Workshop Wednesday helps students make a major decision

The Office of Career Services looked to guide students in choosing their major at last week’s weekly career development event. 

Workshop Wednesdays are a weekly service held by the Office of Career services, which aims to aid students in growing the proper skills and knowledge to becom more successful in college and with finding a career. Last Wednesday, the topic was all about picking a major and, even though most of the attendees already declared their own. One student said it prepared her for any uncertainty she may have. 

“I learned that there are so many little websites that you can go to find out what major you want or what personality you have that matches certain majors so that you can then go and get the right job later,” said Madison Young, a freshman nurisng major from somewhere. “I would recommend that, especially for people that come into college knowing what they want to do and end up changing it and they kind of feel lost.” 

Jen Holbert, the program advisor for the Office of Career Services, shared with the students that she ended up not using the major she chose for her undergraduate degree.

She said she may have chosendifferently if she had the same resources. 

“I wish I had these services when I was in college,” Holbert said. “I wish I would have had someone kind of like myself […] to just give me guidance.  

“I got a degree in elementary education, and at the very end of college, I realized that I didn't want to teach. What I learned through my internship was that I did love children, and I love children that had struggles, and I loved being able to sit down and talk to them.  

“I ended up later getting a master's in counseling, but with my undergraduate degree I ended up not going into the field because I didn't have a lot of guidance myself.” 

One of the attendees was Chaedon Laird, a high school senior at New Life Christian Academy, who visited the workshop by recommendation of his teacher, even though he knew his field of interest going in.Laird said the workshop gave him some reassurance that he will be choosing the right major as he soon goes to college. 

“We did a self-assessment that assigned us colors that showed what we should most likely major in and my major, computer science, was part of my color,” Laird said. “I knew I was specifically majoring in computer science because I’ve been interested in computers since I was seven years old.” 

Holbert said holding the workshops is very rewarding as she gets to guide students as they grow. 

“I love to be able to help students find their path, discover more of who they are, what they enjoy, what they're good at and then just really be able to connect all of them,” Holbert said. 

The Office of Career services is located in Eldridge Hall, and they post updates on upcoming events and services on their Instgram, @troyucareer.