It’s time to admit dual degrees are harder than single honours

There are many misconceptions about dual degrees, and the amount of work it takes is definitely one of them. Yes, we still have the same number of credits as single honours, but that doesn’t put us on a level footing. You’re studying two subjects together, gaining two degrees in the same amount of time a single honours student gains one.

Naturally, the more experience you have in one specific subject, the better for future assignments. So when we realise we missed out on that one module that's basically an introduction to the next one in year two, there’ll be that sinking feeling of realising the amount of work required to catch up.

Time is an abstract concept

Your tutor looks down on you for not being committed enough to their subject

You’ll be all too familiar with the disappointed look on your tutor’s face when they ask if you’re signed up to their module next year. You feel crushed yet again as you hear the words "the work you’re doing now will really help you out in my course next semester". You politely reply you’re a dualist, and will instead be studying something completely unrelated in your other department.

The single honours course ‘jokes’ are alien to you

When your lecturer feels the need to crack a joke referencing the module you don’t do, you’re left with no option but to laugh along awkwardly with all those smug single honours students.

You forget which subject you’re in

Roman Republic sources or Sidney's poetry today? In defence of those 1,300 courageous Sheffield dualists out there, this is one of the best aspects of our degree in terms of employability – flexibility. Employers love it, so all the more reason to endure three long years of catering to two different sets of requirements. If you’re lucky, there’ll even be moments when the two subjects overlap, leaving you feeling ahead of your single honours peers for once (it won't last).

Your friends and family think you’re an expert in both subjects (you’re not)

You’re expected to know everything about both subjects (impossible), which can make you feel like a bit of a failure when your mate starts firing you spontaneous quiz questions on your least favourite subject.

Imagination is all we need

The style guides are different. I repeat. The style guides are different.

Cue utter frustration to the point of breakdown when you realise you’re way over, or even worse, way under the word count the night before hand-in. In History, footnotes are included in the word count. And yes, you guessed it, in English they are not. But why not just consult the style guide, I hear you ask? It’s all well and good until you’ve got essays due in both subjects in the same week, leaving you flitting back and forth between those awful, gigantic word documents until the style guide of one subject starts morphing into that of the other. And you wonder why dual students look as though they’re in a state of constant confusion – it’s because they are.

The possibility of two dissertations

Which subject do I like more? Do I even like one of them enough to write 10,000 words on it? You’ll find yourself asking the same questions you did before filling out your UCAS form and writing that awful ‘mixed’ personal statement combining both these subjects you’ll probably have come to hate by now.

On Tuesday when Dave says he loved your point about quantitative history which you weren’t even sure was right, you’ll be internally screaming ‘I LOVE HISTORY’ so much you’ll be wondering why you ever picked your other subject. But come Wednesday when a lecturer confuses you even more than you thought humanly possible, you’ll be longing to go back to the safe haven of your other department.

To all those equally brave single honours students, us dualists thank you for all those times you helped us out and explained something when we did not have a clue what was going on in one of our subjects (but probably in both).