Clovis 411 Deciding on a Major August 2014

 A “major” is : -A specific subject area that college students specialize in -A focus of study -A set of classes to complete Choosing a major is a very important decision! Major vs. Career First of all…. WHAT IS A MAJOR?

 What are the factors that are important to you? List 3 to share: (Example: “My major should be something I enjoy learning about”) Important Things To Consider When Deciding on A Major

Does this look familiar to you?

 3 out of 4 college students are unsure about their major  3 out of 4 college students change their major at least 2 times before they graduate  Factors: -Limited knowledge about major/career options -Fear/Anxiety -Conflict with others -Too many interests Facts About Choosing A Major

Major and Career Activity  Think about possible majors and careers!  Complete the worksheet, take your best guess!

 Major: Biology/Natural Sciences  Average Salary per Year: $56,000-$93,000  Skills or personality traits: Observation skills, Problem Solving, Writing and Speaking Skills Career: Marine Biologist

 Major: Psychology, Sociology, Social Work  Average Salary per Year: $35,000-$70,000  Skills or personality traits: Listening skills, compassion, problem solving Career: Social Worker

 Major: Food and Nutrition, Dietetics  Average Salary per Year: 34,000-71,000  Skills or personality traits: Organizational skills, people skills, speaking skills, ability to translate information to patients Career: Dietician

 Major: Math, Sciences, Engineering  Average Salary per Year: $50,000-$120,000  Skills or personality traits: Mechanical skills, math skills, creativity, listening skills Career: Engineer

 Major: Business, math  Average Salary per Year: $38,000-$106,000  Skills or personality traits: Communication skills, detail oriented, math skills, organizational skills Career: Accountant

 Major: Chemistry, Biology, Administrative Justice, Forensic Science  Average Salary per Year: $51,000-$82,000  Skills or personality traits: Composure, detail oriented, critical thinking Career: Forensic Scientist

Steps to Take  Career Exploration, including self-assessments  Research your options!  Meet with a counselor

 What is Passion? o Passion is the emotion of feeling very strongly about a subject  Self-Assessment o Personality o Values o Skills o Career interests o Learning style Find Your Passion! 50 hours a week X 50 weeks a year (2 weeks off for vacation) X 40 years of employment…. _____________________________ Grand total: 100,000 hours devoted to work time

 Explore through general education  Take courses that seem interesting to you  Assist.org  Examples:  Chdev 39  Psy 2  Biol 5 Other Helpful Hints

 Find out which majors are available at your college  Look up the major and see what classes are required for the major  Talk with your instructors about the major  Meet with a counselor to learn more  Schedule a career counseling appointment More Helpful Hints

Volunteer, Get a Job or an Internship  Job fairs  Job shadowing  Informational Interviews  Internships  Student clu bs

 Mon/Tues/Wed 8:00 am to 5:00 pm  Thursday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm  Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm  Call or stop by AC2-133 Academic Counseling