All college students are faced with the challenge of committing to a major. It is a pressure that every college student will eventually resolve with some advice. The most common advice a student will be given is to choose their major based off of their passions.
Holly M. Fitzgerald, a freshman biomedicine major, said, "Once you find something that piques your interest, run with it. The best things in life will come from your passions. I chose my major (biomedicine) because I have always been passionate about helping other people, which is exactly what I'm going to be able to do once I finish school."
To find one's passions, it is necessary for students to try out new things. College is an especially great time to join a club or try something new.
In fact, Kean University offers more than 160 student groups. These groups cover a variety of types of interests including culture, Greek life, academics, government, professions, recreation, performance, religion and more. All these groups are run under Kean's Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) and can be found on Cougar Link.
Different associations within Kean University will also host various events and presentations throughout the school year. Undecided students should search out such happenings to help realize and develop their interests. Notifications can be found on a variety of sources such as Cougar Link, the Kean university website and social media.
Students may also get inspiration from looking at the available degrees and programs that are offered at Kean University. This list is available on the Degrees and Programs section on the Kean University website. Each major offers a description of what students can expect to learn from the program. If a student's interest is particularly piqued by a major, it is a good idea to look at the major's guide sheet for a more thorough list of required courses for the specific degree.
It is also helpful to get insight from others about one's specialties and skills.
Senior public relations major, Genesis Algaba, said, "I actually took a personality test through Naviance in high school, and I was matched with different careers. Public relations (PR) was one of them, and then I started researching what it was all about. So I came into college knowing that I wanted to major in communications with a concentration in PR, but I was still not sure what PR really was. I think that as I looked deeper into the field, I started realizing that I had made the right choice. Not everyone takes personality tests, but I think you can always find your major by looking at the things you are good at, great at, and where your passions lie."
In this way, students may find insight onto their potential future career by asking close friends and family about what they perceive to be one's talents.
It is also important for students to realize that deciding on a major is not necessarily a life commitment toward a specific career.
"It can be pretty scary when you come in undecided, but choosing the right major is a combination of what you enjoy doing and what will support you financially. So for those who are undecided, I'd say pick something flexible, a major that will equip you with different skill sets that will transfer to other fields, and that you enjoy doing," Algaba said.
Majors are therefore guidelines toward degrees that will lead toward endless possibilities. A student isn't doomed by their choice of major to be restricted to any type of career. The right decision can be uncovered through the exploration of oneself within the abundant opportunities a college like Kean University has to offer.
