The advice for choosing a major is similar on many college campuses: Identify the possibilities and find something that fits your interests and skills.
But even after the decision is made, students still have career options within each program, said Doug Orr, who coordinates University College 115, a class that provides undecided Ohio University freshmen with information about majors and occupations.
What we try to get them to realize is there are a lot of occupations linked with each major
Orr said.
Thirty-five percent of the UC 115 class is spent exploring majors and occupations, he said.
About 25 percent of incoming freshmen come to OU without a major, said Katie Troyer, an admissions adviser at OU.
Undecided students are considered high-risk, with the lowest retention rates on average, according to Institutional Research. The same is true nationally, said Wendy Merb-Brown, Learning Community Programs director.
Although OU doesn't keep an average of the time it takes students to select a major, Orr said about 400 of about 900 undecided students declare during their first year. All undecided students must choose a major by the 75-credit-hour mark, University College Dean David Descutner said.
Students at Kent State University have 45 semester hours to declare a major, said Steven Antalvari, an adviser in the Exploratory Advising Center at Kent State. Advisers encourage students to stay as close to a four-year track to graduation as possible, he said.
As at OU, about 25 percent of incoming freshmen at Miami University are undecided, said Pam Robinson, senior academic adviser in the College of Arts and Science. Also, between 50 and 60 percent of Miami students end up changing their majors, she said.
Students sometimes feel pressure to fill out a major on the application Robinson said.
Miami does not have a time limit for students to declare majors, but she said most choose by their sophomore year.
At Bowling Green State University, academic advisers encourage students to keep their options open, even as economic concerns weigh upon their decisions.
Students and parents are really concerned that each class the student takes counts toward graduation said Mary Lynn Pozniak, assistant director of Advising and Academic Success. Our goal is to keep students as flexible as possible for as long as possible.
High school seniors applying to OU receive links to faculty members, alumni accomplishments and other opportunities related to their academic interests, Troyer said.
In addition, some prospective student tours are coordinated with the Fall Quarter University College majors fair, she said.
Despite the tight job market, Career Services Director Thomas Korvas said he believes OU students can succeed by refining their transferrable skills, being open to moving to where jobs exist and improving work experience and networking.
I think students have to think outside the box a little
Korvas said, adding that students should be flexible.
I'm not ready to put up the white flag yet
he said.
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Kristina Hauptmann
