by Sheldon Bloom
Imagine choosing the wrong major and working in a dead-end, boring job for an entire lifetime, and just because the right major wasn’t picked. This is the fear of many students, making it difficult for some to pick a field of study. Last Wednesday, some of these unsure students were able to overcome that challenge at a major exploration fair.
The fair showcased all the different majors currently offered. Various departments displayed tables offering informational pamphlets and schedule recommendations, and some even gave away free Troy gear such as cups and wristbands to those in attendance.
Many students in attendance were undecided on a major, making the event useful in narrowing down their options.
“This has been very helpful so far,” said Geo Gardner, a freshman undecided major from Mobile, Alabama. “I’m looking at earning a philosophy minor, and that was one of the tables that I stopped at to talk to about it.
“It was helpful in figuring out if I could do that or not.”
Many students also expressed anxieties regarding the pressure of not having decided on a major, which they said the event helped alleviate.
“I can be a little stressed out about not knowing my major,” said Dalton Koth, a sophomore undecided major from Fayetteville, Georgia. “I try and remember I have over two and a half years of school left here, so I have plenty of time; but it’s still nice to have some help deciding.”
Many of the table organizers used the exploration fair as an opportunity to demonstrate career opportunities within their respective departments.
“The main thing we’re doing right now is a presentation on what exactly you can get out of the major,” said Connor Mathews, a senior cybersecurity major from Millbrook, Alabama, who was a representative for the cybersecurity and computer science table. “The job growth for computer science fields is increasing exponentially, and we wanted to show people all of the possibilities that computer science offers.”
Organizers also expressed the importance of the event, as offering an exploration fair often awards students much-needed clarity.
“A lot of students coming into college truly have no idea what they want to do,” Mathews said. “When I came to Troy, I was a chemistry major, and I eventually ended up in cybersecurity, so it absolutely would have helped me if I had the opportunity to attend an event like this.
“It gives students an outlet to explore different careers and majors, and it can really give them a clear understanding of what they want to do in the future.”
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