Choosing a major may seem like one of the most difficult tasks that you will have to tackle during your academic career. You may receive advice from everyone you know, especially your parents. You are not alone in this quest. The average student changes his/her major at least three to four times before finally deciding on one. Russell Frank, Pennsylvania State University, wrote about “figuring out what you love and the rest will follow.” Easier said than done, right? We are here to let you know that there are many resources on this campus to assist you in making a decision about your major. Here are some pointers to help you choose a major:

• Ask your advisor! Your advisor can direct you to courses in the General Studies curriculum in which you might be interested. He/she also knows the best kind of course offerings in other programs and can help you put together a program of studies. Don’t be afraid to try out a course if it looks interesting. A suggested course is SLS 2990 Major Exploration/Career Choices to assist you in this process.

• Talk to your professors! Faculty members in a major department love to talk to students about their field and can also give good advice about areas that are related you may not have considered. Get the most acurate and up to date information from them. Talk to students who are majoring in an area you might be considering.

• Volunteer for an agency! UWF has a listing of more than 50 agencies for which you can volunteer. If you sign up for SLS 2948 Service Learning, you can earn one semester hour of credit for volunteering.

• Use your UWF Resources! The Career Center and the Counseling Center are two useful departments on campus for anyone exploring career choices. The Counseling Center provides vocational testing and the Career Center has the most up-to-date information on career trends, job availability and much more career-related information. You can either meet with one of the career counselors or get the information to review yourself. And of course, don’t forget about the Internet. It is one of the most useful tools in searching for information. The Career Center has a listing of career related web sites which you can also access from their Web site.

• Don't give up! Most importantly, do your homework, ask questions and don’t be afraid to try new things. The Internet is also a useful tool for information about majors and jobs. Trying to find a major and ultimately a job with which you will be happy may not be as difficult as it seems.