Choosing a Major
Some people already know by the age of seven that they want to become a pilot or nurse; others, however, have more difficulties deciding what to do with their future. People who decided to go to a university or college have to make an important choice: what major are they going into? For many people this is a very difficult question. As the statistics show, one out of five students change their major between admission and the first day of classes. Nearly three out of four students change majors at least twice before they graduate. And three out of four college students express uncertainly about their major. These striking results raised some questions for me. Is it really necessary to choose a major? What influence
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You can’t learn much biology without learning the connections to chemistry or physics. You can’t analyze much sociological data without realizing that you need to know statistics, political structures, historical patterns, and cultural qualities. “In every field of inquiry both the methods and the content are linked to other fields.” Northrop explains. So, one of the things you learn in a major is the interdependence of knowledge. P. Rose, director of Career Planning and Placement at the University of Pennsylvania, agrees. She sees a major as the window you are picking from which to view the world. Since a rigorous study in that major will lead you to related disciplines, it will also provide a framework for investigation of disciplines far removed from the major itself. Nonetheless, Rose thinks you need a foundation to build on first. After you achieved a significant depth of understanding in one discipline that is your major, then you will have patterns and solutions that you could apply in a totally different field. Thus, your major is the necessary foundation to engage in creative problem solving in other fields.
Whatever reason you have for deciding on a major, the colleges require you to do so. “What is your intended major?” is a frequently asked question on the many college application forms. But how do you know what to choose before you get there? There may be some fields you
In the essay “Stop Asking Me My Major,” author Scott Keyes discusses how students should be allowed to study what interest them. One speculation would be that Keyes states that choosing a profession is psychological. He proves this by saying college students try to please their parents by choosing a profession that has better jobs in the field. Another point Keyes shows that just because you major in a profession doesn’t mean you are up to date on the job criteria. He gives an example of his friend Jose “…what I learned in the classroom was outdated by the time I hit the job market.” Finally, the student is at a disadvantage because they do not know the exact requirements for the job occupation. You don’t need to look for a job that fits your
The author's first tip to the reader is about how your major is the language you are choosing to learn. When you choose a major you are choosing to be an expert in that particular field. You are choosing to learn everything there is to know about that field so that when you graduate college you can join the other experts and collaborate with them to help make the field better.
The students are the direct recipients of this study that they should know their interest. Through this study, the students’ choosing a major is a choice that should be intentional and based on knowledge of one’s self. As a result of this study the number of students who shift a major must be reduce and lessen.
You are a freshman entering college with wide eyes and a bright smile, curious to the intricacies of the new world by which you seem to be encompassed. Upon entering your first day of your first English class, the teacher holds up a piece of literature encased in lively yellow binding. It is a book that is used as required reading material for that class. The first thing that you note is that the book looks far less intimidating than some of the other published documents you are forced to acquire during your first semester at the university. And, unlike the others, this one will be of some use to you later on in life. It can provide you a sense of direction in your current stint of utter confusion. This book is known as GIG.
1. The author (Ostrander) emphasizes that students should not stress out over choosing a major. He tells us that what one majors in is less important than the overall qualities, knowledge base, and the skills that one develops. Ostrander also points out that a major is much less important than the skills that people gain by using a quote from an executive, “I look for people who take accountability, responsibility and are good team people over anything else. I can teach the technical.”
A big concern in todays’ world for graduating college students is being able to find a job right out of school. More times than not, there are many problems that occur when a student chooses a specific career path. In the short exert “Why Focusing Too Narrowly In College Could Backfire”, written by Peter Cappelli, he discusses in his opinion, as well as many others, the right path students should be taking. The lead way students should be following to secure they get a job in a field they will enjoy. Many students have trouble picking a college to go to let alone what major they want to focus on. Students are told to pick a major and start taking the classes for it as soon as possible without realizing they might not even enjoy that field of work. There are many struggles in college with picking the correct classes and
Everyone who decides to enroll in college must, at some point, think about what area they want to major in. There are many things that students consider when choosing a major. Some make their decision based on what they think can make them the most money once they begin their lives in the work force. However, many students believe that if you choose a major that interests you and challenges you then you can use those skills that can help you in any career. (R. Landrum & S. Davis, 2014) Let’s face it. Employers know that when they hire someone straight out of college they are not immediately going to know
When you focus on a career major, you have to have a reasonable picture of what you are getting into. You have to get correct data and assess it. Numerous components go into picking a school or college major including parental or peer influence,
When it’s time to starting making solid decisions about enrolling in college, many people have questions about how to choose a college major. Selecting a
Now, most of the people decide to go to college or university after graduates from high school. College major is the compass for a student in future. The major is variable in a lot of fields; everyone should pick at least one. I realized I chose biology as my specific major is a good advance for me later. I want to follow my passion for the medical field; I feel interested in learning more about science; it will support me well in the future.
To many high school students, college seems like a far away land, a mysterious place where everyone wants to be yet not many know how to get there. As children, our parents tell us how much time we have to think about college, and that it is too far down the line to think about. The truth is it is never too early to think about your future. I, like many people, put little thought into my future career and now am lost in an unfortunate mix of indecision and anxiety. Not knowing where you want to be in the future is a hard burden to bear. Many of us tend to find out that we only know what we do not want, not what we actually do want. Do we want to be poor? Absolutely not. Do we want a boring job? Of course we don’t. We all want our
I want to share with you about a process that can be helpful in determining a major. The process includes determining possible college majors of interest, collecting data
Senior year in high school is the time we finally approach the first look at college applications. For many, it may be simple, for others it may not. Some of us have had our lives planned out earlier than others. others may see it as a scary lifelong decision to be made when choosing a major. One way students make their decision by planning ahead and seeing the actual potential available within a major.
I have come to see you are really struggling with your decision regarding changing your major. I thought I would share my thoughts on it to possibly help you make up your mind. A lot of my friends have gone through the same reluctance you are experiencing in picking to change or not to change majors. If I were to give you my best advice I would say to change your major. But, I feel the best solution to your problem is to make a compromise of both by double majoring in art history and accounting. Through looking at financial burdens, examining reasons why your parents want you to be an accountant, and considering your future and newfound passion, you will see a combination of both that will bring both parties in agreeance.
One thing that varies faster than the gasoline price may be the debate around the value of a right path for a young adult— which major guarantees a smooth access to a decent job offer. According to the article, “Not All College Majors Are Created Equal”, the author, Michelle Singletary, indicates that college degrees are not the same based on the different majors. She starts her article with a question that she asked her college students, “What’s your major?” Singletary immediately determines her student’s future by the major that the student is choosing. Later in the article, she states her opinions on how majors have played a great important role in one’s career life by using different examples and statistics. Indeed, college majors are not