Fair helps undecided choose a major
Nicole Lawfer
Issue date: 1/25/02 Section: News
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The University Advising and Academic Support Center has collaborated with several other organizations on campus to present the second annual Major-Minor Fair for WIU students who may be confused about their career interests and aims.
The fair will be held in the University Union Grand Ballroom on Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will be set up much the same as the Activities Fair as each academic department offered within the four colleges will be assigned to a table where students can approach them at their leisure.
There will also be a drawing for door prizes following the event. Prizes include a deluxe Palm Pilot, a book voucher from Chapman's Bookstore, T-shirts and other items from the Union Bookstore.
The fair is designed for students who have not chosen a major or are not sure where their career interests lie.
"The largest declared major for incoming freshmen is general orientation. This makes up at least 25 percent of the freshman class," director of University Advising and Academic Support Center, Candace McLaughlin, said. "The fair creates a one-stop opportunity for students who don't want to run around campus or read the course catalog to search for something that interests them. Plus, it is always nice to talk to a person who can answer all of your questions at once."
Students who have already declared a major, but are unsure of their decision and would like to explore other options, can also benefit from the fair.
"It is very common for students to change their major during their four-year education," McLaughlin said. Nationally, according to McLaughlin, 60 percent of college students change their major after they have enrolled. "We also understand that it may be hard for students to go to their departmental adviser to seek information for different disciplines. This is a great way to research all your interests at once," McLaughlin said.
Many majors require a minor to be declared before a student completes 75 credit hours. "Several students don't realize that there are many interdisciplinary minors that can be incorporated with their major to maximize their time and education," McLaughlin added.
The Major-Minor Fair is also being supported by Career Services, the Student Assistance Center, the University Counseling Center and each of the four colleges on campus.
The fair will be held in the University Union Grand Ballroom on Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will be set up much the same as the Activities Fair as each academic department offered within the four colleges will be assigned to a table where students can approach them at their leisure.
There will also be a drawing for door prizes following the event. Prizes include a deluxe Palm Pilot, a book voucher from Chapman's Bookstore, T-shirts and other items from the Union Bookstore.
The fair is designed for students who have not chosen a major or are not sure where their career interests lie.
"The largest declared major for incoming freshmen is general orientation. This makes up at least 25 percent of the freshman class," director of University Advising and Academic Support Center, Candace McLaughlin, said. "The fair creates a one-stop opportunity for students who don't want to run around campus or read the course catalog to search for something that interests them. Plus, it is always nice to talk to a person who can answer all of your questions at once."
Students who have already declared a major, but are unsure of their decision and would like to explore other options, can also benefit from the fair.
"It is very common for students to change their major during their four-year education," McLaughlin said. Nationally, according to McLaughlin, 60 percent of college students change their major after they have enrolled. "We also understand that it may be hard for students to go to their departmental adviser to seek information for different disciplines. This is a great way to research all your interests at once," McLaughlin said.
Many majors require a minor to be declared before a student completes 75 credit hours. "Several students don't realize that there are many interdisciplinary minors that can be incorporated with their major to maximize their time and education," McLaughlin added.
The Major-Minor Fair is also being supported by Career Services, the Student Assistance Center, the University Counseling Center and each of the four colleges on campus.