You’re almost to the finish line of your first semester in college! Can you believe it’s here?! It seems like yesterday we were going through Summer Springboard Orientation – so much has happened since then! We hope you finish strong in your final exams/papers/projects, have a wonderful winter break and utilize the time to rejuvenate and reflect upon the last 6 months.
The purpose of this post is to help you think about how to reflect on this semester and move towards clarity about your major and career path. Reflecting on where you’ve been and where you are now can help you decide where you are going and create a plan for moving towards a decision. If you want to talk with me over break to help develop an action plan, I will be in the office through December 19 and returning on January 5.
1. Reflect on the Semester
- What classes did you like this semester? What did you like about them? What did you learn? What sparked your interests?
- What skills did you develop or enjoy using in your classes, group projects, student organizations, or other activities? Did anything surprise you?
- What was your plan for picking a major at the beginning of the year? Maybe exploring a subject by taking a class? Are you closer to making your decision now then you were? What do you think you need to do to get closer to making your decision?
2. Write a list of majors you’re considering or you want to learn more about.
What do you know about Integrated Science & Technology? Anthropology?International Affairs? Quantitative Finance? Health Sciences? The possibilities are endless. It’s important to keep your mind open to exploring! Just as we try “not to judge a book by its cover,” don’t judge a major by the name or the General Education or introductory course you may have taken or heard about from your friends. Do your homework. There are so many resources available to help you make your decision.
- Major Snapshots: Learn more about the 50+ majors at JMU, including admission and progression requirements, degree options, and the declaration process. Once you click on a major of interest, there’s also a link to the Career Guide to JMU Majors in the upper-right corner, so that you can learn about careers associated with the major. If you don’t know what a career is, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) to learn about the nature of the work and other good information.
- Minors: JMU offers a wide array of minor programs that allow you to supplement your major with another area of focused study. Students complete minors for a variety of reasons: strong interest in the subject, enjoyment of the discipline, and/or to develop specific skills and knowledge. Most minor programs require 18 to 24 credit hours of coursework.
- Pre-Professional Programs: Pre-professional programs at JMU are not majors, minors or concentrations. They are preparation programs that outline a set of JMU courses that are commonly required for admission to graduate or professional schools, or to obtain licensure or certification.
