DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE!
Choosing a major can feel overwhelming. Not knowing where or how to begin this process, it is only natural for students to rely on hearsay or well meaning friends and relatives for answers, advice and recommendations. Consequently, students often make important decisions based on myths and misinformation that hinder rather than help their academic efforts. The following are a few of the misconceptions under which students often operate.

MYTHS

Myth Number One: You are your major

Fact: Your major is only one of the many things you will have to show for your college experience. Jen Bower, career counselor at the Counseling and Student Development Center, recommends that students "think of their majors as a foundation upon which they will build a career." Academic minors, special talents (e.g., foreign language, public speaking, computer, and writing skills), in addition to organizational, internship, and volunteer experiences, complement one's major. With each activity and learning experience, you grow personally and professionally, broadening your opportunities as you build upon the foundation that is your major.

Myth Number Two: Majors = Specific Jobs

Fact: Most majors do not prepare you for a single, specific line of work. Think of this as "job freedom." The information you obtain and skills you acquire in your major, paired with the activities in which you participate throughout your college years, prepare you for a wide variety of careers and professional opportunities. Today's job market is ever-changing, and people seldom have one life-long career. Career growth over a lifetime requires that you remain flexible, and develop new and transferable skills now and for years to come.

Myth Number Three: Most students know what they want to major in when they start college

Fact: Some degree of indecision, which often involves changing majors, is the norm rather than the exception. Being undecided (and seeking help for that indecision) is far healthier that "foreclosing" on a major or career prematurely (i.e., making a decision with too little or misinformation). For many students, the first two or three semesters should be spent exploring academic options and researching careers. Examine your interests, talents and work values, and obtain sufficient information about academic and career options before establishing an academic/career "action plan."

Myth Number Four: The More I Cram Into My College Years the Better

Fact: Many students believe that employers and graduate/professional schools value students with an inordinate number of majors/minors, credentials, jobs, student activities, volunteer experiences, etc. As such, they spread themselves too thin, engaging in one perfunctory activity after another in a desperate attempt to obtain "resume fodder." Although a breadth of experiences can be valuable, you should be thinking about the quality, rather than the quantity of your experiences. Select a manageable number of activities that you find enjoyable and challenging, and do them well.