Choosing the right major can be frustrating.
Senior Isaiah Estrada didn't know a philosophy major would have better prepared him for law school until it was too late.
"I assumed a political science major was the best path for a career in law," he said. "But I later learned that the LSAT focuses on more logic-based questions, which is what a philosophy major teaches you."
Unfortunately, he wasn't sure he wanted to pursue a law degree until he was in the major, Estrada said.
"Political science is a good major with good aspects," he said. "But it lacks that logical form of thinking that I'll need for a law career."
But Chico State offers resources that can help prevent these bumps in the road.
"Stop by academic advising and meet with a counselor," said Cody Caudill, Academic Advising Program intern. "A counselor will provide a sheet with all the possible majors, minors and themes. They help students narrow down their interests."
There's nothing wrong with changing a major, but there is ample opportunity to explore and test a variety of classes during general education, he said.
If someone does switch majors, those extra classes will usually count for electives, Caudill said. Electives are meant to be experimental.
"Talking to a faculty member is always a great idea," he said. "We're lucky to have a campus where the faculty is available to us."
Also, students should check out classes that weren't explored in high school, such as anthropology, women's studies or religious studies, Caudill said.
"During general education, take any class that sounds interesting," he said. "It might lead you down an avenue you never expected."
Caudill said students know they have made the right decision if they like their classes and if the direction they see themselves headed matches the goals they have set.
Sophomore James Waterman started out as a mechanical engineering major, but after his freshman year, he took an internship in Berkeley and realized it wasn't for him.
He switched to mechatronic engineering, he said. It combines computers, electronics and mechanics.
"I'm now doing what I always wanted to do," Waterman said. "It's tough. But that's why I'm here."
Sonja Kydd can be reached at skydd@theorion.com
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