Undeclared Student Advising

Students with 45 or fewer credits who have not yet declared a major are advised by the Advising Center. Students have the option to see a Peer, a professional advisor from the Advising Center, or a volunteer faculty advisor from the Advising Center’s Faculty and Staff Undeclared Student Advising Program Students are provided with one-on-one advising, and may remain with the same faculty or professional advisor until declaration of a major.

Undeclared students need help choosing a major. Below some tips about choosing a major.

Students who have more than 30 credits should be thinking seriously about what to declare as a major. Students must declare a major prior to completion of 45 credits or after 3 semesters whichever occurs first (p30, Catalog).

Advantages of declaring a major in a timely manner:
1. Overlap GERS with major requirements
2. Develop relationship with department faculty and staff (beneficial for internships, letters of recommendation, sense of belonging)
3. More likely to graduate in four years since you know what classes to take and when (fewer inessential classes taken)
4. Provides a tangible goal that is likely to increase your motivation and persistence to completion
5. Economic advantage to having a plan early, because selecting a major even after one year may require an additional semester or year of college in order to take prerequisites

Following are some Questions to Consider when “choosing a major” is foremost on your mind.
1. Where are you at with declaring your major? Have you given thought to different possibilities?
2. What classes did you enjoy in high school? What classes did you dislike? What classes are you most enjoying in college?
3. What are some skills you would like to have or think may benefit you when you enter into a career or profession? What skills have you acquired?
4. What are your strengths – academic? Personal? (These may be viewed as skills, however, skills are usually acquired – learned, and strengths are more of a natural ability – something you don’t necessarily have to learn.)
5. How do you make decisions? Do you do it systematically? (If so, what information do you need to take the next step?) Do you base decisions on gut feelings? (How can more information help as you rely more heavily on instinct?) Are your decisions organized and planned? (Have you written down the steps you might take to further your decision-making process?) Do you have a time frame for accomplishing some short-term goals that will help you plan your future?

Following are some Recommendations to consider in helping you make a major decision:

1. Pick a major or two that sound interesting and read the UM Catalog for specific descriptions. Read the requirements for the major, read the class descriptions, and think about whether these classes sound interesting to you.

2. Talk to a professor (or professors) in a department of interest. Some questions to ask might include: How did you choose this field? What can I do with a degree in besides teach in a university? If you had it to do over again, would you change your field of study? Why or why not?

3. Gather information about the world of work and careers. In Career Services they have a library section on “What Can I Do With A Major In…….” This is a great resource for students. There is also a very resourceful website students can access (www.bls.gov/oco) that includes an Occupational Outlook Handbook. This has lots of valuable information.

4. Talk to a Career Services counselor (Laurie Fisher 243-6989 or Cindy Bois 243-2022). They can help you problem-solve effective questions to ask that will provide you with “major” decision-making information. Take some interest inventories/assessments through Career Services or EOP.

5. Take a Careers Course in the spring. Several departments offer Careers courses (PSYC, FOR, UNC).

6. Talk about work history and future career goals. What kinds of jobs have you held so far? Is this an area you would like to pursue? Why or why not? Are there jobs/careers that you can definitely rule out? (Sometimes the negative helps refine the positive.)

7. Your eventual career will require specific skills. As you determine what kind of work you would like to be doing, think about the skills it will take to do the job. How can you attain those skills? Focus on acquiring the skills to do the kind of work you want to be involved in.

Remember that following these suggestions take some time. It is suggested that you devise a plan and schedule some time on a weekly basis to gather information. Even if it’s just half an hour a week, you will still have more information than when you began the process. The more information you have the more capable you are of making an informed decision about your future.

NEXT STEP: Schedule appointment with an Academic advisor to discuss your ideas and to start developing your graduation plan.