Page 292 - Keys to College Success

Finally, one other way to investigate how your personality and strengths may inform
career choice is to take an inventory based on the Holland Theory. Theorizing that per-
sonality was related to career choice, psychologist John Holland came up with six
different types that identify both personality and career areas: Realistic, Investigative,
Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (together known as RIASEC). Holland
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developed two interest surveys that allow people to identify their order of preference for
the six types and help them link their stronger types to career areas. Ask your career
center about these surveys: the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI ) or Self-Directed
®
Search (SDS ).
®
Determine Academic Options

Next, find out about the academic choices available at your school. Plan for Career Success

Learn what’s possible. Consult your college catalog for guidelines on declaring (and
changing) your major. Find answers to these questions:
■ When do I have to declare a major? (Generally at the end of the second year; ear-
lier for programs that have a heavier load of required courses.)
■ What are my options in majoring (double majors, minors, interdisciplinary majors)?
■ What majors are offered at my school?
If a major looks interesting, explore it further:

■ What minimum grade point average, if any, does the department require before it
will accept me as a major?
■ What GPA must I maintain in the courses included in the major?
■ What preparatory courses (prerequisites) are required?
■ What courses will I be required to take and in what sequence? How many credits
do I need to graduate in the major?
■ Will I have to write a thesis to graduate in this major?
■ If I plan to go to graduate school, is this major appropriate for the kind of gradu-
ate school that interests me?

Work closely with your advisor. Early on, begin discussing your major with your
advisor; he or she can help you evaluate different options.

Visit the department. When considering a major, analyze your comfort with the
academic department as well as with the material. Find the department office during
weekday hours and ask the department secretary for information. Sit in on several
classes to get a feel for the instructors and the work. Consider asking an instructor
for an appointment to discuss the major. Check out the department website if there
is one.

Speak to people with experience in the major. Ask students who are a year or
two ahead of you to describe their experiences with the courses, the workload, and the
instructors.

Risk creative choices. Consider the rewards that may lie beyond the traditional path
and investigate the possibilities at your school. One or more of the following may be
open to you:

■ A variety of concentrations and specializations. Many schools offer you the chance
to focus closely on a small aspect of a larger area. For example, an education major
may concentrate in special ed and specialize in K–12.

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