1. “Choosing a Major & Career Development” MSA Mentorship

2. It’s all a theme… What are YOUR questions? Tons of personalization in this process, so we have to treat them individually You can STILL learn so much about how we deal with the problem – break it down, what’s the issue, what are systematic steps to take EMULATE THE THINKING and apply to your own situation

3. It’s all a theme… So much of life, education, and religion is THEMATIC Focus on the principles and the way of thinking and you will thrive

4. The Major & The Career MAJOR = main focus (plus a nice paper degree) Career = logical next step into working world The two are often discussed interchangeably and you won’t have to concern yourself with the detailed differences… for your purposes the college major should be the first focus built upon what you want to LEARN for the next 4-12 years Look forward to the clean slate that freshmen year of college gives you!

5. Person 1 “I know exactly what I want to do I’m only going to focus on this” Person 2 “I don’t have any idea what I want to major in let alone know what career to choose” Don’t Take the Extremist Mentalities… Strive to achieve a balance and only take the good from both mentalities Closes your mind / makes you static Depth vs. Breadth again! You don’t do anything awesome or even well

6. It’s a clean slate and it’s a real slate (unlike high school which is so-so) Don’t sweat it hard in high school just enjoy doing what you love and acquire skills and research majors and careers FOR FUN, not out of anxiety So for Your First Year… The hard weed-out intro classes are good for you because they determine who has the passion

7. You want to have a niche, something that looks good that is your special talent. Try to be the best at THAT thing! At least for the sake of having a focused application You have to tangibly show that you’ve looked into and be able to explain it which you won’t be able to do if it’s not real! So for High School…

8. What matters is your MAJOR… Period. don’t lose sight of this… ever. Minors are not that important – don’t do it if it even remotely affects your performance in your major For high school students, minors shouldn’t even come to mind Majors & Minors

9. Big Picture Big misconception: You will work in the exact role your degree is designed for… guess again First determine: “Where is the passion!? Where might I become #1?” Early matters because time is the most valuable commodity in life Focus on thinking in this framework You will see that the skill sets overlap and the learning process is what matters

10. Something I Want or My Parents Want… Balancing the passion with practicality Never force the people who can’t engage with the “doctor/lawyer/engineer” into them – you’re setting them up for failure. If you do feel even partially excited by them, nurture that, and find other ways to pursue your “less pragmatic interests” as hobbies and side jobs Try to COMBINE and always happily explore – DON’T be torn

11. Top 10 Universities… So What? It all boils down to OPPORTUNITY Top 10 have great departments in EVERYTHING whereas the not Top 10 might only have a few or one exceptional department. If you know that’s the department for you, more power to you. In the more likely case that you don’t, that’s a HUGE reason to crave Top 10 Don’t sweat what you chose to tell people… be confident in whatever you pick!

12. There’s Always a Way to Show… Programs, internships, classes, online courses ALL EXIST. There is NO EXCUSE for you to not have something tangible to show for your passion. If it’s not accessible, make it accessible – make it yourself if you have to! Learn how to explain how the fundamental classes – your English, math, science, etc. connect to your specific passion

13. The Rare Major Trick… Smart tactic and can be very fruitful if you’re cautious on the angle you take it… Specificity | Your Unique Talent | Substance Don’t try to trick Admissions… but use the idea to your advantage Colleges want a variety of people but you MUST be able to SUPPORT why you are unique! You’re dealing with people!

14. Main Takeaways College is a clean slate bearing only big picture ideas/principles from high school Muslims, more than any community, just need CONFIDENCE. Don’t EVER feel unconfident and don’t EVER feel overconfident You MUST have the conversation and build communication with your parents… you probably will have to start it