Hi! I am Kimberly Knowles, an academic success coach from CASA, the Center for Academic and Student Achievement. I am here to introduce you to some resources that can help guide you through your major exploration process. At least 40% of students at USF (and most other colleges) change majors at least once during their first two years. Many change three or four times. 

Do not stress too much about planning out your whole life. Few people know what they want to do with their lives when they begin college. Those that think they do often change direction later. Just pick a major you will enjoy and do well in, hopefully leading you in the direction you want. How do you figure out what that direction might be? Explore as much as you possibly can. 

Here are four tips for getting started now. 

#1 Check out the Explore Your Path portal to begin finding a major that is a good fit for you. The portal includes find yourself, explore careers, explore majors, and launch yourself sections for reference on your journey. One helpful resource among the many options provided on the site is the free self-assessment tool called the FOCUS. The FOCUS can be found in the quick links section and provides guidance about what types of majors and careers might fit your personality, interests, and values. Another popular resource is the What Can I Do With This Major? tool, which helps students explore the many different career paths connected to a major. Play around, have a little fun, and see where your exploration takes you. 

#2  Take a look at the list of all USF majors and minors
It may sound strange, but thinking about minors and majors might help with your decision, especially if you feel like you have too many interests and are having trouble choosing among them. For example, many students are passionate about art or music but eventually see themselves in a business career. A business major with a music minor might make sense. Minors can also help when you are torn between two majors. If you are not sure, make a list of majors and minors that appeal to you, and check out the course descriptions on the department websites to see if the courses interest you. This can help you begin to narrow the field!

#3 Check out the tutorial videos for majors that interest you.
Every USF major has a tutorial on the site where faculty share information on their major. If you have a few different majors you are considering, we encourage you to click on the tutorials for those majors and watch the videos to get an idea about those programs and possible classes to take to explore these subjects.

#4 Reach out to your CASA coach! You will know who your academic success coach is before you start classes. The Explore Your Path portal is here to help you start your exploration from home - but that does not substitute talking through your choices in person.  We are here to guide and support you throughout the exploration journey! 

I hope these four tips will help you, please keep watching for first-semester class ideas. 

Once you have identified possible major options, you are encouraged to connect with the Academic Departments for those majors to gather further details. 

If you are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, it is recommended that you take mainly Core courses, focusing on subjects of interest while you explore major options. Check out some of the other tutorials for majors of interest to you to see if there might be any introductory classes for you to try out. 

Please remember rhetoric classes are required for all students to graduate. Some majors require that you complete specific rhetoric requirements before taking major classes. So it is a great idea to get started on your rhetoric courses as early as possible. 

Another option is a foreign language course. The College of Arts & Sciences requires that all students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts reach third-semester proficiency in a language.  You can take an online placement test to evaluate your proficiency. 

These are just some suggestions to consider when choosing a first-semester schedule which appeals to you. Students typically register for 16-18 credits per semester consisting of four, 4 credit courses and perhaps 1 or 2 credits of electives. Any classes you choose will count towards 128 credits for graduation.

Some 1-2 credit courses to consider for optional electives can be found in the interdisciplinary studies and University of San Francisco subject areas that can be taken to support your exploration and success at USF. Additional courses can be found in the kinesiology, computer science, music and theater subject areas. 

Hopefully this video and the other sections of the tutorial have prepared you to sign up for your first semester classes. In the meantime, to learn 3 key steps you can take to fast-track your major exploration process before you come to campus, check out a Jumpstart Your Path prerecorded webinar on the Explore Your Path portal website.

We look forward to meeting you during New Student Orientation. We will have a session specifically designated for undeclared students where we will provide you with more information and resources. See you then!