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There are many reasons or methods
people have for choosing a major. Consider which of the
following conditions are important to you:
Doesn't require courses I might make low grades
in:
- Evaluate your academic strengths
and weaknesses, based on previous courses.
- Read descriptions of course
requirements in catalog.
- Take an elective in the major on
a pass/fail basis.
- Request a syllabus for courses
that are required; review texts in the bookstore.
- Audit a class and complete
assignments.
Will be
really fun and interesting:
- Decide what you consider fun and
interesting, then read course descriptions.
- Try a volunteer job, work-study
job, summer job or field experience in an area related to that
major.
- Talk to upperclass students who
are in the major.
- Inquire within the department
about field experience offerings.
- Ask professors in the major about
their methods of teaching, sit in on some classes.
Is going
to have a "good" job outlook:
- Review resources in career
library (Career Services), such as the Occupational Outlook
Handbook.
- Talk to professionals in work
related to that major.
- Talk to counselors at Career
Services: review follow-up surveys on graduates.
- Ask academic advisors what other
students have done with their majors; what areas of concentration
have they designed with employability in mind?
- Career Services:
http://www.sru.edu/career
Builds on
my skills and teaches me new skills:
- Discover your skills and those
you want to develop by talking with a career counselor.
- Use the computerized guidance
system--DISCOVER (Career Services) or the Academic Advisement
Center.
- Ask people, in careers of
interest to you, what skills they need and use and what courses
they would recommend taking.
- Review resources in career
library (majors---skills---careers).
- Investigate practical experience
opportunities within the major.
Is acceptable to _________________ (my parents, friends,
spouse, etc.):
- Discuss your choices with these
"significant others." How well do their expectations match
with the goals you have set for yourself?
- Remember that your choices must
be realistic and interesting to you. You will be the one that has
to live with your choice(s).
- Provides a good foundation for
professional/graduate school.
- Talk to graduate advisors and
admission deans to determine required QPA and suggested (or
required) courses and majors.
- Read descriptions of programs and
requirement in professional/graduate school catalogs.
- Discuss merits or particular
majors as graduate school preparation with professionals in the
field.
Is consistent with my values and lifestyle:
- Visit the Counseling Center to
clarify values and take values/lifestyles/interest
inventories.
- Talk to students in the major--do
you share similar values and lifestyle preferences?
- Ask professors who teach major
courses why they enjoy the major.
- Attend a meeting of a club or
professional organization associated with the major.
- Talk to professionals in careers
related to the major--what lifestyles do they lead?
- Counseling Center:
http://www.sru.edu/pages/267.asp
Uses college credits I already have:
- Talk to academic advisors about
requirements and unique combinations.
Making the most of your electives:
- Take a second major - preferably
quite different from your declared major.
- Develop an occupation-related
skill. (A liberal arts curriculum is not intended to prepare you
for a specific occupation. Emphasis is on general intellectual
development). Ex: computer programming, statistics, accounting,
technical writing.
- Pursue a special interest or
hobby. Ex: writing, choral music, a foreign language, outdoor
recreation.
- Pursue a particular issue, topic
or problem through different disciplines. Ex. environment via
marine biology, urban studies, political science,
psychology.
- Spend a semester taking courses
in another country.
MAJORS AND
CAREERS
The best way to select a major is
to identify a course of study that matches your interests and
aptitudes. Additionally, though, you will no doubt want to
know how various academic majors relate to actual employment.
Actually, about 50% of all graduates enter professions
different from what they have studied immediately upon
graduation.
Academic majors can be classified
as being either vocational or avocational. Examples of
vocational majors at SRU include Education, Accounting, Computer
Science, and Nursing. The content of vocational majors is
usually directly linked to specific occupations.
Examples of avocational majors may
include English, History, Communication, Sociology, Geography, and
Environmental Studies. The content of avocational majors is
not usually directly linked to specific careers. However,
problem-solving and communication skills (oral, written and
interpersonal) can be developed in any major.
The advantages and disadvantages
of each course of study are dependent upon your interests and
skills as well as how clear you are about your career goals.
The primary advantage of studying a vocational major is that
the relationship between your course work and a chosen occupation
is more readily understood by employers. However, learning
late in your academic career that your chosen occupation is not
what you really want becomes a primary disadvantage. The
resulting problem is narrow specialization with limited opportunity
to redirect your course work to other more satisfying
careers.
On the other hand, choosing an
avocational major can open up a wide range of career options
through careful planning. A primary disadvantage is that
employers are typically unclear about how an avocational major's
credentials fit the available job opening. So clarifying
career goals tends to be more critical for avocational major than
for vocational majors.
The key issue will be how
interested you are in the job. Unless the position is highly
technical, aptitude and ability to perform the job will not be the
main concern of most employers who use academic majors as part of
their sorting process. Employers are most concerned about
hiring employees who are genuinely interested in their organization
and position. They are usually cautious about selecting
candidates who do not show interest and enthusiasm in the field in
which they are seeking employment.
In summary, it is probably best
not to think of your major as the sole measure of your aptitude and
career options. Prior experience, extracurricular activities,
enthusiasm and positive attitude will play a larger role than your
major in convincing an employer that you are the "right" candidate
for a particular job opening. Developing self-confidence,
persistence, and good interpersonal skills (social and
communication) will be invaluable in helping you to find the job
that gives you the greatest amount of satisfaction. Above
all, follow your instincts. What do you really want to do?
In what type of occupation do you feel you would be most
satisfied and happiest? Be honest. Only you can make
the choices that are right for you.
Choosing A
Major
The best major is the one that
will challenge and stimulate you....the one that will keep you
interested throughout your college career. The best steps you
can take to improve your career options include selecting a major
that matches your skills and interests so you will remain
enthusiastic and excel in your course work.
Career and life planning becomes
the integration of concepts, ideas, dreams, opportunities,
education, and experiences. This integration makes plans come
alive. Five aspects of life--occupational, educational,
social, personal, and leisure time activities---must be interwoven
in making career and life plans.
To do so you must gain a better
understanding of self, the world of work, the options available and
the advantages and disadvantages, the hurdles between where you are
and where you want or expect to be, and the means for overcoming
the hurdles. Learning the process will enable you to grow
more independent, gain more control over your own future, and look
forward to tomorrow with a positive attitude. Career Services
has the resources and the personnel to assist you as you choose
your major.
A major consists of at least 25%
of the degree program and shall be a minimum of 30 hours.
Bachelor of Arts Degrees shall consist of a maximum of 40
hours and Bachelor of Science Degrees shall consist of a maximum of
60 hours. There are no specifics for professional programs
except that they are limited to 67 credits by default.
The Most
Important Factor in Choosing a Career
Do you know what the most
important factor is in choosing a career? Parents?
Important, yes, but not in the first place. Career
counseling? That's also valuable, but not the top
reason.
First prize goes to
experience---part time and summer jobs, volunteer activities,
hobbies, and interests. Whenever young people are asked why
they selected a certain career, some previous experience is cited
as the major reason. Experience is valued by employers
as well. In fact, the second question an employer will
ask---after your name---is "What have you done?" When you
have a choice or when you go looking for experiences which will
have a payoff later, consider the follwing:
Is the
Experience Transferable?
Are there elements of the activity
that will likely be useful in future opportunities? Serving
on a debate team, for example, teaches you to think on your feet,
discover how to be concise and to the point, how to research
information, how to communicate effectively as a public speaker,
and how to work as part of a team. Those traits will
"transfer" to other opportunities later.
MAKING YOUR OWN
UNIQUE COMBINATION
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