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Choosing a Major Indiana University
Introduction
Choosing a college major can be one of the most challenging decisions you make, but it’s also exciting. You’re starting your journey toward a fulfilling career, and you get to choose what path to take.
Look at the list of degrees and programs
First, you should look at the list of degrees and programs. This will give you an idea of what’s available and the requirements for getting each degree or program.
If you still need to decide which major would be right for you, that’s okay! There are many options- you need to find one that fits your interests and goals. To help get started:
- Visit the university website’s admissions page, where they describe their various majors/minors/specializations in detail.
- Please talk with your academic advisor about possible careers within each field (they may even have some advice about whether specific domains would be better suited toward your future goals).
Work with your academic advisor, academic coach, or career coach once you get to campus
Your academic advisor, coach and career coach is the person who can help you figure out what classes to take, how to navigate university bureaucracy, and how to make sure that your education meets the requirements for your major.
Your academic advisor will also be able to help guide you through any questions or concerns regarding financial aid. It would help if you met with this person at least once every semester during their office hours (which are posted online).
The best way to find out who your academic advisor is is by checking out this page on Indiana University’s website: https://www2.indiana.edu/~registrar/students/where-do-i-start/. When contacting them directly via email or phone, please specify that it concerns an “academic advisory appointment.” Please note that it may take some time before they reply due to high demand, but rest assured they will get back with an answer as soon as possible!
Consider taking an exploratory course at your campus
If you need to decide what major to pursue but want to learn more about a particular field and see if it fits your interests, consider taking an exploratory course at your campus. Experimental studies are designed to help students learn more about specific majors. They may include information on career paths in that field or give insight into the skills required for success in that industry.
Some colleges offer introductory level classes in most disciplines so students can try new subjects before declaring a major and committing themselves fully to them (for example, Introduction to Social Media). These classes are often offered during the first year when students are still exploring their options–but they can also be taken later on if needed–and sometimes require prerequisites such as high school graduation before enrolling in them! You should check with your college’s website or speak with an advisor about whether or not it offers these types of courses/programs before signing up because some schools still need to provide them but may do so soon enough!
Take classes to fulfil general education requirements
It would help if you took classes to fulfil general education requirements. General education requirements are a set of courses that every IU undergraduate student must take to graduate. These courses are designed to give you a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences, including English, math, science, and social science courses.
We recommend that you take classes during your first year or two at Indiana University that fulfil these requirements so that you can start your graduation date later when they become more challenging to fit into your schedule (because our advisors strongly encourage it).
Take a course in a major that interests you
To find out what interests you, take a course in a major that interests you. There are many ways to do this:
- Please talk with your professors and classmates about their majors. They can tell you what they like about their field of study and what they don’t like about it. This will help give insight into whether or not this is a good fit for your personality and interests.
- Look at websites for different departments within the university’s colleges and schools (e.g., Arts & Sciences) and specific majors within those departments/programs (e.g., English). These websites often contain information about required courses for each significant and other prerequisites such as high school GPA requirements or standardized test scores (SAT/ACT). They may also include some general advice from faculty members on preparing yourself before applying for admission into their program(s).