Decision Making

As a college student, decision-making is a crucial skill that shapes your academic journey and future career. Making effective decisions helps you choose the right courses, manage your time, and balance your academic and personal life. It also plays a key role in selecting internships, extracurricular activities, and career paths. By honing this skill, you can navigate college life with greater confidence and set yourself up for long-term success.

Additional Information: Why Decision-Making and Goal Setting Matter for Students | Goals

Office of Academic Advising

Choosing a Major: A Student's Guide

Connecting Decision-Making Components to Picking Your Major

Deciding on a major is a big deal.  Below are some factors to help you find the best fit!

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your goals, preferences, and plans. This approach can help you choose a major that leads to a satisfying and successful career.

People

Personality Fit: Choose a major that matches your personality. If you enjoy working with others, consider majors that lead to collaborative careers.

People in the Workplace

Find careers that fit your personality and help you work with others that you thrive around. There are several types of personalities that can be found in the workplace, we have listed a few for you to review and find what works best for you.

Knowledge/Interests

  • Career Clusters: Think about what subjects you enjoy and excel at in school. These interests can guide you toward a major that aligns with potential career paths.

  • Subject Matrix: Map out your interests and strengths. For example, if you love biology and helping people, consider a major in healthcare.

 

Subject Matrix




Questions to Ask Yourself...

  • What subjects or tasks do you find absorbing your time and taking all of your attention?
  • What are you favorite subjects or hobbies?
  • Where are places you like to spend your free time?
  • What do you love to talk about?
  • When you look through the UNI Catalog, what course subjects interest you?
  • When you look through the list of majors/minor at UNI, which ones stand out to you?

Work Environment

Physical Environment: Consider the type of work environment you prefer. Some majors lead to specific settings. If you enjoy being outdoors, look into environmental science or agriculture.

  • Identify the work environments that you thrive in.
  • Reflect on past experiences.
  • Focus on the physical environment rather than the people.
    • Ex: Lots of windows, nice view of greenery, relatively quiet, flexibility about clocking in and out, businesses nearby

Geography

Future Planning: Think about where you want to live and work in the future. Some careers are more prominent in certain locations. For instance, tech jobs are abundant in cities like San Francisco.

  • Think of the future always.
  • This can help you form a clearer picture of what you want your future to look like and what you hope for.
  • Keep things as broad as you would like.
    • If you stay general: City, Suburbs, rural, mountains, coast, overseas
    • If you want to be specific: San Francisco, Chicago, Raleigh

Salary & Rewards

Salary & Rewards: Reflect on your financial goals and desired lifestyle. Research the earning potential of careers associated with different majors. Some fields, like engineering and business, tend to offer higher starting salaries

Benefits in the Workplace

  • Salary is something you must consider as you are contemplating your ideal career and job but it is not everything.
  • Ask yourself the following questions:
    • What level would you like to work in your ideal job?
      • CEO, Manager, Head fo a Team, Team of Equals
    • What salary would you like to aim for
      • Minimum Salary
      • Maximum Salary
    • What benefits would you like as part of your job?