NEXT TO "Where do you go to school?" and "Do you like your roommate?" it's the most frequently asked question that college students encounter from almost all the people they meet: "What are you majoring in?" Unknown to most of the inquirers, though, the majority of students have no clearer idea of the answer than those who asked in the first place. The task of finding a major dogs students throughout their college experience - from the application process to declaring a major toward the end of second year to perhaps changing it several times over at the eleventh hour. Although the University offers a plethora of written information regarding specific majors and the general requirements for choosing one, many students still feel unsatisfied in their quest to make the decision that easily could determine a career and thus the rest of their lives. In order to make the path to a major a little smoother for themselves, students must take more decided action in seeking the multitude of various resources the University has to offer.
The plan for most students divides their four years at the University into two distinct parts. The first pair of years consists mostly in fulfilling the general requirements of the University and a sampling of the buffet of courses offered in order to luckily stumble upon the one subject that piques an undeniable interest. During the concluding half of their time at the University, students devote nearly all of their schedule to completing a major and possibly an additional major or minor, depending on how academically diverse a person chooses to be.
Of course, the path works out decidedly better on paper than the course of events that falls into place for many students. Problems along the way include a mad scramble to complete prerequisites, full classes, and a variety of other maladies. Some, however, find it difficult even to get that far because of indecision over selecting any major at all.
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The often given advice meant to aid students in selecting a major varies from talking to other students, reading up on the major from school sources, and seeking the counsel of professors and advisors. Although numerous students major in the same subject, their experiences differ so greatly that the advice may be of no use to a peer. Written sources often are numerous but eventually offer only a finite solution. While no student will deny the common eagerness of faculty to help them, not all students - especially first years - are comfortable with approaching an unknown and often prominent professor.
The most helpful and appealing approach to introducing students to the majors offered at the University would be one that engages both students and professors in an ongoing dialogue, something more than a hit and run majors fair. Some students would place the sole responsibility of realizing this occurrence on the University faculty and staff. What they must come to see, though, is the school cannot provide a cure-all in the form of a class or question and answer session for their concerns and confusion. With all the departments of the University so diverse in their opportunities and system to aid students, Dean Gordon Stewart believes that no central directive could feasibly provide a uniform system to increase student-faculty interaction.
In order to make the connection with professors who are full of invaluable advice, students must take the initiative. Dean Stewart advises students to first look into the several written sources readily available to them such as the Undergraduate Record. First years had best save those packets that seemed so meaningless over the summer. He also strongly recommends UCAN, a network managed through University Career Services that provides students with career advice and prospects from U.Va. alumni.
Without a doubt, the University offers a multitude of opportunities in the wide range of majors available to students. Choosing from such an array, however, easily can become a daunting task. As Dean Stewart states, "Students want service but don't know what services are out there." To those seemingly helpless souls drowning in a cascade of worries about a major: take the first step yourself. Read the Undergraduate Record online until the words begin to pop off the screen. Contact undergraduate advisors. Stop in during professor's office hours. No matter how much the intimidation may twist your tongue, they will be enthused just to see you there and all the more ready to guide you. Remember that the only person able to get the ball rolling on your future is you.
(Becky Krystal's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at bkrystal@cavalierdaily.com.)
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