Students who have more than 30 credits should be thinking
seriously about what to declare as a major if they have not done so.
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 the student knows
what classes to take and when (fewer inessential classes taken).
4. Provides a tangible goal that is likely to increase a student’s
motivation and persistence to completion.
5. Economic advantage to having a plan early. Selecting a major
even after one year may require an additional semester or year of
college in order to take prerequisites.
During the advising appointment it may be appropriate
to ask some pointed questions that may help students think about possible
majors. The following are some questions to use in situations where
“choosing a major” conversation is appropriate.
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?
The following are some recommendations you can make
that may help students make a major decision:
1. Pick a major or two that sound interesting and
read the UM Catalog for specific descriptions. Show students how
to look up majors in the catalog. Read the requirements for the
major, read the class descriptions, and think about whether these
classes sound interesting to you.
2. Encourage students to 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.
Remind students that all of these suggestions take
some time. Suggest devising a plan and scheduling some time on a weekly
basis to gather information. Even if it’s just half an hour
a week, they will still have more information than when they began
the process. The more information they have the more capable they
are of making an informed decision about their future.
You might begin by making one or two suggestions and having them check
back with you at a specific time. This will be a beginning.
Once a student has choosen a major, here are the steps
to declare that major.
1. Pick up a Change of Major form Griz Central. (They are usually
in the bins just outside of Griz Central.)
2. Get the signature of the department you are changing out of.
(This may take 24 hours. Make certain you pick it up.)
3. Get the signature of the department you are changing into. (This
may take 24 hours. Make certain you pick it up.)
4. If you are a Four Bear student, get the signature of the Four
Bear Coordinator in Lommasson 269. (This takes 24 hours. Make certain
you pick it up.)
5. After all the required signatures are aquired, turn the form
into the Registration Counter in Griz Central. (After it is time
stamped, get and keep a copy for your records.)
