Page 30 - University of California at Los Angeles Insider

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Choosing a major
Your student’s major will be the academic area that they focus on during their studies.
Students take about 10 courses of increasing difficulty and specialization in the major they choose. Choosing their major can feel daunting! Learning a little more about majors yourself is a great way to support your student and to help take a little stress out of this decision.
All schools offer a wide range of majors. Majors may be very specific, with the goal of preparing your student for
a certain profession — for example, hospitality management, elementary education or aerospace engineering — or they may be more general, such as history, economics or biology.
Your student’s academic advisor, and counselors at the campus career center, can help your student learn more
about majors and how they connect to possible careers. Your student’s choice of major is important, but most majors can prepare your student for a variety of careers.
Tips for being successful in their major
1. Students do best in classes they enjoy. They should study what they love!
2. Early in college is a good time for your student to explore subjects they didn’t take
in high school as well as subjects they are considering for a major. Your student
might discover a passion for psychology, architectural design or creative writing.
3. Your student should pay attention to deadlines for declaring a major (usually the second semester of sophomore year), but there’s nothing wrong with being undecided for a while.
4. It’s common to change majors once or twice.
Start a great conversation!
· What class do you like the most?
· What’s the most interesting paper or project you’ve done this semester?
· When you think about the future after college, what do you dream about?