Majors and Minors Fair offers students advice on career paths

With ten colleges and over 70 majors at Texas Tech, students deciding on a major and minor could be a difficult decision.

The assist that, the office of Transition & Engagement hosted the Majors & Minors Fair in the Student Union Building Ballroom on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., for students to speak with the different colleges and departments at Tech.

The event is hosted just prior to spring class registration for student’s to get more information about the programs of different majors and minors before registering, said Megan Ohlmann, the assistant director of transition & engagement.

Advisors, faculty and current students in the college were available to talk to. Ohlmann said it allowed for students to hear what it may be like to be a student within that college or major.

“We always hear great feedback from the students that either had a positive experience or even found the perfect major for them that was really a great fit in the career path that they want to head down,” Ohlmann said.

Lauren Grover, junior psychology major from Houston, was walking through the SUB when she saw the fair. Grover said she is glad she stopped inside because although she is a human development and family studies minor, she wanted to explore what other options were available.

Through the resources, Grover said she has decided to stick with HDFS as a minor but to add a second minor in either Spanish or something in the medical field.

“It is a way for people to figure out what they want to do, and there’s so many people here for them to talk to about that,” Grover said.

Mariann Pruett, a senior advertising major from Houston, said she has been struggling with her graduating with her major. Through the fair, she said she was able to learn about other majors offered in the College of Media & Communication that she can change to that will allow her to graduate faster.

“I didn’t know about this my freshman year, and if I did, it would have helped so much, and I probably would have been able to graduate earlier,” Pruett said.

With the different colleges, Pruett said the event was a great way for advisors and department chairs to engage with students and provide face-to-face information in a fast way.

Logan Winkelman, associate director of the Career Center, said they were able to help students that are unsure of their major. The Career Center hosts career assessments that help students identify majors that will align with their interests and strengths. Through that, Winkelman said they start with just career exploration then narrow it down to the best majors or minors for students.

Before students attend Tech, they go to Red Raider Orientation to go to their desired college and pick a major. Winkleman said for some students, RRO may have been years ago and students may not even remember all the information given to them.

“The only other time there’s this much exposure in one place is at RRO,” Winkleman said. “It’s a good refresher of all the different departments that you could possibly pursue as a major.”

Advance registration for currently enrolled students for the spring 2019 semester and summer 2019 terms will be available from Nov. 1 through Nov. 19.

http://www.dailytoreador.com/lavida/majors-and-minors-fair-offers-students-advice-on-career-paths/article_0a3c7736-d317-11e8-8eaf-834512711156.html