Your college education is bigger than your major. Of course, your major is important, and I know it can feel like a big, weighty decision that affects everything in your life. But don't worry, history majors go on to have great careers in tech firms, and engineers can go on to be great artists. What is important in selecting a major is finding a major that reflects your interests and your strengths, but also allows you to grow intellectually. So, we sat down with an advisor and talked about a few recommendations for choosing a major. Since you've worked so many places around the country, what are some common pitfalls that you see when a student comes into your office? >> I think students come in and they think that they have to decide on a major right away, and so they rush into something without taking time to explore. So, sometimes I see students in their junior year, and they have spent three years here, they've taken more than half of their credits, and then they realize their major isn't quite the best fit for them. It doesn't really match their interests, it doesn't match their strengths. And so at that point, they're really scrambling to try to find a major that fits and they have less options at that point. And so we really encourage students to come in to see their adviser as soon as possible in their first year, in their first quarter even, or their first semester. It would be great to meet with an advisor so that we can talk about what your interests are, what your goals are, and then how you can then reach those goals. >> When they come into your office, what is it that you're advising them to do, as they begin this process of choosing a major? >> I think when students come in, they think I need to find my passion, and I need to pursue it. But that can be very intimidating because if you're coming in as an 18 or a 19-year-old, you may not know what your passion is yet, and so I think the better question to ask is, what am I really curious about? And then follow that and so think it to yourself, what kind of questions do I ask of the world? So it could be why do people act the way they do or what role does media play in our society? Or how do wind turbines work? And so thinking to yourself, what makes me curious? What sort of questions do I ask of the world? And then how can I find a field then that asks the same questions, and gives me the tools to answer them as well? >> If they know what these questions are that they find interesting, how are you helping them find that field of study that provides those answers? >> So, one thing I always recommend to students is going on your university's website and looking at the list of majors. Some will have upwards of 140 different majors, which can be really overwhelming. So, just go through and pick maybe five or ten majors that sound interesting to you. It's not binding, it's just ten majors to explore. And then from there do a little exploration. So, go on the departmental websites and read a little bit more about it. That gives you the opportunity to then say, okay, I want to talk to the advisors in these ten different majors, or now I want to find students who are majoring in these ten different areas. Just to find out more is your next step. >> All right, so they've done that, they've got their list of five to ten majors. What is it next? What's the next step? >> Yeah as I mentioned, definitely going to the website. And so in every website they'll list some classes you would have to take as a major, and so you can see the types of courses that you'd need to be taking and see if they resonate with you. Does it sound interesting to you? Does it ask the same kinds of questions that you're asking? Or, does it sound totally awful, and maybe you don't wanna pursue that as your major. So, really looking through the website, and then from there I always recommend just walking through the halls of that particular department or major. A lot of times there'll be research hanging on the walls, and so you can see what kind of questions professors are asking, what kinds of questions students are asking, and see if that mirrors what you're asking as well. And see if you can see yourself within that environment. >> That's great. Is there anything else that you would add as students are thinking about a major? >> So, one thing that I always tell students is to think broadly about their education. So, your education is not just your major. It's not just in the classroom. It's not just the classes you're taking. It's really bigger than that. So, it's really intentional engagement, both inside and outside of the classroom. >> Your major is important, but it is only one part of your overall education and intellectual growth. What you wanna do in selecting a major is make sure you find one what reflects your interests. Talk to advisors, talk to friends, talk to teachers, but find a major that fits you.