Final Paper：College Students Should Choose Their Major Based On Their Interests

 Introduction

“The percentage of full-time college students (age from 16 to 24) who were employed between 1970 and 2000 increased from 34 to 52 percent. It then decreased to 40 percent in 2010” (College student employment1). Some majors like math and education are easy to find a job; however, it is hard to look for a job for some majors such as art，music, and social science.  Due to the economic depression and job competition between majors, most students now start considering whether or not they should spend thousands of dollars on the field that they are really interested in, but will not easily get them a job. As a result, they are more likely to ignore their own interests when choosing a major. Instead, they tend to make a decision for their college major under the influence of time pressures, social trends, and parents’ expectations.  However, students who are major in non-interested fields are more likely unable to develop a real motivation for studying and they will have a hard time to be succeeded in the college as well as in their further career. Therefore, it is very important that students should choose a major that they are interested in since it will help them enjoy their study and be successful in their career path. 

Students should not choose a major based on time pressure

The college major decision is a potentially life-framing decision that many students struggle with. Unfortunately, most students make a lot of mistakes when making this essential decision. Perhaps one of the common mistakes that most college students have once making decision about their major is making the decision based on time pressure instead of investing time on their self-discover. Indeed, a lot of students feel pressure to make a decision early in their college career. According to Brad Williams, Ph.D., dean of student affairs at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, there is "an amazing number of students feel pressure to select an academic major early," (Rowh 1). Many students are really worried about entering college undecided major. It makes sense that once the major is set, students tend to be easily to focus on their study and have more time to prepare for their career path. However, discovering self-interest before choosing any majors is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped. Instead, it is a key step that students need to invest a lot of their time in order to identify their true desires or interests. As Sue Schmid, director of academic resources at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York, says "Self-discovery is all about taking risks, getting out there, and doing things to find out what excites them and what they're good at,"(Rowh 2). Therefore, many students change their minds as they learn more about themselves and the things that attracted them. In fact, "About 80 percent of students who start college switch their major at least one time. Many students will change their major three or four times over the course of a college career.” (Rowh 1 ). As a result, choosing major in such a hurry without investing time to discover self-interest can lead to a paradoxical reaction. Instead of saving time for students, it wastes a lot of their time due to changing their majors back and forth. For example, once decided to change major, students have to spend more time to retake some courses that are required by the college in order to be admitted into the major. Then, it eventually leads to the delay of their graduation time.

Students should not choose a major based on social trends

 Nowadays, media plays a big role in influencing young students in choosing their college majors. Many years ago, there were not a lot of students choose science or engineer major. But now with the rapid developing of information technology, students can easily get access to a large amount of career-related information through internet, television, newspaper, and especially the movies. When students watch movies or some science-tech TV shows, there is always a trend showing them that certain jobs like engineer or banking tend to make a good amount of money and easily to get promoted to a high position. So, it influences the young students to start picturing themselves to pursue an ideal career like that in the future. As a consequence, when they get into college, they automatically pick engineer or finance as a major without taking time to discover if those majors are their real interests. Later, once getting into the major, they realized that the courses are very difficult and not as interesting as they thought. So, students begin to change their mind by considering switching their majors.

Another question to consider is “Is it true that studying a popular major really can guarantee a satisfied job? For example, in recent years, engineering majors become a very popular major. In fact, “ The engineering technologies increased 8 percent between 1999–2000 and 2004–05, and then increased a further 12 percent between 2004–05 and 2009–10.” (Education Statistics 3).  It has a big percent increase in engineering major. In addition, when taking a look at the top majors that are popular, we can see engineering major is ranked in the top 10. However, is it true that it can guarantee engineering students to get a job after their graduation? “According to the job placement firm Adecco, sixty percent of U.S. college graduates cannot find a full-time job in their chosen profession” (Brookman 5). The reason is because there are numbers of students choose a popular major to study despite the fact that they are not really interested in it.  Due to lacking of interests, students have a hard time to build a strong foundation in most major courses as well as to go further in advanced study of their professional field.  As a result, they fail to become a real profession of the field. On the other hand, because of the high competition, most of popular majors favor students who have talents in those fields.  In fact, most companies, especially the big corporations are more likely to hire the outstanding students first. However, there are not many qualified professions who have compassion and knowledge of the field. Even with unemployment hiring in the popular major fields is very low, most companies still struggle with the problem that they can't find skilled workers, so searching for the right person to fill a job can take months of hunting. In addition, employers are likely to lay the blame on the schools because of not giving students the right kind of training. However, it is not fair to blame on the college, but the students because the real reason is that a lot students choose the major just for a job and do not have interest in their study. As a result, even graduated with a popular major, students still have a hard time to find a satisfied position in a company.

Students should not choose major just to satisfy parent’s expectation

Many students enter college with a clear idea of what they want to study and achieve, but even with the clear idea ready, some of them still have to change their mind during their college years. On the other hand, there are students enter college with no clear vision of a major and quickly pick the major only based on their parents’ wishes. Surely, parents play a significant role in the career goal development of their children. Without the approval and support from parents, students and especially the young adults have a hard time to pursue their careers in college. Even though most parents are aware of their roles and always willing to support their children, yet they don’t realize their supports always come along with the expectations. For example, some parents expect students to pick some majors that will provide them a job that have high demand or high pay. These expectations unintentionally create a lot of pressures that affect their children in making the decision in choosing their majors. In fact, “Numerous studies (Knowles, 1998; Marjoribanks, 1997; Mau and Bikos, 2000; Smith, 1991; Wilson and Wilson, 1992) have found that college students and young adults cite parents as an important influence on their choice of career.” (Taylor, Maris, and Taylor 4). These expectations and pressures lead students to accept what parents say, and pick a major that will please their parents. As a result, even all parents tend to want to do what is best for their children, but by picking a non-interested major, a lot of students ended up have to change their majors or withdraw of the colleges because they realized that it wasn’t a good fit to them. It leads to a waste of time and money and not being beneficial to the students in the long run.  Also, became overly involved in the process of choosing the field to study of their children, parents neglect their children’s right to pursue what they really want in life, and it’s not fair for their children. Although it makes sense to pursue a career that fits with the market demands as well as satisfies the parents’ wishes, it is more important for students to be able to pick their major based on their own interests and abilities. It helps students to be happier and more efficiency in studying by taking courses that are interested and enjoyable to them. Thus, it increase the change of being successful for students in their study and career path by allowing them to make their own choices to study something meaningful to them.

Conclusion

Students should take time to know more about their own personality, hobby, and ability, and then pick a major based on the true interests. It not only helps them to study better but also create the enjoyment and pleasure in their studying which will draw their mind in the liveliest way to being educated. Some external factors like time pressures, social trends, and parents’ expectation may misguide students to pick out the major that doesn’t match with their interests. However, it is important for students to understand that choosing a non-interesting major are more likely unable to develop a real motivation for studying as well as creating a hard time for them to be succeeded in the college and in their further career.

Works Cited

"College Student Employment." National Center for Education Statistics. . Web.7 May, 2013. Print.

Rowh, Mark. "Choosing A Major." Career World 31.5 (2003): 21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013.

"Education Statistics." Science Teacher 67.7 (2000): 78. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013

Brookman, Jennie. "Jobless Graduates Get Money Back." Times Higher Education Supplement 1297 (1997): 9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013.

Taylor, Jeffrey, Marcia B. Harris, and Susan Taylor. "Parents Have Their Say...About Their College-Age Children's Career Decisions." NACE Journal 64.2 (2004): 15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013.

College Students Should Choose Their Major Based On Their Interests

Some majors like math and education are easy to find a job; however, it is hard to look for a job for some majors such as art，music, and social science.  Due to the economic depression and job competition between majors, most students now start considering whether or not they should spend thousands of dollars on the field that they are really interested in, but will not easily get them a job. As a result, they are more likely to ignore their own interests when choosing a major. Instead, they tend to make a decision for their college major under the influence of time pressures, social trends, and parents’ expectations.  However, students who are major in non-interested fields are more likely unable to develop a real motivation for studying and they will have a hard time to be succeeded in the college as well as in their further career. Therefore, it is very important that students should choose a major that they are interested in since it will help them enjoy their study and be successful in their career path. 

The college major decision is a potentially life-framing decision that many students struggle with. Unfortunately, most students make a lot of mistakes when making this essential decision. Perhaps one of the common mistakes that most college students have once making decision about their major is making the decision based on time pressure instead of investing time on their self-discover. Indeed, a lot of students feel pressure to make a decision early in their college career. According to Brad Williams, Ph.D., dean of student affairs at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, there is "an amazing number of students feel pressure to select an academic major early," (Rowh 1). Many students are really worried about entering college undecided major. It makes sense that once the major is set, students tend to be easily to focus on their study and have more time to prepare for their career path. However, discovering self-interest before choosing any majors is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped. Instead, it is a key step that students need to invest a lot of their time in order to identify their true desires or interests. As Sue Schmid, director of academic resources at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York, says "Self-discovery is all about taking risks, getting out there, and doing things to find out what excites them and what they're good at,"(Rowh 2). Therefore, many students change their minds as they learn more about themselves and the things that attracted them. In fact, As a result, choosing major in such a hurry without investing time to discover self-interest can lead to a paradoxical reaction. Instead of saving time for students, it wastes a lot of their time due to changing their majors back and forth. For example, once decided to change major, students have to spend more time to retake some courses that are required by the college in order to be admitted into the major. Then, it eventually leads to the delay of their graduation time.

Nowadays, media plays a big role in influencing young students in choosing their college majors. Many years ago, there were not a lot of students choose science or engineer major. But now with the rapid developing of information technology, students can easily get access to a large amount of career-related information through internet, television, newspaper, and especially the movies. When students watch movies or some science-tech TV shows, there is always a trend showing them that certain jobs like engineer or banking tend to make a good amount of money and easily to get promoted to a high position. So, it influences the young students to start picturing themselves to pursue an ideal career like that in the future. As a consequence, when they get into college, they automatically pick engineer or finance as a major without taking time to discover if those majors are their real interests. Later, once getting into the major, they realized that the courses are very difficult and not as interesting as they thought. So, students begin to change their mind by considering switching their majors.

Another question to consider is “Is it true that studying a popular major really can guarantee a satisfied job? For example, in recent years, engineering majors become a very popular major. It has a big percent increase in engineering major. In addition, when taking a look at the top majors that are popular, we can see engineering major is ranked in the top 10. However, is it true that it can guarantee engineering students to get a job after their graduation? “According to the job placement firm Adecco, sixty percent of U.S. college graduates cannot find a full-time job in their chosen profession” (Brookman 5). The reason is because there are numbers of students choose a popular major to study despite the fact that they are not really interested in it.  Due to lacking of interests, students have a hard time to build a strong foundation in most major courses as well as to go further in advanced study of their professional field.  As a result, they fail to become a real profession of the field. On the other hand, because of the high competition, most of popular majors favor students who have talents in those fields.  In fact, most companies, especially the big corporations are more likely to hire the outstanding students first. However, there are not many qualified professions who have compassion and knowledge of the field. Even with unemployment hiring in the popular major fields is very low, most companies still struggle with the problem that they can't find skilled workers, so searching for the right person to fill a job can take months of hunting. In addition, employers are likely to lay the blame on the schools because of not giving students the right kind of training. However, it is not fair to blame on the college, but the students because the real reason is that a lot students choose the major just for a job and do not have interest in their study. As a result, even graduated with a popular major, students still have a hard time to find a satisfied position in a company.

Many students enter college with a clear idea of what they want to study and achieve, but even with the clear idea ready, some of them still have to change their mind during their college years. On the other hand, there are students enter college with no clear vision of a major and quickly pick the major only based on their parents’ wishes. Surely, parents play a significant role in the career goal development of their children. Without the approval and support from parents, students and especially the young adults have a hard time to pursue their careers in college. Even though most parents are aware of their roles and always willing to support their children, yet they don’t realize their supports always come along with the expectations. For example, some parents expect students to pick some majors that will provide them a job that have high demand or high pay. These expectations unintentionally create a lot of pressures that affect their children in making the decision in choosing their majors. In fact, “Numerous studies (Knowles, 1998; Marjoribanks, 1997; Mau and Bikos, 2000; Smith, 1991; Wilson and Wilson, 1992) have found that college students and young adults cite parents as an important influence on their choice of career.” (Taylor, Maris, and Taylor 4). These expectations and pressures lead students to accept what parents say, and pick a major that will please their parents. As a result, even all parents tend to want to do what is best for their children, but by picking a non-interested major, a lot of students ended up have to change their majors or withdraw of the colleges because they realized that it wasn’t a good fit to them. It leads to a waste of time and money and not being beneficial to the students in the long run.  Also, became overly involved in the process of choosing the field to study of their children, parents neglect their children’s right to pursue what they really want in life, and it’s not fair for their children. Although it makes sense to pursue a career that fits with the market demands as well as satisfies the parents’ wishes, it is more important for students to be able to pick their major based on their own interests and abilities. It helps students to be happier and more efficiency in studying by taking courses that are interested and enjoyable to them. Thus, it increase the change of being successful for students in their study and career path by allowing them to make their own choices to study something meaningful to them.

Students should take time to know more about their own personality, hobby, and ability, and then pick a major based on the true interests. It not only helps them to study better but also create the enjoyment and pleasure in their studying which will draw their mind in the liveliest way to being educated. Some external factors like time pressures, social trends, and parents’ expectation may misguide students to pick out the major that doesn’t match with their interests. However, it is important for students to understand that choosing a non-interesting major are more likely unable to develop a real motivation for studying as well as creating a hard time for them to be succeeded in the college and in their further career.

Works Cited

"College Student Employment." National Center for Education Statistics. . Web.7 May, 2013. Print.

Rowh, Mark. "Choosing A Major." Career World 31.5 (2003): 21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013.

"Education Statistics." Science Teacher 67.7 (2000): 78. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013

Brookman, Jennie. "Jobless Graduates Get Money Back." Times Higher Education Supplement 1297 (1997): 9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013.

Taylor, Jeffrey, Marcia B. Harris, and Susan Taylor. "Parents Have Their Say...About Their College-Age Children's Career Decisions." NACE Journal 64.2 (2004): 15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 May 2013.

Improve Outline

College Students Should Choose Their Major Based On Their Interests

 

Introduction:

 

1.Due to the economic depression and job competition between majors, most students now start considering whether or not they should spend thousands of dollars on the field that they are really interested in, but will not easily get them a job. As a result, they are more likely to ignore their own interests when choosing a major.

 

2.Instead, they tend to make a decision for their college major under the influence of time pressures, social trends, and parents’ expectations.

 

3.It is very important that students should choose a major that they are interested in since it will help them enjoy their study and be successful in their career path.

 

Body I:

Students should not choose a major based on time pressure

 

Body II:

Students should not choose a major based on social trends

 

Body III:

Students should not choose major just to satisfy parent’s expectation

 

Conclusion

Students should take time to know more about their own personality, hobby, and ability, and then pick a major based on the true interests. It not only helps them to study better but also create the enjoyment and pleasure in their studying which will draw their mind in the liveliest way to being educated.

Final Paper Topic

Topic: students choose a college major based on interest or employment rate


I will find them from internet or survey some students. Yes, there is enough information about my topic.
 

Review of interview 3

1. Who scored highest?

1.Zhu, MinJie 2.Lim, Dong Hyuk

2. Whose interview did you like best? Why?

Both of them because they work hard to get great interview and very rich information .

 

Here it is.

Review of interview 2

1. Who scored highest?

They are: 1. Ruud, Justin  2.Zhu, MinJie

2. Whose interview did you like best? Why?

Both of them because they work hard to get great interview and very rich information .

Here it is

My third interview

 

1.Interview preparations.

 

 Description of preparations:

At first we wrote the objective in the class, and the objective answers the questions of “why”, with “whom”, and “how”. After I added six of my own questions to the ten core questions. And I write down my questions on my laptop and print it. And I will find 3 people help me finish three interview.

 

How did I approach people? When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview? Whom did you interview?

 

This is my last interview, so I think this interview can better than two interview. I had more experience about interview. We have to do three interviews, three interview need to interview people who comes from Saudi Arabia. My second interview I invited my friends Abiad. He is a 22-year-old male is an international student who lives in Saudi Arabia. He came to the United State 2 years. He major is Finance. He living Lawrence Hall. We take ESL class in last semester and take Microeconomics class together in this semester. We are classmate and we are good friends, so that was kind of easy for me to prepare our interview. He very pleasure to attended interview. We decided to meet at Thursday after finish class, and we meet at Atwood. We eat lunch together. We enjoyed some food and made small talk. I used my phone to record the whole interview and my interviewee felt comfortable about it. and my interviewee does not mind I record the interview time.

 

2. Interview report

 

Describe the interview?

 

The interview lasted about 30 minutes. We have very good interview started Abiad. He is my good friend and classmate, we’ve kept in touch one year. we greetings and talked how things stand of each other, we both were ordered food and all of us were enjoyed the wonderful time. After we finish the lunch, we have very comfortable environment of this interview meet. Abiad tell me many theory his life and he full break went to Chicago .

 

What surprised me?

 

As we know ,there are so many differences between culture of the East and West that I cannot list all of their different aspects. I will focus on the differences of diet custom and teaching system. For your better understanding. Within Chinese culture, the collective direction is dominant and personal pursuit is considered as a serious selfishness and blamed. The western culture vigorously emphasizes individualism. The thought of people-oriented is rooted in westerners’ mind and independence on thinking, judgment and success on one’s own is reputed. Personal interest is on the highest level of hierarchy. So, even though we are friends, sometime I cannot understand his thought and character.

 

3. Country Report

 

Culture

Saudi Arabia is a very conservative country with centuries-old attitudes and traditions, often derived from Arab tribal culture. This conservative tendency has been bolstered by the austerely puritanical Wahhabi form of Islam, which arose in the eighteenth century and now predominates in the country. The many limitations on behavior and dress are strictly enforced both legally and socially. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited, for example, and there is no theatre or public exhibition of films. Public expression of opinion about domestic political or social matters is discouraged. There are no organizations such as political parties or labour unions to provide public forums.

Women in Saudi society

All women, regardless of age, are required to have a male guardian. Women cannot vote or be elected to high political positions. However, King Abdullah has declared that women will be able to vote and run in the 2015 local elections, and be on his advisory council. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving. The World Economic Forum 2009 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 130th out of 134 countries for gender parity. It was the only country to score a zero in the category of political empowerment. The report also noted that Saudi Arabia is one of the few Middle Eastern countries to improve from 2008, with small gains in economic opportunity.21% of Saudi women are in the workforce.

Cultural norms impose restrictions on women when in public, and these are enforced by the religious police, the Matawan. They include requiring women to sit in separate specially designated family sections in restaurants, to wear an abaya and to conceal their hair. There is also effectively a ban on women driving.

Although many Saudis would like more freedom in Saudi Arabia, there is evidence that many women do not want radical change. Even many advocates of reform reject foreign critics, for "failing to understand the uniqueness of Saudi society." A number of Saudi women have risen to the top of some professions or otherwise achieved prominence.

The Saudi Arabia Pavilion in Expo 

It is said that the Saudi Arabia Pavilion is the most popular Pavilion in the Shanghai World Expo. The Saudi Arabia Pavilion features a fine centerpiece: a huge hanging boat shaped like a half moon. The "moon boat" is loaded with dreams and friendship. Date palms have been planted on the top deck of the boat, creating a hanging garden, and thus epitomizing the oases in the desert. Visitors will receive a warm welcome in both modern as well as traditional Bedouin tents set among date palm trees.

 

Works cited:

http://wenku.baidu.com/link?url=qjungWAKplQOKZZhnvSzCWwtIEk-pEQdF9SZ2BZUIDwCqf0j1tAJn3E8Dsipbi5Z1jDGtcT2ubUbUU7EUWbpc_b9JHLqV7x2RLQOfuAethC

 

4.  Interview transcription of my interview with Abiad

A:Abiad

S:Mengzhen Shi（me)

S: Hi, Abiad. How are you?

 

A: Good. How are about you?

 

S: I’m good. Are you ready for the interview?

A: of course, how long we can finish?

 

S: I think about 30 minutes.

A: It is ok. No problem.

 

S: OK! Let’s we start the interview

S:Do you like the weather in St.Cloud? Please explain.

 

A:Yeah. Winner is cold , but I have car. So, I can drive to school. I like the cold winters so I can snowboard. And summer this very beautiful.

S: What do you do for leisure?

A: I had a lot of free time. I spent most of my free time on  my hobbies, such as playing basketball, listening to music and surfing the internet. This year I was especially happy as my uncle promised to teach me how to ski. We went up to the mountain where I learned how to ski. At first, I could not get my balance. But, later I was able to ski by myself. It was a wonderful sport and I had a very enjoyable time

 

S: Could you please tell me about yourself?

 

My name is Abiad, I am 22-year-old male is an international student who lives in Saudi Arabia.I came to the United State 2 years. My major is Finance. I living Lawrence Hall. There're 3 people in my family, my parents and I. We love each other and live a happy life.

 

S:How often do you communicate with your family back at home?

 

A: Once a week. I usually video with them.

 

S: What is the biggest holiday in your country? Please explain about the holidays (Activities, Food, Date, Origin, and etc,

 

A: Saudi national day . This day is a national holiday you see everyone happy during the festivals in malls or privately in their homes, most people wear green color clothes or white even both combination as a simple for the national flag of our great kingdom. This day holds an important place in the History of Saudi Arabia. The day embodies all the customs and traditions of the country and signifies the true spirit of the Saudi Arabian nation.

 

S: In what ways might it be difficult to practice your religion here in the U.S?

 

A: I can't back to my country visit this biggest holiday. And back at home we pray at the mosque, but here I typically pray at home. My religion is pretty lenient in a lot of ways so I can still practice it in the United States.

 

S:Tell me some important things from your culture ?

 

A: Saudi Arabian culture mainly revolves around the religion of Islam. Saudi Arabian dress follows strictly the principles of the Islamic principle of modesty, especially in dress, we call name is hijab. The predominantly loose and flowing but covering garments are helpful in Saudi Arabia's desert climate. Islamic dietary laws forbid the eating of pork and the drinking of alcohol, and this law is enforced strictly throughout Saudi Arabia.

 

S: What is the biggest difference between the American culture and your culture?

 

A:The one difference is women can't drive and they must cover their face when out in public. Only men are allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, Saudi women are not permitted to drive or to travel abroad without a male relative's approval. Women traditionally use veils to cover their hair in public.

 

S:What are your goals for the future; after you graduate, what are you going to do?

 

A: After my graduation abroad. I would find a job there. This is not because I don't like to go  back to my motherland. I just want to stay there and learn more. No matter what, I'll be an expert at what I do so I can be useful to society. I want to be rich, too. I want to make a lot of money so my family will be proud of me. I also like to travel, so I want to visit every country and see the world. I hope to meet many people and make many friends.

S: Why you choose study abroad in America?

 

A: I have learned that the United States is a country that has the most advanced technology. The education system there encourages origination and creativity. The freedom people enjoy in the U.S. cultivates a culture that is generating millions of new ideas. Being educated in the U.S. will definitely change my life. The globalization process is making the earth smaller and smaller. There will be more and more interconnection between different countries, culturally and economically. Went to college in the U.S. can help me understand a different culture.

S:What is you major?

 

A: Finance

 

S: Why you choose you’re major?

 

A:  I do not think too much, I just interested in it. And in SCSU business and education is very fames . I do not like teach students. So, I choose Business major.

 

S:Do you have culture problem when you talk with American students? And How to solved this problem?

A: I think is language. My English pronounce is not good . When I talk with American students I will Repeat what I say that can help students understand.

 

S:In what ways has American culture impacted your life?

A: Actually, I don't eat junk food in Saudi Arabia. But in America, I think junk food not bad choice. 

 

S:Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you!

A: Why do you study abroad?

S: I think English is very important. In the first place, English has become an international language. If you know English, you can make a trip round the world without being misunderstood. In the second place, most valuable books, newspapers and magazines are written in English. If you hope to get knowledge, you must learn English. Study abroad not only can improve my English, but also I can learn specialized knowledge for business.