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Your Student's Choice of Major

When your student is deciding on a major, as a parent, you should:

  • Encourage open discussion about majors and careers and the student’s interests
  • Not be judgmental about their choices
  • Not make decisions for your son or daughter
  • Be patient and supportive, but raise important questions and issues such as: 
    • What classes do you enjoy most?
    • Which majors are you considering and why?
    • Have you talked to your advisor or someone in the Center for Career Planning about choosing a major? What was their advice?
    • Do you think you are likely to do well in the major you have chosen?
    • Have you talked to upper class students about their majors?

The major your student chooses:

  • should be realistic
  • should be enjoyable to him or her
  • should be something in which he or she can do well
  • can but does not need to lead directly to a career path
  • can be complemented with a marketable or compatible minor or minors

Facts about students and college majors that most people don’t know:

  • Most undergraduate degrees should not be considered job training (Exceptions are degrees in the professional areas of education and nursing which require the degree for licensing purposes.)
  • Almost 75% of college students change their major at least once.
  • There is a direct relationship between the college major and a job after graduation for only about one half of all college graduates. Later in a graduate’s career, their job is even less likely to be related to his or her major.
  • Employers are typically more concerned with the demonstrable skills a candidate possesses that with the candidate’s choice of major.

/ Center for Career Planning

The Center for Career Planning is located on the corner of Grove and Home streets near the center of campus behind "The Rock."

Office Hours
M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Contact
Ryan Brechbill, Director
e / rbrechbill@otterbein.edu

Ashley Strausser, Associate Director/Internship Coordinator
e / astrausser@otterbein.edu

Marilyn Williams, Admin. Asst.
e / mwilliams@otterbein.edu
p / 614.823.1456
f / 614.823.3052

Mail
Center for Career Planning
1 South Grove Street
Westerville, OH 43081

 

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