Every student should be involved in a conscious process of determining the experiences that will ultimately lead to the completion of a degree program. What are your goals for your education? Being able to identify your personal goals is a good starting place to think about the choices you will make regarding your major or minor and where you want to be after graduation.

All students have some common academic experiences. The General Education program comes to mind in terms of categories of study. It provides exposure to a variety of areas of study and for the undecided student, also offers opportunities for exploration of potential academic majors. Use those opportunities to test out some of your interests. Be conscious of the choices you are making about how you decide to fulfill the various General Education requirements. Undeclared students sometimes get very concerned about taking courses that "count." This generally applies to General Education or satisfies some requirement. While it is important to make progress towards completing requirements, it is equally important to give yourself the chance to check out areas that may not be easily explored through the General Education courses. If you think you might be interested, it is worthwhile to find out.

Your educational plan should reflect both in class and out of class learning. Most students start their thinking in terms of what courses they will be taking. It’s also important to consider the out of class opportunities for learning and skill development. The more non-traditional settings include such things as service learning, involvement in student organizations, participation in the ASK (Alumni Sharing Information) program offered by Alumni Affairs, study abroad and internship experiences. These opportunities offer the possibilities of personalizing your degree and preparation for life beyond college. It’s most helpful to consider these possibilities beforehand. Think now about that internship opportunity or the possibility of studying abroad. How would they coordinate with the courses required in a major or the completion of General Education? When would they make sense in terms of your overall experience?

Undeclared students have the additional task of deciding on a major. Sometimes that decision seems too tightly linked to a vision of a future career. In some cases there is a tight link. If you want to pursue a career in accounting, you should major in accounting. If you foresee working in medicine, then a Biology degree makes good sense. In most cases, majors and careers are only loosely linked. Establishing that you are a skilled and knowledgeable student with considerable skills to offer employers can be achieved through any major area of study. While there can be a direct relationship between an undergraduate major and a first job, it is more often the case that they are more indirect. The office of Career Services regularly compiles a listing of the first positions attained and the degrees awarded to each class of graduates. Check it out. You get a sense of the wide variety of ways that various degrees are "put to work." Career Services also has a vast amount of information regarding potential careers, the market for various careers and the kinds of preparation people have for those careers. Your education should reflect your plan. It should reflect your values, interests, and overall goal in life. Take advantage of opportunities to explore. Use the resources available to you. And remember....we're here to help.