"Good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience." – R.J.Light
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Major Checklist

1_______ Expand your world through General Education. GE is not just a requirement to ‘get out of the way’! General Education courses can introduce you to subjects you never imagined you’d like and totally new areas of interest. Do the courses you enjoy have anything in common? Do you recognize a theme? Are they science-related? Deal with human behavior?
2_______ Take a course in an area of interest! General Education selections include many foundation courses that allow you to sample specific majors, i.e. SOCI 100, Introduction to Sociology and PSYCH 101, Introduction to Psychology.
3_______ Consult with professors and students! Talk with an academic or major advisor, professors, professionals in related fields, or family and friends about different majors and careers. The more information you have, the more confident you’ll be with your decision
4_______

Complete a self-assessment. Take time to identify your interests, values, strengths, dislikes, abilities, personal qualities, and skills. The Career Center offers a variety of personality and interest inventories and workshops that will provide you with more insight about yourself.

Spend some time self-reflecting. Do you want to work with people? Work in a small town, a warm climate or in a small organization? Do you want to make a lot of money, a little money, travel? Do you work better on one task at a time or are you an experienced multi-tasker? Try to imagine the setting in which you would thrive.
5_______ Identify careers that are well suited to your interests and abilities, values, etc The Career Center counselors can direct you to possible careers and majors that relate to your strengths, interests and values.
6_______ What skills or capabilities are required or desirable for the jobs or careers you have in mind? Identify the academic major that will help you to develop the skills required for your career of choice.
7_______ Job exploration. Go to a Career Fair to find the most up-to-date information on possible job opportunities. Visit academic departments and research careers in the library or Career Center. The computer lab in the Career Center is a great place to spend time exploring numerous job and career-related databases and published materials. What is the future outlook for this career?
8_______ Utilize internships! Try working for the summer in a field you’re considering. Work experience is a fantastic testing ground for determining whether a job or major is right for you. The Career Center has information on various paid and unpaid internships or co-op work experiences throughout the world.
9_______ Don’t overlook the value of volunteering your time! Programs such as CAVE offer numerous programs that allow you to volunteer your time, earn extra units, and determine whether or not a particular work environment suits you, i.e. volunteering in a classroom, a legal resource center, etc. Can you see yourself doing this or something similar everyday? What did you like about the job? What didn't you like?
10_______ Check job openings related to your area of interest. The Career Center has a list of available job links to particular areas of study. Don’t forget that most academic departments on campus have listings of possible job opportunities related to their field, and faculty often assist students with internships or letters of recommendation.
11_______ Remember, your major will provide you with a set of skills that can be applicable to more than one career. After graduation, you may be prepared for many different careers that have no direct connection to your major. If you have gone through the process of assessing your interests and needs, and have thoroughly investigated your options, you can rest easy knowing that you have made the best choice for who you are at this time in your life. "Keep in mind that education is a manner of traveling, not a destination" (author unavailable).