1. Choosing a College Major and Career
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© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

2. You’re About to Discover…
Why “College in a Box” isn’t an accurate view of coursework
How the disciplines connect in the Circle of Learning
How to choose a major and a career
What a SWOT analysis is
How to analyze your “Academic Anatomy”
© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

3. Ethan Cole p
© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

4. College in a Box?
p. 300
© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

5. How Do the Disciplines Connect? THE CIRCLE OF LEARNING
Math
Philosophy
Physics
Art
Chemistry
Literature
Biology
History
Psychology
Political Science
Sociology
Anthropology
© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

6. How Full is Your Plate?
p. 303
© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

7. Choosing a Major and a Career
© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

8. Choosing a Major and a Career
Step 1: Follow Your Bliss
What are you passionate about?
How might different college majors allow you to follow your bliss?

9. Choosing a Major and a Career
Step 2: Conduct Preliminary Research
Interview an instructor who teaches in your area of interest. Ask:
1. What is the major or certificate?
2. Who is the interviewee?
3. To which academic department does this major belong?
4. Which introductory courses would help you get more info?
5. Which specialized courses in this major interest you?
6. What are the prerequisite courses?
7. How many students major in this discipline on your campus?
Which classes in the major do students usually find most challenging?
Which are most engaging?
9. What is the reputation of this department on campus?
10. Why should students choose a major in this discipline?

10. Choosing a Major and a Career
Step 3: Take a Good Look at Yourself:
Exercise 12.1, p. 306

11. Send in the SWOT Team! Strengths: Weaknesses: Opportunities: Threats:
Traits that give you a leg up.
Weaknesses:
Traits that work against you now.
Opportunities:
Conditions that work in your favor.
Threats:
Conditions that could have bad
effects.
What kinds of forces will impact
your potential career?
Internal—forces inside you
External—forces outside you
Positive—forces helping your goals
Negative—forces working against you
p. 307

12. Consider Your Major vs. Your Career
Which comes first: having a career in mind or choosing a college major?
It depends…
You can have a specific career in mind as you choose your major,
or you can choose a major with several career options available.

13. What’s Your Academic Anatomy?
Think about your “Academic Anatomy.”
What do you find most satisfying? Working with your:
Head?
Heart?
Hands? or
Whole Body?

14. Choosing a Major: Four Things to Consider
You can still be successful if you don’t pick a major based on your “academic anatomy,” especially if you find other ways of satisfying your needs, like hobbies.
You may want to choose an unlikely major to challenge yourself.
You may want to pursue an unlikely major because you have a burning interest in something related to the discipline.
You may be well suited to several majors, and academic anatomy may not be as important as other factors.
“ ”
Are you fit company for the person you wish to become?”
Anonymous
Exercise 12.2:
Get a Job

15. VARK Activity
p. 313

16. Chapter 12: Exercises and Activities
Get a Job!
Audio
Chapter Summary
Audio Summary of Chapter 12
Focus TV: Choosing a College Major and Career
Focus TV:
Major and Career
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© 2012 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

17. Get a Job!
Exercise 12.2, p. 313

18. Chapter 12 Audio Summary

19. FOCUS TV Major & Career Focus TV Discussion ?s Back to Menu
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FOCUS TV Presentation
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21. FOCUS TV Discussion Questions
What was your childhood dream of what you wanted to become?  Is that dream anywhere close to the future you see for yourself now?
FOCUS correspondent, Matt McClain, ends his report by saying that maybe choosing a major isn’t about pursuing your wildest childhood dreams.  Maybe it’s about finding something you’re good at and, more importantly, something you’d want to do for the rest of your life.  Discuss several options about which his statement that might be true for you.
What’s your impression of Josh, who plays Ethan Cole in FOCUS?  Is he someone you’d admire or want as a friend or classmate?  What aspects of his personality came through on screen?  What kind of a real student do you think he is?
Does the warning about “College in a Box” make sense to you?  Do you agree that many students see college as a long list of requirements that they need to check off without thinking about their overall college experience and the interconnectedness of knowledge? What is it really about?
5. Look back at Ethan’s SWOT analysis for his dream of becoming a professional skateboarder in chapter 12.  After studying it, what advice would you give Ethan?

22. FOCUS on Community College Success
F CUSPoints
An Interactive Teaching Tool
FOCUS on COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUCCESS
Second Edition
Chapter 12
Constance Staley and Aren Moore