Guidance Services

| Northeast MS Community College

 
   
Home Page Image

 

CHOOSING A MAJOR

 WHY? It is required by every college. Colleges require core academics for “breadth” and major courses for “depth”. All courses taken provide a framework for an interdependence of knowledge. Completing the required courses in a major tends to prepare us for the many opportunities in life in which we will pursue other topics or issues in depth.

WHEN? When applying to Northeast Mississippi Community College, you are to indicate a major. This automatically identifies an advisor for you. Keep in mind that you can change your major any time you wish. Most majors require an extensive number of pre-requisites and credits. If you prolong the process, you may have to attend more than two years if you are a vocational or technical major or more than four years if you are working on a B. A. or B. S. degree.

HOW DO I CHANGE MY MAJOR? Go to the Records Office in Estes Hall. Never simply change your major in your own mind without properly changing your major in the Records Office. Changing majors also aligns you with a different advisor. You may call (662)720-7262 regarding this process.

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS DO I GIVE TO DECIDING ON A MAJOR?

  • For BS/BA candidates, keep in mind that choosing a major in and of itself is not an action that will likely change your life. It is only one part of an unceasing process of intellectual exploration. Declaring a major is not one of those irreversible decisions of life.
  • In reality, there are several “right” majors for any individual. Most people have many interests and much potential. The key is to choose an undergraduate major that captures your interest, motivates you, makes you happy, and allows you to use your strengths.
  • Choosing a major and preparing for a career are not necessarily the same process. A college major helps prepare you for the job market, but most majors do not lead to a narrowly focused list of job options. Instead, a major can prepare you for numerous job possibilities.

 

  • Choosing a major simply because it promises to lead to a high paying job does not guarantee that you will do well in that major or enjoy the work in that area.

 

  • Take note of the following as part of your decision-making process: your grades, electives, skills acquired through your coursework, personal traits, goals, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, courses you have liked and why, teachers you have liked and why.

 

  • You would be wise to base your decisions about your major on your interests, rather than on economic concerns or outside pressures. Nobody knows exactly what jobs will be available and what the economy will look like five years from now, much less in 15 or 20 years. Choose a major that you enjoy. What you enjoy doing will engage your mind in the most active way while you are in school.

According to a survey released in the spring of 2005 by The National Association of Colleges and Employers, 68.6 percent said they chose a major because they liked the kind of work it would enable them to do. Some (13.9 percent) admitted that they “drifted” into their major; 6.9 percent were influenced by earning potential and 5.4 percent said they followed a family member or friend’s advice. The remaining respondents (5.2 percent) were influenced by “other” reasons. Only 52.4 percent never changed their major; 26.5 percent changed it once and 12.1 percent changed it more than once.

  • Identify areas you want to understand. Success in a major depends on the right combination of interests, skills, efforts and attitudes. Explore what interests you most.

 

  • Meet with a counselor in Waller Hall during your first or second semester for one-on-one discussions regarding the selection of a major.

 

  • Visit the Career/Success Center in Waller Hall for opportunities to take career interest inventories. The Career/Success Center is open from 8:00 until 4:30 Monday through Thursday and 8:00 until 4:00 on Friday. Call (662)720-7313 for assistance.
  • Use the internet to search for web sites that present information related to choosing a major. Some good sites are:

 

 

  • Use the campus Library to search for articles on choosing a major.
  • Talk with adults who are in the workforce. Include your parents, relatives, neighbors, parents’ friends, church members, your advisor and other Northeast personnel.

 

  • Browse through the list of majors in the Index of the College Catalog. This is a simple, but often overlooked, approach. Look at the course requirements for different majors in the Programs of Study section in the catalog. Get more information on courses in the Course Description section of the College Catalog.

 

  • If your baccalaureate major is not listed in Northeast’s catalog, simply declare Liberal Arts as your major and go by the program guide listed in the catalog of the college to which you will transfer. (Note: There will be an advisor on campus who will still be able to help you.)