a combination of the pre-set double (triple) majors and simultaneous degrees.

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I was two classes away from a simultaneous degree in mech engineering and biology. BA and BS. But I couldn't finish in time. From what I remember, there was a cap on the number total units you can have at 4 years. Simultaneous degree is way harder then double major because of the two sets of breath courses.

quadruple majors, anyone?

Hey Yellerbear:

I'm home -- not at the office -- so I'm writing this off the top of my head.....but I think I have this correct.

Your first statement was correct: “Actually, Cal is kind of complicated on this. There's a thing called Simultaneous Degrees and Double Majors and they're two different things.”

But you go astray after that. I think you are confusing what happens specifically in Engineering with University rules.

Basically, a student taking a double or simultaneous degree is completing the requirements of two different majors. The student has to fulfill all requirements of each major -- and the student is only allowed to overlap two courses between the majors to fulfill upper division requirements. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DOUBLE AND SIMULTANEOUS majors is the home college of the two majors. A double major program consists of two majors from the same college resulting in a Bachelor of Arts degree with two majors, with one diploma issued. For example: Double in Sociology and Biology. Simultaneous degree programs consist of a major in one colelge and another from a different school or college on the campus. For example: Social Welfare and Business. Make note that when Bearfan mentions he/she almost earned the simultaneous degree, his two majors (Biol and Mech Engineering) were in two different colleges.

As for the Engineering Double majors you refer to -- those are joint programs which are unique to the College of Engineering. I suspect Joint programs have different rules and that's why they have the term "Joint" applied to them. Except for the College of Chemistry’s Chemical Engineering Joint Major, no other college has Joint Programs. There are no joint majors in L&S for example, the largest college on campus.


Beyond that -- wow -- this board has a LOT of hostility towards brilliant students who want to do triple majors. The negativity of this board still amazes me.

TheAdvisingBear;842055577 said:

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Beyond that -- wow -- this board has a LOT of hostility towards brilliant students who want to do triple majors. The negativity of this board still amazes me.

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Indeed. I'm also amazed at the hostility towards any student taking on more or excelling, particularly at your own school. So much so I didn't want to mention simultaneous degrees.

MCB, Math, and Physics:

http://www.hhmi.org/research/fellows/kerr_bio.html

All three departments wanted him for grad school, but he chose Biology at UCSD. Not sure he really *needs* all of that abstract mathematics for his career, but if it interested him then fine.

In comparison, a had a classmate in Physics who took the opposite route and took every single Physics class offered - undergrad and grad. I guess it depends on if one values depth or breadth.

dimitrig;842055643 said:

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MCB, Math, and Physics:

http://www.hhmi.org/research/fellows/kerr_bio.html

All three departments wanted him for grad school, but he chose Biology at UCSD. Not sure he really *needs* all of that abstract mathematics for his career, but if it interested him then fine.

In comparison, a had a classmate in Physics who took the opposite route and took every single Physics class offered - undergrad and grad. I guess it depends on if one values depth or breadth.

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I like the idea of breath, but for a purpose. I wish I got a business minor and some more CS. But it's difficult to know the future unless you have smart people guiding your career.

TheAdvisingBear;842055577 said:

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Hey Yellerbear:

I'm home -- not at the office -- so I'm writing this off the top of my head.....but I think I have this correct.

Your first statement was correct: "Actually, Cal is kind of complicated on this. There's a thing called Simultaneous Degrees and Double Majors and they're two different things."

But you go astray after that. I think you are confusing what happens specifically in Engineering with University rules.

Basically, a student taking a double or simultaneous degree is completing the requirements of two different majors. The student has to fulfill all requirements of each major -- and the student is only allowed to overlap two courses between the majors to fulfill upper division requirements. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DOUBLE AND SIMULTANEOUS majors is the home college of the two majors. A double major program consists of two majors from the same college resulting in a Bachelor of Arts degree with two majors, with one diploma issued. For example: Double in Sociology and Biology. Simultaneous degree programs consist of a major in one colelge and another from a different school or college on the campus. For example: Social Welfare and Business. Make note that when Bearfan mentions he/she almost earned the simultaneous degree, his two majors (Biol and Mech Engineering) were in two different colleges.

As for the Engineering Double majors you refer to -- those are joint programs which are unique to the College of Engineering. I suspect Joint programs have different rules and that's why they have the term "Joint" applied to them. Except for the College of Chemistry's Chemical Engineering Joint Major, no other college has Joint Programs. There are no joint majors in L&S for example, the largest college on campus.


Beyond that -- wow -- this board has a LOT of hostility towards brilliant students who want to do triple majors. The negativity of this board still amazes me.

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I defer to you, AdvisingBear. I only have experience with the CoE, and I figured it translated to the rest of the campus!

mdcspe69;842055265 said:

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How many have a bachelors in engineering physics, masters in physics and a PHD in Biophysics---all from UC Berkeley.

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That sounds great, but nothing beats the mcgill BA, cornell MS and utah PhD.