The Spectrum

Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: Features

Media Credit: The Spectrum/ Ceren Akinci A student shuffles through the major sheets looking for the correct career.

Declaring a major can be very stressful. Some students begin college knowing exactly what it is they want to pursue, while the rest have no clue as to what career path they want to take.

"I declared as an English major first and then first semester going into junior year, I realized English wasn't for me and I was more into politics. I changed over to political science and kept English as my minor since I already had 15 English credits," said Jowan Sayfadeen, senior, Bridgeport.

Core classes offer each student the opportunity to get a sense of their interest through learning about different subjects.

"I was an English major initially because I wanted to go to law school and I loved to read and write. Then this year I switched to business with a concentration on marketing because I took an economics course as one of my core requirements and it made me want to understand what influences people to buy what they purchase. It's such an important part of our lives economically," said Melissa Daddana, sophomore, Trumbull.

There is a bulletin on the side of the registrar office that includes all of the majors offered at SHU. This is where students can pick up a major checklist, which offer a brief description of the program and the career choices that would be available to the students who wishes to pursue the major.

On the other side of the checklist are all of the courses that are required for the program, broken down in to pre-requisites, core courses and electives.

"I knew where I stood with my degree with the help of the major checklist, I also spoke with my advisor frequently to make sure I was on the right track and I was taking the right courses," said Sayfadeen.

Professors are also a great source. They will be able to provide answers to the questions students may have about the major, the course load, and the career paths previous students have pursued with the degree. Most professors will be happy to tell you if they think you are on the right path towards your career goal.

Some students who do not feel comfortable talking to their professors can also ask their friends who have already declared a major.

Some of the key points in finding out if your friends major is fit for you is finding out what it is about the major your friend likes and dislikes. This will give you a good idea as to how much you will like the major yourself.

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