Students find their path with major exploration fair

Tilley Dombroski photos

Students engage and discover at the major exploration fair.

For the first time, graduate programs were included in Troy University’s Career Services

annual Major Exploration and Career fair, which was held Monday afternoon in the Lamar P. Higgins Ballroom.

A total of 56 tables from departments across the university were available for undecided

or curious students to interact with and learn about all the programs Troy has to offer.

“The students are excited to be here at Troy, but they don’t exactly know what we have to

offer,” said Jen Holbert, an advisor with career services. “For them to be able to talk to three or four different programs, it helps them talk to a faculty member about what they have to offer.

“This helps us build crucial relationships with students and get to know them better.”

Students, primarily freshmen, could be seen walking around and chatting amongst

themselves and professors. According to Holbert, about 60% of freshmen at Troy change their major at some point.

Many programs, including nursing, business and communications offered separate tables

for their graduate programs.

“It’s different than an email; it’s different than a flyer; it’s different than a phone call,”

said Dr. Joe Johnson, chair of the department of teacher education. “It’s a chance to have a face to-face conversation and to get a feel for the person.”

Johnson spoke with students regarding a degree in education for a variety of subjects.

“You get a sense of the true questions they have and start forming a very foundational

relationship in the beginning,” Johnson said.

Along with the Major Exploration Fair, Troy offers a course designated to help students

find their majors called Troy 1102. One assignment for the course includes preparing questions when talking to a professor.

“They need exposure,” Holbert said. “They need to talk to someone who does what

they’re aiming to do.

"That’s a major reason why we have the fair today.”

“They’re paying tuition, they’re taking gen eds, but they just haven’t nailed that final

path,” Johnson said. “It’s our job, like everybody else here, to sell our programs and let them

know what benefits our programs have for them as students.

“Recruiting matters, but sometimes measuring the effectiveness can be difficult.”

For more information regarding major changes and career exploration, students can

contact the university’s career services via email at troycareer@troy.edu