Undecided
If you do not know what college or Major to choose, you are not alone. At least twenty-five percent of UT's first year students are undecided, and many who have declared a major will change their major several times before they make a final decision.
Being undecided places you in the position to explore, investigate, and expand your general knowledge as you plan for your future. This is the opportune time for you to brainstorm and dream of all the possibilities that are available to you. This is also the time to discover who you are and what you want to be and do in the future.
Many students ask, "What can I do with this major?" The question really needs to be "What do I want to do?" This posture guides you into exploring yourself and the many possible fields of study. Majors and careers do not always have a direct relationship. Some careers, such as nursing and engineering, require certain majors; however, nurses and engineers can also have careers in education, banking, or marketing. Careers often develop in unusual ways that cannot be predicted by the major, and a certain major does not by any means guarantee a job.
You are a unique person embodying special experiences, strengths, talents, and interests. With planning, you can combine course work, internships, campus activities, part-time employment, volunteer work, and a variety of other activities that will enhance your future career opportunities.
Undecided students are advised in Arts and Sciences Advising Services. The College of Arts and Sciences offers a broad curriculum that has specified Basic Skills and Divisional Distribution requirements, which are to be met by its majors. Usually in taking courses to satisfy these general requirements, you discover areas, which interest you. Because most Colleges within the University also use these courses to satisfy their general requirements, you will most likely be making progress in your undergraduate degree even though you are unsure of your major. Most major areas of concentration also offer introductory or survey courses that allow for investigation.
Students who are unsure about either their majors or career choices need to be active participants in the exploration process as soon as they arrive on the UT campus.If you are wondering how to get started, begin with a few of these Tips for the Undecided Student.
- Enroll in Counselor Education 205 Exploring Majors and Careers and/or Counselor Education 212 Career and Personal Development.
- Perform an in-depth review of UT's undergraduate catalog, including majors offered and course requirements and prerequisites for the majors.
- >Do whatever it takes to be a successful student! An undecided student needs to keep doors open
- Get involved in volunteer work. Time spent in a variety of tasks may spark a new area of interest.TeamVOLS, a UT office whose role is to connect students to volunteer opportunities, is located in 350 University Center.
- Use the UT Bookstore to review textbooks to get a feel for what a particular course might be like. Browse the shelves for books of interest.
- Take some elective courses just to learn more about various disciplines of study.
- Interview people who have jobs that are appealing to you.
- Get some meaningful work experience (during summers or a part-time job during school).
- Shadow someone for a day in a work setting you would consider as a career.
- Utilize all aspects of Career Services (100 Dunford Hall): interest inventories, career counselors, internship or part-time job postings, resume - building exercises, video tapes, workshops, the extensive resource center.
- Join a student organization that has meaning to you and will help you demonstrate and/or acquire skills. Take on a leadership role in the organization.
- Learn to surf...the Internet, that is. An endless supply of information is available for the avid seeker.
Whatever you do, do not be discouraged that you are undecided. You are at the beginning of an adventure, and you need to proceed with an open and investigative attitude using as many resources as possible to help you reach a decision on a major.
There is a wealth of information on this campus, but you must actively seek it. Career Services and Arts and Sciences Advising Services are both excellent places to start your search. We may not always have the answer, but we can point you in the right direction