Undeclared Students |
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"Life is so brief and time is a thief when you’re undecided." Rod Stewart, "Young Turks" Selecting a course of study is a "major" decision and can cause much anxiety for college students. It is not unusual to experience confusion when faced with so many choices. Research indicates about 50% of students change their major at some point during their college years. But frequent changes in major or a long delay in choosing a program of study can be costly in both time and money spent on courses that may not count toward a specific degree program. The good news is that there are people you can talk with and specific things you can do that will help you make career and academic choices. Here are a few tips for specific actions that you can take to make your decision. Make a plan. Setting career and academic goals requires an investment of your time and energy. Plan to devote several hours each week to activities that will help you make a choice. These activities can include steps to learn more about your interests, skills, career values and to learn about occupations and the world of work. Visit the Career Services Office. Through this office you can take an interest test to learn more about occupations you might enjoy. You can also take advantage of computerized programs of career guidance such as the Discover program. A career library will also provide the opportunity to research career fields. Talk with faculty and students currently enrolled in programs you are considering. The faculty can offer a great deal of information about careers in specific fields including jobs held or graduate programs attended by previous Marywood students. Students currently enrolled can also provide a perspective on academic programs and options they have already explored. Research career options. Use the school library and resources on the internet to learn about options by college major and to gather data about specific occupations. Check out the web sites listed below for learning more about careers. Conduct information interviews. Talking with professionals who are currently working in the field is an excellent way to explore career options. Faculty, advisers and staff of the career services office can refer students to alumni for this purpose. Be sure to prepare before your interview by considering what kind of information would be helpful for you to know before selecting a career field. Gain experience. Nothing beats hands-on experience in specific work settings as a way of exploring whether a specific career option is best for you. You can research jobs by career shadowing, volunteering, part-time positions and internships. Web Sites Jobweb is an excellent resource for college students to suit all your career planning needs, choices, and career exploration:. http://www.jobweb.org/ The U S government's site for occupational information: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Peterson's College Planner: http://www.petersons.com/
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Comments to the Retention & Advising Pagemaster: retentionandadvising@marywood.edu |
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