When people ask me what my major is and I tell them I'm doing a double major, I receive mixed responses.

People will say to me "Wow," or "That's cool," or "That sounds like a lot of work." They're not wrong. A double major can be a lot of work.

But one time, a girl said to me, "Oh, you're an overachiever." I was confused and hurt by her words because I didn't see myself as an overachiever. I wasn't even sure I fully understood what an overachiever was. Overachievers are thought to be obsessed with success. They attempt to accomplish more work and aim to achieve the best results in whatever they do.

Sure, some people who complete a double major may fit the definition of an overachiever, but that doesn't define every person who decides to complete a double major. There are varying reasons as to why a person chooses to double major. The following are just a few reasons people decide to double major.

One reason people decide to double major is that they find themselves highly intrigued with two fields of study and they decide they want to study both in depth.

Another reason people decide to double major is that they see a double major as a gateway toward multiple career paths if they're unsure of what field they want to work in, or because they see a double major as an opportunity to switch career paths later in life.

An additional reason people decide to double major is that they see a double major as an optimal choice to maximize their potential in a career. For example, a person may decide to double major in business and psychology because they believe they would perform better in business if they understood the behavior of people. Both fields of a double major can apply to a person's career.

In addition to people who double major, there are people who triple major and people who earn a double degree. Some people who double major also choose to have a minor. Other people double minor or even triple minor, whether they have one major or two majors. Can all of these people be defined by the same standards and therefore be considered overachievers? That's unrealistic. They all have different reasons for majoring in, minoring in or even just studying multiple fields.

It's unfair to assume every person who chooses to double major is an overachiever. Every person is different, and you can't know a person's reasons for doing a double major unless they tell you.