Ouachita Stories

While talking with high school students and their parents, one thing I find myself saying more often than ever before is “It’s okay!” It’s okay that you are interested and gifted in multiple academic areas. It’s okay that you have not yet decided on which college to attend or what major to pursue. It’s okay. For whatever reason, students feel this immense pressure to have everything figured out by the time they enter college.

When you think about the highly scheduled, “synced family calendar” lives we live, it makes sense that high school students feel overwhelmed when thinking about their wide-open futures. Being a part of the Google generation means that answers have quite literally been at their fingertips their entire life, but a search for “what should I major in” can be even more overwhelming – with over 79 million results!

So how do students decide on a major?

1. Breathe! Give yourself some grace and don’t compare yourself to your friends. They may think they have a major and their future all planned out, but most of them don’t! Did you know that as many as 80% of U.S. college students change their major at least once during the course of their college career? By taking some time to explore your interests, you will find joy when you make that decision, instead of feeling like a failure when your original plan didn’t work out.
   
   
2. Job shadow people with careers that interest you. Shadowing is less of a commitment than interning and allows you to get a glimpse into different careers. While there, ask questions like “What do you dislike the most about this job?” and “What do you enjoy the most?” Questions like this will help you identify potential “deal breakers/makers” that you may have not considered before.
   
   
3. Complete a career assessment. At Ouachita, we make available a free career assessment to all of our accepted students. The assessment will allow you to think about what is important to you and how those things translate into different careers.
   
   
4. Celebrate learning! Instead of jumping into a major, think about dipping your toe into a class. Sometimes students learn what they’re not interested in by taking a class. Instead of viewing this as a defeat, celebrate the fact that you learned something about yourself. It is better to learn this early on rather than diving into a major too quickly!
   
   
5. Choose a university that offers access to its professors. Often, these professors who will know you by name are the very ones that notice talents in you that you have not yet discovered! Have you ever had someone say that you remind them of someone else? Think about the possibilities of our professors being able to do that with you, except the people you remind them of are graduates with careers that you may also enjoy!
   
   
6. Take advantage of your resources. Ouachita offers all undeclared students the opportunity to be a part of the DISCOVER Program which aims to help students learn more about themselves and their major/career options. Check out obu.edu/discover for more information!

Often students have an audible sigh of relief when they hear these two simple words – it’s okay. Why have we sped up this process of growth? The best part of my work is helping students realize their gifts, learn more about themselves and focus more on the journey as they reach their destination.

Ashlee Giles serves as Ouachita’s director of enrollment initiatives. 

 

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