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Exploring Majors and Advising Undecided Students
- 1. Presented By: Andrea Inman Elisa Kuchvalek
- 2. Exploratory Advising @ FSU Center for Exploratory Students • Advises freshmen (Terms 1 & 2) Center for Academic Planning • Advises exploratory sophomores and above (Terms 3+) • Advises any sophomores and above who are declared in a departmental major but are “re-deciding” their major
- 3. Types of Exploratory Students Stuck In the Roundabout Newly Licensed Drivers Passengers U-Turn Sharp Right Turn Head-On Collision
- 4. What You Need to Know About the Undecided/Exploratory Student Population • There is nothing wrong with being undecided • All undecided students are not the same • Undecided students CAN have a declared major
- 5. Why Students Are Undecided • Lack of independence in decision-making • Lack of knowledge of the decision-making process • Lack of information • Multiplicity of interests • Lack of interests • Lack of ability • Lack of knowledge about educational and occupational relationships • Lack of desire to attend college
- 7. Student Development Theories Cognitive Theory of Development: Perry Logical progression in cognitive development during college: • Dualism (advisor gives right answer) • Multiplicity (advisor gives options, student decides) Identify Foreclosure: Erikson Mom chose the major Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Must decide what gets them up out of bed in the morning
- 8. Strengths-Based Advising • Focus on student’s strengths, not remediation • Help students discover what they are good at and refocus their energies • Students must be realistic about their strengths and weaknesses • When students can name their strengths, it feels good • Knowing what you are good at and working within that area leads to achievement
- 9. Decision-Making Five Step Decision-Making Process: • Problem Identification Identify the issue that stops student from continuing in current major • Problem Analysis Ask lots of questions • Plan Development Model how to think about the decision • Plan Implementation Plan of attack • Plan Evaluation Meet next semester to discuss
- 10. During An Appointment • Create a welcoming and supportive environment • Invest time in getting to know your students • Ask guided questions • Listen more than you talk • Use personal stories and examples to normalize and validate the student’s emotions and situation • Communicate in a calm manner http://soulguru.com/general-health/types-of-meditation/
- 12. Stuck in the Roundabout Characteristics: • Primarily freshmen and sophomores • Real interest in multiple majors • Struggles to commit to one program • Looks to authority figures for answers https://giphy.com/gifs/roundabout-KQPGQv7KBDNUk
- 13. Newly Licensed Drivers Characteristics: • Primarily freshmen • Large amount of accelerated credit or have earned an AA • Not developmentally ready to be “fast tracked” • Tend to feel highly stressed and pressured to choose a majorhttps://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/08/24/study-finds-students-benefit-waiting-declare-major
- 14. Advising Strategies • Offer students an organized approach to exploring alternative majors and career choices • Give homework assignments • Multiple meetings throughout semester for “progress updates” • Practice critical thinking • Eliminate dissonance • Discuss “value added” options
- 15. Dig Deeper: Questions to Get Your Students Thinking • How much do you know about the majors you are interested in? How much research have you done so far? • Of all the majors you are considering which one are you most interested in? Which one are you least interested in? Why? • Now that you have identified these potential programs of interest what steps should you take to help you decide which major is the best fit? Why do you feel those steps are the best course of action? • What are some new things you have experienced this semester? Have any of these experiences influenced your thoughts on selecting a major? • What other ways can you incorporate some of your personal interests into your degree program?
- 16. Passengers Characteristics: • Primarily sophomores and juniors • Along for the ride • Not engaged in the exploration process • Limited work experience and involvement on campus • No goals or direction, but no worries or pressure • Not developmentally ready to choose a major http://www.ishn.com/articles/94096-dot-to-test-2013-model-passenger-vehicles-for-safety
- 17. Advising Strategies • Introduce dissonance • Have the “You’re not deciding what you’re going to do the rest of your life” conversation • Discuss major options that allow for continued exploration • Develop a firm deadline for declaring a major
- 18. • Is it your goal to graduate from this institution? • What is holding you back from choosing a major? • What kind of major is the best fit for you? Would you prefer a major that is more structured (e.g. Sociology) or a major that is more flexible (e.g. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences)? • Do you have any work experience? • What is your dream job? Dig Deeper: Questions to Get Your Students Thinking
- 20. U-Turn Students Characteristics: • Declared a major • Started taking classes for another major • Returned to first majorhttps://www.comedytrafficschool.com/how-to-make-a-u-turn
- 21. Sharp Right Turn Students Characteristics: • Declared, but sharp change in classes • May have experienced failure in classes for previous major
- 22. Advising Strategies • May know what they want, but may not have thought about how to effectively make the switch • Can be defensive and panicky; normalize and validate behavior • Try to plan for major choice, but find a backup option • “Let’s find a safe place to land, just in case!” • Have the “Let’s think about this as your first degree” conversation
- 23. Before you choose some backup degree options: • How’s this semester going? What classes are you enjoying? • Why did you choose your first major? • What major do you think you want to declare, and why? • What do you think you want to do with your degree? While looking at backup options: • What major do you think you might be most successful in? • Tell me how you feel about these plans/ideas? • What are your top two choices? Dig Deeper: Questions to Get Your Students Thinking
- 24. Head-On Collision Characteristics: • Declared but can’t continue in current major (GPA, D/F policy) • Fixated on original major; may not have thought of back-up major choices, hasn’t explored • Defensive, panicky, sad or upset • Dualistic student: right/wrong choices https://www.wired.com/2016/01/5-of-the-greatest-physics-demos-from-the-mythbusters/
- 25. Advising Strategies • This is the beginning of their exploration process, they will be defensive; remember to normalize and validate behavior • Use a strengths-based advising approach to find a path that allows students to be successful • Do a quick skills assessment or visit with the career center • Reframe the situation, find a positive spin, model critical thinking • Be realistic • Major options? Should they change schools? • Assign homework and schedule the next meeting
- 26. • Explain intrinsic motivation to the student: • “What we need to do is find a major that interests you enough to get you out of bed every morning. Mom isn’t here to make you go to school. If you think about it that way, what do you want to do?” • Have you ever worked? What kind of a job did you do? What did you like/dislike about it? • What type of work environment would make you the happiest? • What clubs have you joined? What activities do you enjoy? Dig Deeper: Questions to Get Your Students Thinking
- 28. Meet the Students! Tom A. Hawk Sema Nole Remi Gade
- 29. The Journey is Just Beginning… •Choosing the right major can be transformative •Advisors can provide support and help students choose a direction •Ultimately, the decision-making process belongs to the student!!
- 30. Questions???
- 32. References • Crookston, B. B. (2009). A Developmental View of Academic Advising as Teaching. NACADA Journal, 29(1), 78-82. doi:10.12930/0271-9517-29.1.78 • Cuseo, J. (2005). Decided, undecided, and in transition: Implications for academic advisement, career counseling and student retention. In R. S. Feldman (Ed.). Improving the first year of college: Research and practice. (pp. 27- 48). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. • Gordon, V. N. (1981). The Undecided Student: A Developmental Perspective. The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 59(7), 433-439. doi:10.1002/j.2164-4918.1981.tb00590.x • Gordon, V. N. (2015). The undecided college student: an academic and career advising challenge. Springfield, IL, U.S.A.: Charles C. Thomas , Ltd. • Perry, W. G. (1999). Forms of intellectual and ethical development in the college years: A scheme. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.. • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. doi:10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68 • Schreiner, L. A., & “Chip” Anderson, E. (2005). Strengths-Based Advising: A New Lens for Higher Education. NACADA Journal, 25(2), 20-29. doi:10.12930/0271-9517-25.2.20 • Snyder, L. G., & Snyder, M. J. (2008). Teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 50(2), 90-99. Retrieved from https://login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/195581754?accountid=4840 • Sokol, Justin T. (2009) "Identity Development Throughout the Lifetime: An Examination of Eriksonian Theory," Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology: Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 14. Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/gjcp/vol1/iss2/14
Editor's Notes
- Undecided/exploratory students represent a significant proportion of the entering student body at most colleges and universities. It can be difficult to truly know how many undecided students enter college because estimates can only include students that openly admit to being undecided. Just because a student has declared a major, it doesn’t mean the student is “decided”; it is quite difficult to determine how many entering students commit themselves to unrealistic or uninteresting programs because of parental or societal pressures. Approximately, 60% -75% of students who begin their studies declared in a major, change their majors at least once before they graduate so students have the potential to fall into the exploratory/undecided category at any point in time. Without the support of an advisor, undecided students may have trouble identifying a direction that is best for them so it critical for advisors to have a well-developed set of strategies that can be used to appropriately guide these students.
- Now, let’s discuss some general advising skills that will help you work with exploratory students:
- Three different theories that help us to understand the emotional and mental development of Exploratory students. William Perry’s Cognitive Theory of Student Development. Logical progression in student’s cognitive development during college. Developments in a student’s ability to think about their place in the world, ethically and intellectually Dualism- “right answers” to questions, look to outside forces Multiplicity- Still look to outside forces but put more trust in themselves. Can make a right or wrong decision, examine sources and decide. Advisors source of information, not the source of the answer. Relativism- In charge of their own decisions. Commitment- Career choices become part of their identity. Identity foreclosure—Erick Erikson. Students entered college with a career path that has been chosen for them without any thought about their strengths, values and personal needs. Exploring, even after they have declared a major is important! Need to think about their own needs and desires. Intrinsic Vs. Extrinsic motivation: Through high school the primary motivation has been extrinsic, motivated by law, grades and parents to get through high school- (although your average teenager will disagree with that statement!) In the beginning of college when they are still in the dualism stage, they will primarily be extrinsically motivated. But in college it’s time for them to find intrinsic motivation to attend school. As they develop multiplicity, they begin to realize that they can be excited and motivated about their degree, and that knowledge is part of the developmental process
- Strengths Based Advising Strengths-Based Advising is a paradigm that encourages advisors to focus on a student’s strengths instead of remediating weaknesses. We want to try to help students find a major where they spend the majority of their time focusing on their strengths. School is a bit like a video game, It’s really boring and frustrating to try to take a class that you aren’t good at over and over again—really- no one wants to keep trying Mario Kart Rainbow Road over and over again, you just want to win it and move on. For example, if you have a student who has entered college and doesn’t enjoy math and they are trying to pursue a college major in environmental chemistry, then there is a strong chance that they will be frustrated with their major shortly. In certain cases, it may be necessary to help a student with remediation for a certain area of college readiness. Most times, however, planning a college major based upon remediating an area of weakness is not helpful. Strength based advising means encouraging students to be realistic about their strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what you are good at and working in that area leads to achievement!
- Let’s get into our specific types of students now… Elisa will talk to your more about the types of undeclared exploratory students that you may encounter, and strategies that you can use when working with these students.
- Stuck in the Roundabout Characteristics High achieving students that have real interest in multiple majors Aptitude to be successful in multiple majors making it even more difficult to commit to one program Tend to view the world dualistically (e.g. think right answers and simple truths) May enjoy soliciting advice from anyone willing to offer it; especially adults
- Characteristics Received an AA when graduating from high school and/or has a large amount of credits from AP, IB, etc. coursework Advanced in terms of academics, but not in terms of development and maturity May feel highly stressed and pressured to choose a major
- Offer students an organized approach to exploring alternative majors and career choices Give homework assignments Multiple meetings throughout semester for “progress updates” Practice critical thinking Eliminate dissonance (aka “bad” or “wrong” decisions) Discuss “value added” options
- How much do you know about the majors you are interested in? How much research have you done so far? Of all the majors you are considering which one are you most interested in? Which one are you least interested in? Why? Now that you have identified these potential programs of interest what steps should you take to help you decide which major is the best fit? Why do you feel those steps are the best course of action? What are some new things you have experienced this semester? Have any of these experiences influenced your thoughts on selecting a major? What other ways can you incorporate some of your personal interests into your degree program?
- Characteristics Tend to be sophomores and juniors Along for the ride Not engaged in the exploration process Limited work experience and involvement on campus No goals or direction, but no worries or pressure Not developmentally ready to choose a major
- Introduce dissonance Have the “You’re not deciding what you’re going to do the rest of your life” conversation Discuss major options that allow for continued exploration Develop a firm deadline for declaring a major
- Is it your goal to graduate from this institution? What is holding you back from choosing a major? What kind of major is the best fit for you? Would you prefer a major that is more structured (e.g. Sociology) or a major that is more flexible (e.g. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences)? Do you have any work experience? What is your dream job?
- Now I’ll talk a bit about some types of exploratory students who have declared majors, but are now exploring.
- There are two different types of students who are difficult to distinguish between when you first meet them, and those are the U-Turn and Sharp Right Turn Students
- Both of these types of students may have gone through “Identity Foreclosure” or as we like to term it “letting mom or dad choose your major” and exhibit similar characteristics. For initial advising it’s not really necessary to differentiate. Eventually, you will find out. The trick is determining if they choose their original major for good enough reasons to continue in it, if it is still a choice. Sometimes these students can be sneaky! Depending on why they chose the original major, they may not want parents or friends finding out that they’ve changed their major. Advisors can find out several terms into the process. And of course, going about the process without advising can mean that they don’t make entry into their chosen major, and may have a higher risk of attrition.
- They jumped out of their first major and on to a second that they like. Hopefully this one will work! But if they did this without advising, we need to look at prerequisite classes and skills and make sure that this situation will work out! They can be defensive and panicky. You may need to calm the dissonance- normalize and validate. It’s normal to change majors, hopefully you can help them to make the switch. If their major choice is difficult, find a backup option. Don’t waste time, college is expensive. Try to get on track for both at the same time, so they can explore. Use strength based advising to help identify places where they will succeed. IF it’s not possible, they may be upset that they can’t get the degree they were planning. It may be helpful to have the “let’s think about this as your first degree” conversation. A master’s isn’t something they need to jump into right away. They may need to go out and work for a bit in a field that they think they would enjoy and after a bit, they may decide to specialize in something. Or they may just want to go right after their bachelors directly into a master’s that more aligns with their interest area. With a good plan, anything is possible.
- These are broken up into two areas- questions to ask before you start choosing some degree options, and some questions to assess a student’s thought process while you are looking at some choices. Before you choose some degree options: How’s this semester going? Why did you choose your first major? What do you think you want to do with your degree? While looking at options: What major do you think you might be most successful in? What are your top two choices?
- Identifying a head on Collision student is easy. They matriculated with a decided major, failed most of their prerequisite classes and potentially are being asked to leave. They may use all of your tissues, so be prepared.
- Remember that unlike U-turn and Sharp right students, these guys are potentially being forced out of their intended major, so they are beginning the process. These students may not thought through issues like this previously, and feel very alone. Take the time to normalize and validate. They may be on a compressed time scale, but they still need to do a quick career and skills assessment- if there’s time have them visit with the career center. They have experienced failure, and now need to move to something that they are good at. It’s time to find out where their strengths are. Try to discourage remediating for areas they are failing. Notice what classes they have succeeded at and praise them, have they enjoyed that class they got the A in? What about the B+? Look at those great grades! Reframe the situation! This is a great time for a new start. Begin modeling critical thinking. Assign homework- talk to advisors and people they care about. One area they may need to look at is the potential to finish their degree at another school. Hopefully a series of appointments during a semester of condensed career exploration and personal exploration will help them find a path that they are both interested in and excited about.
- Sometimes, I’ve found it very helpful to explain intrinsic motivation to students- “What we need to do is find a major that interests you enough to get you out of bed every morning. Mom isn’t here to make you go to school. If you think about it that way, what do you want to do?” You can ask them about jobs they’ve had, what they’ve enjoyed. Make them think a bit about what they did and didn’t like about jobs that they’ve had. Now Elisa will be leading an activity.
- Start of list