You Are Not Alone in Choosing Your Major

Ever since you were a child you have probably been asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” For as many as 50 to 75 percent of all undergraduate students, that decision is still up for debate according to Virginia Gordon, author of “Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook.”

Gordon also reports an estimated 75 percent of students change their major at least once before graduation, which can cost students time and money. 

At the University of Washington Tacoma, students are offered multiple services they can use to help them choose their area of study and avoid becoming a statistic. Undeclared students are automatically assigned one of five pre-major academic advisors depending on the first letter of their last name. 

“Advisors are here to help you do the fun exploration of connecting your passions and strengths to a degree,” said Isabella Webb, a UW Tacoma Advisor, who also runs the Husky Success Series. She expressed that the goal is ultimately to connect students to a career that aligns with the student’s interests and philosophy. 

Webb encourages students to engage with their advisors early and often. She also recommends the Husky Success Series, part of UWT’s Undergraduate Education program designed to support students making their decisions. In the Paw’d Defiance podcast episode, “Students Helping Students Succeed,” Webb elaborates that the program is a collection of educational workshops on campus focused on student success. The program currently has 12 engaged student-leaders because, “who knows better what students want than students themselves!?”

There are also courses students can take to earn credit while exploring their career plans. One of these courses, Husky Success Quest (TUNIV 250), advertises that it will help students, “discover their talents, define their own unique paths, and learn how to develop and apply their strengths for academic, personal, and career success.” 

The course partners with a diverse range of academic departments, clubs, and organizations according to the program web page. Guest lectures and introspective assignments are designed to help students examine their potential career path and connect with professionals within that field. From the course description, it is modeled to help students explore their strengths and engage in an “exploration of purpose and perspective with opportunities to interact with campus and community leaders.”

Students should note that the Office of Undergraduate Education is different from the Career Development and Education office. According to the receptionist at the Career Development Office, their services “broadly cover the entirety of UWT students, including Milgard School of Business, alumni, graduate students, and undergrads.” These resources target students once they know what career path they want to pursue, offering support for interview prep, resume support, and the Handshake site, designed to connect students with job leads.  

UWT has programs to support students through their educational journey. Academic advisors, courses for career exploration, and then once students declare a major, the university offers support in career development. Now the next time someone asks you what you want to be when you grow up, you may not have a direct answer, but with UTW’s support, you can confidently add, “... I’m going to find out!”