UWM Gives Students 200 Opportunities to Explore Career Options at Academic Resource Fair

The heart of UW-Milwaukee’s student union was filled with students who sought the opportunity to talk to an upwards of 200 different departments on campus through at the Exploring Majors Fair hosted by the Career Planning and Resource Center.

At the Exploring Majors Fair, students were able to talk with faculty and current students representing almost all 200 majors, minors and certificate programs that are offered at the university. By visiting the different tables, students can broaden their horizons on different areas of study and all of their career opportunities.

“I think it gives students the opportunity in one central location to connect with individuals in the academic major, minors and certificate programs,” said Associate Director for Career Counseling and Academic Partnerships with the Career Planning and Resource Center and event coordinator, Lauren Lessac. “I think it also gives them exposure to the possibilities that maybe they aren’t aware of, and it allows them to connect with faculty and staff in the unit.”

She added, “They have a lot of contact with advisors a lot of the times but this also brings out department chairs and faculty that they can have those conversations with.”

When Lessac conducted a final survey for event attendees to take at the end of their time at the resource fair, attendees were asked if they were a student who considered themselves to be undecided, decided but questioning their choice of study, or decided and looking to add a major, minor or certificate to their degree.

“It’s actually amazing. It’s just as many undecideds as decideds but wanted to add more to their academic journey here,” said Lessac.

In the “University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Fact Book 2017-18” published by the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research at the university, it was found that of the total 25,412 students that were enrolled for the fall semester in 2017, 6,377 students stood at senior status. Of those 6,377 students, only 4,635 graduated with a degree. Junior business student Ryan Kendrick believes this factor could be because of certain societal pressures that are put on college students at such an early age.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure on students to know what they’re majoring in as soon as they enter their first year so that they can graduate within that pressured 4-year time period. I think the school knows that there are some students who are stressed, and this event is a great way to help students explore their options.”

Like some students in attendance, Kendrick is someone who is questioning their major but is not confident that they can make a feasible change.

“There’s this video I saw on Twitter the other day where this girl was saying that her junior year is being spent worrying about getting ready to graduate even though she’s realizing that she’s not that passionate about what she’s studying but also knows that it’s too late to change majors since there’s too much time and money invested into the degree she’s already working towards and honestly that’s where I’m at right now,” said Kendrick, who was visiting different science department tables. Kendrick also admitted that he would not know what field of study he would want to dive into if he were given the consequence-free chance to opt out of his current business degree.  

Unlike Kendrick, some students in attendance felt as if they made the right choice when choosing their major. One of these students is Evelyn Murphy Barrett who is a junior studying computer science. When asked if she knew what she was going to study before starting her first year at UWM, Murphy Barrett said, “I actually did but it was something I decided right before I went to school.” She continued by explaining that her decision to study computer science was a “shot in the dark that happened to work.”

Murphy Barrett continued to say that she would not have thought to invest her time in a computer science degree but is feeling very comfortable with her academic plan.

 “Computer science and different majors like that may be scary to people but you should check it out and take a couple classes. If you’re truly undecided, these classes can count towards your general education requirements.”

Students like Liv Rockwell, a senior economics student, were present at the fair to help give a student’s perspective and encourage students questioning their major or minor to step outside of their comfort zones just as Murphy Barrett suggested.

            “I thought it’d be a good idea to get some people from the department out here talking about it so I’m here to talk about that and also talk about Econ Club,” Rockwell said. She continued to say that she originally was not interested in economics upon entering her freshman year.

            “I came in and got a tutor and he really pushed me to do economics because it was a really good way to pursue my interests. I’m hoping that I can influence others just as he did with me,” Rockwell said.

            The Career Planning and Resource Center plans on hosting another resource fair geared towards academic exploration in the upcoming semesters but is always welcoming students into their center if they are seeking academic or career guidance.