Choosing Your College Major

So, What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?

From CollegeBoard for Students (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/majors_careers/468.html)

Some students start college knowing exactly what they want to major in. Others don't know what to major in, or have a career goal but don’t know which majors will get them there. And in fact, most students find themselves switching majors during college. As you think about which major is right for you, remember that uncertainty is normal. The process of choosing a major — and discovering something that you are passionate about — can be an exciting one.

What is a college major?

A major is simply a specific subject that students can specialize in. Typically, between a third and a half of the courses you take in college are in your major or related to it. By completing a major, you demonstrate sustained, high-level work in one field; and in some majors, you prepare for a specific career. Depending on the college, you might be able to major in two fields, have a major and a minor, or even create your own major.

When should I declare a major?

At most four-year colleges, you aren't required to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year. If you're in a two-year degree program, you'll probably select a major at the start because your course of studies is much shorter.

How do I choose?

Take courses in areas that appeal to you, and then try to focus on a subject that motivates you. Make sure that you have genuine interest, though. You'll do better in class when you’re interested, and your motivation will continue through college and into a job.

What if I want to go to grad school?

If you think law school, medical school or grad school is in your future, you should know that some colleges offer preprofessional advising programs (such as premed or prelaw). These programs are not the same as majors — you still need to choose a major in another subject. As long as you fulfill a grad school's course requirements, it really doesn't matter what you major in.

Will my major dictate my profession?

Sometimes. If you specialize in something like nursing, accounting or engineering, you're learning a specific trade and will likely continue with that. Most majors, however, prepare you for a range of careers that you can be trained to handle once you graduate. For most students, picking a college major is not the same as picking a career. It will be up to you to pursue what you like.

Remember, you're not alone. Choosing a major is usually done with the help of academic and peer advisers.

In the Dreamers own words… Year 2

“Academically, I made major improvements. Socially things have been fine. My roommate got kicked out so I'll be blessed with a single room (pretty excited about that). My social life with my family is great. I'm glad I can finally spend time with them. Extracurricular activities are great. I have a job on campus and that seems to be going fine and it’s not getting in the way of my studies. Baseball is awesome. I’m playing on a really good team during the summer of 2012 in NY so that should be a great experience. I'll be living a few miles away from campus during that time with the other players.” – Jerome Bright, Cazenovia College

“I'm doing great here at Davis. I am studying a lot and passing my classes. It’s hard balancing studying and socializing (and everything else I want to do). I have a lot of friends in my suite, on my floor,  from my classes and from orientation.  My family is doing well! I miss them a lot and am super excited to have a month back home! I really miss my dogs and my local routines at home. I have too many extracurricular activities and I have many opportunities for more. I am trying to slow down with my commitments, wait until I understand the quarter system better, and join clubs I really care about. As of right now, I occasionally go salsa dancing and hiking, I go to many lectures and seminars, and I am considering options for volunteer/job/internship opportunities. I am hoping that next quarter I can volunteer at either the craft center or the raptor center. – Karen Sinclair, UC Davis

“I just received all of my grades today, and I'm pleased with them. The workload was intense, but I managed to do well on all of my finals. I've nearly completed all of my GE courses. I decided to switch my major to nursing. I'm also going for a minor in psychology since many psych courses and nursing courses overlap. I've been able to keep a reasonable social life. Some of my friends from high school attend Dominican, and many of my other friends come over to Dominican to have soccer and football games on the lawn. I'll be spending most of my winter break with relatives because so many of them are getting married. And I'll continue my usual activities with piano, running, and I wanted to reteach myself French because it's a fun language.” – Fiona Hussein, Dominican

“Everything  is going well for me. I enjoyed my classes this semester so I am positive that I did fine. I have been spending a lot of time with my family, they are all  doing well. During break, I plan to get a job in the city. I have applied to about 15 retail stores for seasonal work, anything will do. This semester, I have been looking for clubs and extracurricular activities to join. There were two that seemed to fit me very well. One is the cheer leading team and the other one is the communication club. The communication club is something I found out
through a friend, it is basically a club were a lot a people get together and complete a lot of fun activities dealing with communication in all different types of ways. Unfortunately for cheer leading, it was too late to join it for the semester so I am going to sign up for it this spring if it is possible.” – Guillean Arradaza, Sacramento State

“School is looking pretty good for me. I'm still active in my fraternity at SJSU and I still work out and play basketball after class. I've been employed at finishline since early November and I applied for another job as a waiter at the same mall. I've been with my girlfriend for about 5 months now. Just overall, life has been pretty good. There have been a few ups and downs but I've just been relying on my confidence to push through my downs. Just been focusing in school and trying to get into my major.” – Donald Phonseya, SJSU

“Academically I am doing okay, statistics is really draining but I'm doing everything I can to pass and so far so good :) I'm doing pretty good in all my other classes. Socially I have NO time! Because of statistics I've had to teach myself and study almost 2 hours a day just to get by. My family is doing great! I can't wait for my vacation time so I can spend the holidays with them :) I haven't done much extracurricular activities but I registered for easier classes next quarter so I'm hoping to get a job and get involved.”
– Karina Gutierrez, CSUEB

“I'm a lot happier with this quarter than last year. Though I had some issues with financial aid everything worked out perfectly. I'm still on the hip hop dance team, my body has been toning up so I know I'm going to look great in my bathing suit this summer. :) I'm trying to expand on my dancing, because I'm realizing its something I really want to continue to be in my life so I'm declaring dance as my minor, which I'm really happy about, because it's something I'm doing for me. Also I'm currently looking for a second job for winter break and a job for the summer. So everything just seems to be falling in place for me right now! – LaKreshea Watts, Santa Clara Univ.

“This year has been good to me so far both academically and socially. As for my academic, I learned to adapt to the college learning environment and know what I need to do to be successful in my classes. I learned many things from my mistakes last year which have helped me keep up with my work in class. I know I will keep improving.

In the beginning of this school year, I pledged for a fraternity called Delta Chi. This organization is a great because it helps me bond with other people not just as friends but we got to know each other as if we were brothers. I love my experience with them because they have helped me become more active and made me feel more comfortable to speak out more. Many of the activities we do have to do with working in a group so it has helped me improve my group skills. These activities also challenge me to do stuff I’ve never known how to do such as sharing personal stories, and working on projects to present to other groups. One of my favorite events so far was when all the fraternities and sonorities got together and presented a routine for each other to see. For our performance, we had to come up with a dance routine, it is similar to what people do in American best dance crew. These events help me get out more and have fun but at the same time challenge myself to try new things.” – Phi Do, CSUEB

“I’m doing great.  Pledging for Delta Chi has helped me make more connections with people and communicate more. I’m taking 6 classes (about 21 units,) including communication, art, english, math, political science, and basketball.” – Juan Luis, CSUEB

“So this summer, I lived in an apartment with three other people.  We never really had to clean the house before (besides vacuuming), so this was all new to us.  We also realized how much time it took to prepare food for every meal. I took an organic chemistry class (the second out of a series of three) and its lab class. This year I'm living with two first-year students and I’m appreciating the convenience of dorm food a lot more! Physics has mostly been a review of high school physics from two years ago. My classics course in Roman art and archaeology has been one of the more enjoyable classes this quarter. Molecular biology has been difficult. I've also signed up for classes next quarter - differential eq's, genetics, physics (part 2 of 3), and ochem (part 3 of 3). It'll be a tough quarter, but I'll work on getting back to my old groove.” – Lambert Kuang, UCLA

Message from Ms. Abby

Happy Holidays, Dreamers, families, and friends of IHAD-SF!  Now half way through their second year of college, the Dreamers are continuing to enjoy new friendships, tackle more challenging curriculum, and transition from that ‘new student feeling’ to an ‘I belong here feeling’.  Many have jobs and have gotten more involved on campus by participating in clubs, intramural sports and fraternities/sororities. Others are getting more involved by attending on campus performances and sporting events and volunteering in the community.  Now that the Dreamers have adjusted to college life, they are working hard to maintain and improve their GPA, connect with professors, decide on majors and make decisions about career paths. Here are just a few tips for the Dreamers’ as they complete the next portion of their Sophomore year and continue laying the foundation for a fantastic college experience.

1) If you are in a two year school, you should be planning on what’s next after you earn your AA in the Spring.  Meet with Ms. Abby, your advisor, and plan ahead for transferring to a four year school or to the world of work!

2) Meet with your academic and financial aid counselors
As you map out your classes and explore which major you will choose, meeting regularly with your academic advisor/mentor/counselor can make the difference between graduating in four years or having to extend your college education for a fifth year.  In terms of finances, meeting regularly with a financial aid counselor will ensure that you fully understand the charges on your account, how to best manage your finances, and also what scholarships are available to you.

3) Apply to scholarships/Completing the FAFSA
Taking the time to apply to relevant scholarships can make thousands of dollars of difference to you (and your families!).  Since many of you will have at least a month off during Winter break, make a commitment to research and apply to at least 10-15 scholarships during this time.  Also, remember that you will need to complete your 2012/2013 FAFSA so remind your parents to complete their taxes early and, once they do, ask for help if you need it with the online form!  Remember, in order to receive IHAD’s Tuition Assistance you are required to complete and submit the FAFSA EVERY YEAR by the deadline!

4) Plan ahead for summer!
It may seem far away now, but before you know it the summer will be here and you will be back in the Bay!  Start thinking now about what you might want to do this summer- whether that be working and making money, getting an internship in your field of interest, taking classes, and/or traveling.  The earlier you start making plans and researching your options, the sooner you’ll learn about the many opportunities available to you and the steps you need to take to pursue them!  Start by visiting your school’s career center, searching for summer jobs and internships in the Bay Area and reaching out to the people and organizations who may be able to hook you up once you’re back in town this May and June! 

For a well written and helpful article about how to find a job on or off campus, visit the Chegg website at http://blog.chegg.com/2010/10/14/job-opportunities-and-tips-inside-and-outside-of-the-university/