Oct. 27, 2014
Ashley Thompson
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Midterms: the point of the semester when classes are in full swing and papers and tests are one after another. Then registration for next semester gets thrown into the mix, provoking students to ask whether or not they’ve made the right choice about their academic career.
Brett Fugate, interim director of advising, said that registration is the time of the year when students really start focusing on the next semester, especially in terms of their major. He indicated that students might think about a change of major around this time of year for two reasons.
First, midterms provide a realistic picture of what classes a major entails and whether or not you are doing well on the path you have chosen.
Abby Graese, freshman computer science major, agrees.
“I think that major choices come into question depending on what classes people are taking and how they pertain to their current declared major,” she said. “If someone hates a class that is an integral portion of things they will need, it may mean that a major change is a good idea.”
The second reason students might think about changing their major is the spring semester catalog.
“Registration plays a big role,” Fugate said. “Shopping carts have opened up, which gets students thinking about next semester.”
Sophomore Amber Tubergen recently decided to change majors. She is currently pursuing a biology secondary education major after changing from math secondary education.
“I was not enjoying math anymore. It was becoming more stressful than anything and I just couldn’t imagine sticking with it,” she said. “The real meat of the semester is starting up, which affects students’ thinking,” Fugate said. “Students start getting a more realistic understanding of what the major entails.”
Freshman Shayna Johnson is thinking about changing her major from physical therapy to event planning.
“Midterms make people wonder if this hard test is worth what they want to do in the future,” she said.
Fugate did not have numbers to back up any trends in switching majors, but did indicate that there are majors that draw more students than others.
“We always have majors that are large. Psychology, biology, and health sciences are some of the biggest majors at UCCS,” Fugate said.
The Student Success Center in Main Hall is a resource for students who are curious about their current major. They can discuss registration and class schedules and figure out the best plan for the upcoming semester.
To schedule an appointment with an advisor, call 719-255-3260. Special walk-in advising is available from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is no walk-in advising.