First Year Experience

Academic Issues: Selecting a Major

For some students, choosing a major is a simple decision. But most freshmen don't know which major to select or which career they may want to pursue. So, if you are an undecided major, you're not alone.

Jewler, et. al, points out that career planning stresses the importance of knowing enough about yourself, your personal values system, and specific career fields so that you can consciously make appropriate decisions. Some careers have specific majors which prepare students for them. However, most career fields don't require a specific major and people with specific majors don't have to use them in usual ways. Also, keep in mind that a college major alone is not enough to land a job. Since there is a lot of competition for jobs, you need to gain various experiences during your academic career. You should try to do an internship, get a part-time job, and develop your leaderhsip skills by engaging in co-curricular activities.

Use your career goals to help make academic decisions about your major, internships, activities, etc. Also consider your goals when selecting a part-time and/or summer employment.

To help you select a major, you should explore the following resources. You could go to the Career Services office located in Campus Center 21 to receive assistance on matching majors/careers with your interests and personality type. Or you could stop by the First Year Experience office in Campus Center 60. You could also explore a web site the government sponsors on occupational outlooks. This site contains a lot of useful information which will help you while performing preliminary research of various careers. Another valuable resource is any of the collegiate unit Student Affairs offices. These offices can provide specific information about their degree and major programs. Select an appropriate office below.

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References:
Jewler, A. Jerome, Gardner, John, & McCarthy, Mary Jane. Your College Experience: Strategies for Success Wadsworth Publishing: Belmont, CA 1993.