End of Semester Reflection

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.

Prepare for Registration | Major & Career Exploration

Prepare for Registration

Remember, individual meetings start next week (based on your last name) to prepare you for registration! Email me your availability for your assigned week, as listed on the advising syllabus, as soon as possible.

When you come to the meeting, you will want to bring the items mentioned in your advising syllabus.To bring a written list of majors you have considered, as indicated, you will want to take some time to explore majors offered at JMU. This is because during our individual meeting, one of the things we will discuss is if there are any majors and/or careers you’re currently considering. There are tools you can utilize from the comfort of your room to help you explore your options. This brings us to our next...

Spotlight on Exploring Resources

Explore JMU Majors

To review all of the majors we offer at JMU, the Career Guide to JMU Majors can provide you a (1) detailed description of the major, (2) the broad field of study and specializations in the field, and (3) career options and potential employers for graduates with this academic program. If you’re interested in learning about admissions and progression requirements for majors, checkout the Major Snapshots. If you want to know what courses you would need to talk for a certain major, checkout the Undergraduate Catalog. Utilize these three resources to get a fuller picture of majors you can choose at JMU.

Write down your thoughts and questions about majors and career
to bring to meetings with your advisor!

Explore Careers

When you are looking at the Career Guide to JMU Majors, and you see a career that you don’t know what it is, utilize OOH and O*Net to learn more about careers. On OOH, you can search for descriptions of careers to identify necessary training and education, earnings, job prospects, work tasks, and work conditions. On O*Net, you can search for careers that fit with you personal characteristics, such as interests, values, and skills.

As with any of the topics posted on the blog, don't hesitate to contact me as you have questions and/or if you'd like to talk through your research!