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Research Assignment

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Research Assignment: Does a person’s major matter toward their career choices?

Introduction: 

College majors are one of the main aspects people consider when searching for a college. Many decide what colleges they would want to attend based on their finding of the programs available. This brings about the question of why people pay so much attention to major selection. Colleges provide students with the fulfillment of the requirements needed to earn a degree for graduation. The role major plays are in designing the narrowed focus in the selected area of study. Knowing this, another question to raise is the connection between majors and selected jobs. 

Research: 

Work after college is the typical route taken. Many use the programs in college as a step towards advancement in careers. Students can choose what they want to major in or leave it undecided. This decision for many, is a critical choice. In the research from the article, “Distinguishing the Factors Influencing College Students,” Beggs, Jeri Mullin, et al mentions how major making decisions are “frequently identified life regrets for Americans (1).” Based on what is said, this could mean that many aren’t satisfied with what they are currently doing. Students go into these programs believing that they would help aid in post-graduation. They build the connection between their majors and career choices. 

Further evidence shows an example of this when Beggs, Jeri Mullin, et al state in their article, “For example, a student may choose a particular major because ‘I don’t want to sit at a desk all day’ or ‘I don’t like math (1).’” From this example, it is clear that students have a concept of knowledge towards certain majors. They believe majors, for students, would decide the materials they would be covering. In the workforce, their expectation of what a person’s work life would look like are based on their selected major. Already building the connection between major and work life, gives rise to the selection of jobs according to its association with one’s major. 

Most colleges require a student’s selection of a major. A major is needed for fulfilling a college degree, which would allow for graduation. These college degrees would then be used like a resume. It determines the outcome of how far one can go as they step into the workforce. According to the article, “Connecting Higher Education to Workplace Activities and Earnings,” Chau, Hung, et al state, “College degrees are generally associated with higher potential lifetime earnings, larger professional network, and more adaptable careers (1).” Based on this quote, the relation it has to a major is significant. It brings about the significance of major decision-making in which one needs to consider factors following their goals. 

As mentioned, a college degree would act like a resume and this is due to its association with majors. College majors give the credentials for the field of study. They show qualifications that jobs would be looking for. It determines whether one would have the qualities for the job. The article, “President’s Perspective: Why Go to College?” it is stated, “A ‘credentialing’ society…Today that ticket is a college diploma… These opportunities include not only jobs but also a more favorable treatment in almost anything one applies for over the course of a lifetime (1).” This portion of the article talks about the opportunities of a college diploma against a high school diploma. While it also depends on where an individual sees themselves, having a college diploma would give more opportunities and chances for that to happen. Connecting majors with a college diploma, both focus on targeting a field of study. Its link to majors means that the advantage it has is also applied to it. While it is the degree that is looked more at, majors show one’s specialization. 

Many students attending college are there already with a foresight built upon post-graduation plans. The article, “It’s not just about jobs. College must help students find their passions: Why go to college? A viewpoint from an enrollment chief,” talks about professor Angel B. Pérez’s insight on his student’s response to his question (Perez 1). Pérez asked his students why they attend college, and the majority of the answer lies in getting a job (Pérez 1). The title gives away a summary of what the overall article is about. Professor Perez believes that students should go to college with the mindset leaning more towards exploring their interests and less so on the first thing in mind is getting a job. 

This article gives rise to the idea that majors are disassociated with careers. Restating research data from Stanford professors, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, in the book “Designing Your Life,” Pérez states, “Only 27 percent of college graduates are working in their field major (Pérez 1).” This tells a lot about the use of a major in one’s career. The article continuously mentions interest, passion, and purpose. If those words are applied to career choices, they would also be exerted toward one’s major. The result would be that the interest explored with a college major would also be a factor in deciding on a career. This state of matter has more to do with individuals and their separate plans.

More information on the reasoning behind why students select their major is conducted in the study shown in the article, “Distinguishing the Factors Influencing College Students” Choice of Major.” Beggs, Jeri Mullin, et al state, “Our review of the literature suggests four categories; Sources of information and influence, Job Characteristics, Fit and interest in Subject, and characteristics of Major/ Degree (1).” Based on this data, job characteristics are one of the top four mentioned. Majors have an impact on the type of work that students would do in the future. In their research, it is given that “68.4% of the respondents chose their major because they liked the kind of work it would enable them to do (1).” Based on these results, a major is essential for one’s career choices as people consider a lot about the effects.

Conclusion:

The recurring idea from the information given is the relationship between majors and careers. In terms of whether majors matter toward a career, it can be answered with a yes for the majority, however taking it further, it would depend. Based on the fourth paragraph, there are factors to consider when selecting a major, mainly the work outlook. It’s the decision between the opportunities given from each option. These options deal with promotion, earnings, status, or the position in mind. If a person is set and is satisfied with where they are without a major, then there would be no need to acquire it. However, if a person wants to explore their opportunities, they could strive for it. In talking about opportunities, paragraph five, talks about the advantage of a college diploma. There are much more paths open compared to a high school diploma. As studied earlier, the decision lies in a person’s satisfaction level and goals for where they see themselves at. This is also explored in paragraphs six and seven. A person may be influenced to select both their major and career based on their interest. In that aspect, a person valuing interest would find the importance of their major towards their career. In addition, with paragraph seven, people valuing what their career life would look like may also find the value of their major. Because of the concept that majors provide more chances to attain a desired position, it would hold much weight for those depending on it. 

Works Cited

Perez, Angel B. It’s not just about jobs. Colleges must help students find their passions.: Why go to college? A viewpoint from an enrollment chief. WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post, 2017. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/blogs-podcasts-websites/not-just-about-jobs-colleges-must-help-students/docview/1876016212/se-2.

“PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE: WHY GO TO COLLEGE?” US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Nov 14, 2013. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/presidents-perspective-why-go-college/docview/1458141910/se-2.

Chau, Hung, et al. “Connecting Higher Education to Workplace Activities and Earnings.” PLoS ONE, vol. 17, no. 3, Mar. 2023, pp. 1–18. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282323.

Beggs, Jeri Mullins, et al. “Distinguishing the Factors Influencing College Students’ Choice of Major.” College Student Journal, vol. 42, no. 2, June 2008, pp. 381–94. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=a9h&AN=32544871&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Spelman College

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Spelman College Campus (Source: Spelman College: Admission – Visit Us)

Summary

     Spelman College invites students to gain experience in a community where one is supported by a body of sororities. Students are received not just based on their academic credentials but also their many roles and engagement in public work and how that can further develop at Spelman. Upon admission, it considers a student’s outlook and what they can contribute to making an influence in the social world. The college provides support during the college year and experiences to leave one prepared to take the next step after graduation. It uses pathos in rhetorical style and kairos for the rhetorical strategies to encourage students’ interest and admission. 

Analysis

     Some of the ways Spelman College attracts its prospective students are by using visualization, the different tags and labels on their page, and by providing news updates associated with the school. As one enters the school website, they are greeted with a virtual billboard that stands out on the home page. In this billboard, there are different events, dates, and things to take note of (SC Home). This shows examples of kairos. Kairos is associated with timeliness with which the billboard is allied to. While the board switches from frame to frame every few seconds, it can be stopped so that the information can be read at one’s own pace. Under “News and Events” one can go back to look for more information if they missed the billboard. One of the frames is titled, “Angelino Viceisza – Economics Faculty Highlight,” in which the subtext read, “Change Maker: Spelman College associate professor of economics Angelino Viceisza, Ph.D., has been named the new president of the National Economic Association for the 2023-24 term (SC Home).” To bring out this information and present it shows the college intent of their target students. As the semester is about to come to an end and summer is approaching, many students are college searching. Here, the college is aiming to appeal to economics students, which the college offers as one of its majors (SC Academics). They do this by highlighting the words, “Economics Faculty Highlight (SC Home).” If students browsed the page and were able to happen to see the billboard, they would at least know Spelman offered an economics major. The college’s objective is to get their attention, which the method would provide by giving students further motive for research on the site.

      Furthermore, the college displayed a picture of professor Viceisza. In the picture, he is smiling, giving off a welcoming atmosphere (SC Home). Professor Vicesiza is also seen wearing a suit, showing professionalism (SC Home). Body language and outfit choices can give much information about a person and the work environment. It can be assumed that the faculties and staff are welcoming and professional, looking at professor Vicesiza alone. To give rise to the assumption, as one browses through the other frames of the billboard, they would come across other staff or faculty who also share the same characteristics (SC Home). In the frame titled, “Food Justice Summit” the staffs include the ‘moderator,’ Rose Scott Wabe, and the ‘featured health specialists;’ Tamara Melton Ms, RDN, Tambra Raye, Stevenson, and Rosalind Gregory – Bass, M.D (SC Home). These features appeal to emotions. If one were to go to the college, knowing it’s set in a rigorous environment, they’d be relaxed knowing that they are greeted with hospitality.

     The frame introduces food with healthcare. Just like with how the college was advertising its programs for economics, similarity this frame is also displaying the same concept, but with the programs associated with healthcare. The date of the event, description and biographies are listed on the page (SC Academic). Under the description, the moderator along with the featured health specialist are listed, each with their little short biography. The similarity they share is that they have credentials in information about health. This event is a great way to set up students in a place where they can explore their interests as they interact with the faculties. Another example of this with the same program is displayed in the event titled “Healthcare Careers Start Here (SC Home).” This backs up kairos in that it creates a sense of action, the urge to act. This is evident in that they displayed two upcoming events with closing dates. Under “read more” and in the “about us” section, the college demonstrates what the healthcare program can offer you as a member (SC Academics). Above the details, the college shows those two upcoming events. This creates an opportunity for students to take advantage of as they get to have the chance to meet and associate with professionals and be able to participate and indulge in different activities. 

     These programs are inviting and sociable, backing up the idea of pathos. Using this method, the author’s goal is in advertising their school. Another way they did this was by showing care for their school members. On their website, at the tab “About Us” and under the Wellness center, a part of the description states, “We are taking proactive measures to support the health and welfare of our students, faculty, staff, and the entire Spelman community (SC About Us).” This quote shows where the college lays its concern. While the quote is also addressing precautions toward the pandemic, it still shows how the college is making sure the steps are taken to prioritize the well-being of the members. Under the description are different activities such as meditation, swimming, or training that can also help aid in wellness. Also, on the home page, there is a slide that addresses a survey related to sexual misconduct. A bolded sentence states, “your voice matters, share your experience to help create change! (SC Home).” Just like with the previous source, likewise, while the quote is addressing the context of the survey, it can be applied to any situation. Emotion is involved in this by knowing that one is in a safe and dependable environment at Spelman. 

Response

     I had considered going to Spelman because of the programs they provide. After acquiring a bit more information, I would still consider going to the school. It has many advantages and it portrays a welcoming environment. Some of the values that I see associated with the school from the values inventory are peace, personal growth, and family. I believe these values would be coordinated with Spelman. I learned how the college is a community where you would rely on one another, even after college. You’d build friendship, mentorship, and guidance where eventually you’d form connections. Because of this close-knitted environment, it would be considered family. You have close friends, teachers, and acquaintances that walk along your journey at the school. The school is also peaceful in that it is a community of support. You wouldn’t have to worry much about a hostile environment and even though there may be conflicts, you have people to go to and rely on. Going to Spelman would give rise to personal growth. Although you have accommodation with peers and the community, Spelman can provide an atmosphere where you can have a chance to personally grow. Whether the growth is in academics, skills, or brain power, Spelman itself is set in a rigorous environment where one can challenge themselves.

Work Cited

Spelman College, https://www.spelman.edu/.

Pair Profile

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I’ll be introducing Ali Hamidi and who he is academically. Ali was born in Georgia, but his family is from Afghanistan. Ali spent some years of school in a private religious institution before transitioning to public. At Georgia State Perimeter College, he is a 1st year majoring in Business in Administration. Through this major, Ali wants to pursue the role of an accountant. Outside of his studies, some activities Ali likes to partake in are gaming, playing sports, or going to the gym. 

As Ali attended both private and public schools, he was able to share some of his experiences. Compared to his time in public school, he felt that he had more spare time in private. Ali stated that the school didn’t have a strict attention span toward the focus on core lessons. There wasn’t a condition where he had felt pressured, or in a way, challenged by his classes. Because of not being in a rigorous position, he’d spent most of that time on his hobbies or doing something enjoyable. He brought that same mentality he had in his previous schools to his new environment. During 8th grade, Ali applied to GSMST where he did Advanced Algebra for a while. Public school was different for him in such a way that he had to put in more effort to stabilize his academics. Where’d he thought his atmosphere would be unchanging, Ali had kept the same mindset. Having that same previous mentality poses a bigger challenge.

Ali is also working on top of school. Based on his experience, he stated that working has a negative impact on his schooling. This has led him to change his schedule to one that would work out for him. Having a side job may be a big demand, especially with classes planned on certain days. You’d have to work things out with timing and scheduling. If it isn’t done with thorough arrangements, it may take time off your studies. This is something Ali claimed to also be conflicted with. In this situation, working would be suitable while on a break from school. Ali’s experiences with taking breaks haven’t been very convenient. For him, it takes a while to adjust and get back on track. When he took dual in Economics during his 12th-grade year, Ali struggled the first half of the semester due to missing out on a lot of the information.

 The change Ali described with the comparison he felt being in private versus public school as well as his experiences with taking breaks can also be evident during the pandemic. Having the time, Ali would play video games and start to put off work. He’d go back to that zone where his environment was similar to his years spent in private school. However, as he went back to class, face to face, Ali improved in his studies. Ali’s experience with the pandemic reminded me of the article we read, “COVID-Era College: Are Students Satisfied?” The part that talks about students’ experiences post-COVID. The sentence that stuck out was in paragraph 5, “Envisioning life after Covid, nearly one-third ‘never want to take another class via zoom.’” Then there were surveys on students’ satisfaction and expectations on certain topics. Based on the article, with satisfaction level, students were surveyed on their connections with friends, lecturers, staff, and services. The survey for expectations was on the change COVID brought forth. Going back face to face instruction helped Ali differentiate his demeanor toward his learning. Though there were many adjustments along with the change, Ali was more accomplished than he did virtually. This shows that Ali does academically well in an engaging, open environment. 

As Ali indulges himself in his studies, he’s able to gradually alter himself from being unproductive easily. He does well during different seasons of the semesters, though not so well on ones with long breaks. Ali also shows effort in his work, mainly the ones that interest him. He once changed his major due to this. Ali previously did nursing, which he felt dispassionate about due to the amount of information, note-taking, and workload. Not only because of those factors but also because he wasn’t captivated by what he was learning. After being introduced to his present major, he was engaged with the materials. His interest in accounting is due to its role in managing. 

Being in an undertaking environment helps him with his productivity. An activity that assists Ali with his conduct towards school is going to the gym. During the pandemic, he felt unsatisfied with how it had affected him. After going to the gym, Ali not only improved physically but also mentally in health. When working, he prefers a peaceful and quiet surroundings. He can also listen to music from time to time without distractions. Ali’s work environment consists of building up to being motivated to do what he’s obliged to. 

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