Choosing a major

Before coming to Oswego I knew I had to major in Science, Technolgy, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM). I received a scholarship stating that my tuition would be paid during my undergraduate career. Only if I majored in one of those categories and lived in New York State for five years after graduating.

At first, I was happy to do so because I thought engineering was something I wanted to do. When I started my fall semester as a freshman I declared my major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. My schedule seemed manageable but I had to take both chemistry and physics while taking four other courses. I soon realized that I did not like science and lacked the knowledge because I did not take any advanced courses during high school. Which made me consider changing majors because this was something I did not want to struggle with to then regret it. Sadly, I lost my scholarship but I was happy to say that I was going to come out of college with a degree that I wanted.

Soon after I learned that Oswego had an office that helped with discovering a career path. This office is called “The Compass” which soon became my second or third home. They have many resources such as resume building, career fairs, and interview preparation. I suggest any student whatever level in college to take advantage even after graduating they are there to help. I took a personality test and career test which said that I was most likely going to enjoy art and business. Which helped me decide from all the different majors on campus what path to go to. I first started as a Graphic Design and Cinema and Screen Studies double major but felt that it was too many hours seating and staring at a screen. I  felt that my creative skills were not as good as the others and did not want to struggle to find a job after graduating. Which is why I decide to major in Marketing with a double minor in Art and Arts Management. It was the best of both worlds because it is art and business like the test results showed. My only regret is that I did not keep two majors but I have a diverse knowledge because of my path.

If I were to do it again I would have double majored in Art and Marketing but things happen for a reason. At the end of my college career, I honestly did not want to double major because I did not want to stay longer in college because of more loans. I only wish I would have known what career path I wanted before coming to college because that can really save students thousands of dollars. Another important money saving tip would be taking AP courses and CLEP exams which advances your graduation date.

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