In this newsletter:

Deciding what to major in can be both exciting and stressful! Often times we forget to fully acknowledge our success before thinking of the “next step.” Before we dive into tangible steps students can take to determine what they want to major in, we want to take a moment to recognize the amazing academic achievements and hard work CC students have already made throughout their lives! You’ve already done so many amazing things, and we’re excited to help you continue pursuing your goals. Below are some steps you can take to decide your major.

Talk with folks

An important step in discovering the major you wish to pursue is to seek out conversations with folks on campus who can provide a sounding board and resources. Your advisors—Hub and faculty—can talk with you about your interests, goals, and opportunities to tie everything together. They can help you navigate how to select coursework that aligns with your goals, connect you with co-curricular and extracurricular activities that relate to your interests, and help you navigate the many, sometimes complex, resources available to you at CC. Your advisors and their contact information can be found in Stellic. 

In addition to your advisors, your professors are a great resource. If you’re taking a class and are enjoying the content, ask your professor if you can chat with them more about the subject area. Professors are content experts and can provide robust information on what majoring in that subject area entails and how to get the most out of your academic experience.

Don’t forget about your classmates. If you are unsure about which major to select, it can be helpful to have conversations with your classmates on what they are majoring in and why they like that discipline. They can provide first-hand experience on what it’s like to major in subject areas at CC.

Know thyself

An important step in deciding what to major in is understanding your likes, dislikes, strengths, and areas you wish to improve. Additionally, it can be advantageous to identify your core values, especially as they relate to the career path you want to pursue. The Career Center at CC has many amazing resources to take advantage of to help you correlate your academic interests to potential career pathways. PathwayU provides assessments that can help you align career paths with things that are important to you. PathwayU and other online resources can be found on our website.

Explore and Research

At CC, we have a lot of information available to help students learn more about the majors and minors we offer. The academic department webpages provide students information on what that subject is, major/minor requirements, faculty bios, and options to get involved in research and major/minor specific clubs.

It can be important to participate in clubs, fairs, and experiences that can help you investigate the different academic pathways available to you. There are student clubs focused on specific academic disciplines and careers.

An exciting upcoming opportunity to take advantage of is the Majors Fair!

Monday, Feb. 2, noon-2 p.m., Worner Student Center
Talk to faculty and students from departments across campus about what majors and minors are right for you! Lunch will be served. 

At CC, students are required to declare their major by the end of the sophomore year. In order to declare a major, you will need to complete the major declaration form on the registrar’s website and obtain a faculty advisor within the major department. You may be asking yourself, “how do I get a faculty advisor within the major I wish to declare?” Great question! Academic departments vary in how faculty major advisors are assigned. Some departments encourage you to ask a professor within the major to serve as your advisor, while other departments assign faculty advisors for you. The best way to determine which approach a department uses is to reach out to the Academic Administrative Assistant for that department. Feel free to contact your Hub Advisor to learn who the Academic Administrative Assistant is for the department you’re looking for.

Majors and Classes—Oh My! 

Declaring a major can be a really exciting and intimidating process, especially when thinking about law school. The good news is that it doesn’t matter what you major in. Law schools really don’t care. I promise, they don’t care. What they do care about are your grades. When you major in something you like and are interested in, your grades tend to trend up. That’s what we want! When studying what you like, the work doesn’t feel as heavy and hard. I’m not saying you won’t take difficult classes but hopefully the content is intriguing. That’s what college is all about!

There are some classes that can be helpful if you are considering law school. Here’s a list of classes that are suggested for this academic year. This list will be updated as soon as the new course grid is finished for next year. There might be some surprises on this list. Theatre? Why on earth would you need a Theatre class? Poise! Speaking! Clarity! Performance! Command! All excellent qualities if thinking about being a trial attorney. Point being, keep your mind open. Try new classes. There are no required classes for law school. Let’s talk about what you’re interested in and what is different so we can stretch your mind.

Mark your calendar:

University of South Dakota Law School
Wednesday, Mar. 4, Tutt Library 303, 12:15 p.m.
Lunch provided so please RSVP to Gretchen

USD will be here to talk about the financial aid process, how to look for schools and tools to help you narrow down choices on where to apply that match your values. While USD may not be on your list right now, simply hearing from an admission representative about WHERE to look and HOW to pay for it is a big deal. Keep an open mind and take this information and apply it to the future.

~gretchen

Club Meetings

Health Professions Club:

Meetings are the second Thursday of each block, 12:15-1 p.m., Olin 1

Block 6: Thursday, Feb. 26, How to find jobs and internships – advice from the Career Center

Block 7: Thursday, Apr. 2, Volunteer Panel

Block 8: Thursday, Apr. 30, Club Elections and Alumni Application Panel

Pre-Dental Club:

Meetings are the second Monday of each block, 12:15-1 p.m., Advising Hub

Block 6: February 23

Block 7: March 30

Block 8: April 27

Pre-Vet Club:

Meetings are the second Tuesday of each block, 12:15-1 p.m., Olin Fishbowl        

Block 6: February 24      

Block 7: March 31           

Block 8: April 28        

Spring Semester Health Professions Programs and Workshops

Thursday, Feb. 5, 5-7 p.m., Suture Clinic, Gaylord

Monday, Feb. 9, noon-1:30 p.m., Personal Statement Workshop, Tutt Library Room TBD

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 4-5 p.m., MCAT Strategies Student Panel, AAMC Webinar   

Thursday, Mar. 5, 2-3 p.m., Health Science Employer Panel, Virtual  

Thursday, Mar. 31, 2-3 p.m., Narrative Medicine Workshop w/ CC alum, Virtual                    

Wednesday, Apr. 15, noon-1 p.m., Medical and Dental School Application Workshop, Virtual            

                                                                                                         

 

Words of Advice from Hub Advising Student worker:

Addison Ordner ’28:

When thinking about choosing my major, I found it very helpful to organize my schedule in a way that exposed me to several departments of interest before committing to a declaration. After some self-assessment of the general direction I wanted to work towards, I took multiple courses in economics, sociology, and political science over the course of my freshman year. I found that although I was most interested in economics, what aligned best with my academic goals was a diverse schedule including both lecture and discussion-based classes that supplemented one another. I feel this approach has prevented me from burning out or feeling pigeon holed. I also was very intentional about getting involved on campus in ways that would (or wouldn’t) validate my potential major options. For example, joining CCSGA’s Finance Committee has definitely reinforced my interest in economic studies and revealed a love for public speaking and leadership. I wanted my major to ultimately take on an interdisciplinary dynamic, so I had discussions with my hub advisor and professors in both the economics and political science departments before deciding to declare the International Political Economy major at the end of my freshman year. This major has allowed me to explore a wide range of content across two-plus departments while also allowing me to hone an economics ‘niche’ with the help of my economics faculty advisor and professors. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of all of CC’s resources while deciding on a major, it will make you feel confident and excited about your declaration!

Stop by if you have any advising questions! All pop-ups occur Thursdays from noon-1:30 p.m.

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903