Unfounded Stereotypes at State University
Choosing a college major is often a difficult and distressing task for many students. Most individuals attend college to obtain a career that will lead to wealth and success. When deciding on a major, students consider their main interests as well as the opportunities offered by particular fields of study. Many of these young adults, however, never consider that the decisions they make can determine their "status" at a university and can be the source of many generalizations by peers. Especially at the State University, certain majors are believed to be more credible than others. For example, those found in the fields of mathematics and science are perceived to be highly difficult and time
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In addition, many students are pressured into a certain major by family members who want children or grandchildren to excel financially or to follow in certain footsteps. Unfortunately. this is a misguided approach to selecting a major because a student's desires and strengths might lie elsewhere. Director of career services at the University of Connecticut, Cynthia Sedgwick states that "That approach may leave you destined for failure . . . . First and foremost, students have to be in touch with their skills and interests as they approach their education. And sometimes the passion is more important than the skills" ("How to Pick a College Major" 1). Choosing a major based on the wealth it might lead to enforces the stereotype as students select fields they believe to be superior and more prestigious. If students were to choose a major based solely on their individual interests and their propensity to succeed in a job that they enjoy, then it is doubtful that such opinions and rivalries would exist between majors.
In a survey of thirty-five Notre Dame students representing different grade levels and majors, the opinions about certain majors as well as about stereotypes were largely in concurrence. Students tended to name Arts and Letters as well as Business as two of the "lighter" majors, regardless of the individual's own major. The nickname "Arts and Leisure" surfaced seven times, one student noting that "I heard Arts and Letters called Arts and
1. The author (Ostrander) emphasizes that students should not stress out over choosing a major. He tells us that what one majors in is less important than the overall qualities, knowledge base, and the skills that one develops. Ostrander also points out that a major is much less important than the skills that people gain by using a quote from an executive, “I look for people who take accountability, responsibility and are good team people over anything else. I can teach the technical.”
When it’s time to starting making solid decisions about enrolling in college, many people have questions about how to choose a college major. Selecting a
The students are the direct recipients of this study that they should know their interest. Through this study, the students’ choosing a major is a choice that should be intentional and based on knowledge of one’s self. As a result of this study the number of students who shift a major must be reduce and lessen.
Sanford J. Ungar’s article “The New Liberal Arts” identifies multiple misperceptions there are about earning a liberal arts degree, showing the inaccuracy in each.
Right outside a corner store, next to a stoplight, or at a park, there may be a homeless person asking for some sort of help; it can either be for a place to stay, money, or food. Many people are used to categorizing a group of people by a solo characteristic, known as a stereotype. Misconception, on the other hand, is a conclusion of someone or something that is wrong because it is based on faulty thinking or facts. Stereotypes and misconceptions appear to be similar, however, these two are not. A misconception is formed from having a stereotype. Stereotypes and misconceptions are built because many try, but are unable to understand a person or a group, or are just simply unwilling to understand the person or group. There are over a million
When you focus on a career major, you have to have a reasonable picture of what you are getting into. You have to get correct data and assess it. Numerous components go into picking a school or college major including parental or peer influence,
Life is full of choices. Everyday people are forced to make choices: waffles or pancakes? Jeans or leggings? Most of these choices are trivial, but the few that are important affect your life in the long run. Your major or college you choose is one of those choices.
Everyone who decides to enroll in college must, at some point, think about what area they want to major in. There are many things that students consider when choosing a major. Some make their decision based on what they think can make them the most money once they begin their lives in the work force. However, many students believe that if you choose a major that interests you and challenges you then you can use those skills that can help you in any career. (R. Landrum & S. Davis, 2014) Let’s face it. Employers know that when they hire someone straight out of college they are not immediately going to know
Moreover, someone once told me “major in something that will make money and minor in something that you love”. When choosing a major people need to understand the financial side of a career path. Students should also do research on the employment rate for future years of their desired major. A physiology major cannot expect to make the salary of an engineering student. The university can only help you so much. While in college, students should focus on networking, becoming involved on campus and doing internships in order to obtain a job and not solely rely on the university because it is a competitive job market and companies want to hire the best of the best. Students need to “brand themselves”. Furthermore, SUNY Buffalo created a program known as the “Finish in 4” program should be incorporated in universities nationwide. Through an extensive but yet rewarding program students have the ability to graduate debt free, but they obtained it through hard work. It is a stress reliever for students because now they will graduate knowing they have a full time position waiting for them upon graduation. When students graduate they receive this paper known as the
Prejudice is the preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. In
A big concern in todays’ world for graduating college students is being able to find a job right out of school. More times than not, there are many problems that occur when a student chooses a specific career path. In the short exert “Why Focusing Too Narrowly In College Could Backfire”, written by Peter Cappelli, he discusses in his opinion, as well as many others, the right path students should be taking. The lead way students should be following to secure they get a job in a field they will enjoy. Many students have trouble picking a college to go to let alone what major they want to focus on. Students are told to pick a major and start taking the classes for it as soon as possible without realizing they might not even enjoy that field of work. There are many struggles in college with picking the correct classes and
College is a stepping stone into the real world. Many students would agree they pursue a college degree to obtain more money in their career. However, this pursuit isn’t only because of money, but also led by the heart-felt desires of the students. Conversely, Harvey Bump comments “Only those who are independently wealthy can afford the luxury of developing their souls while in college. College education in 2015 must be job training”. There is no exclusiveness to students who want to follow what majors they’re interested in. Lynn O’Shaughnessy clarifies in her article, “8 Reasons Not to Get a Business Degree”, that parents pressure their children into selecting “practical majors” based on their perception of what the job market needs. Many
Stereotypes are a streamlined idea of a certain group which can eventually spread prejudice which is a belief on a group of people. The difference is that stereotypes can be formed by experiences whereas prejudices are people taking a stereotype and believing it, but they do not have experience on a certain group. For example, a person may have seen that some Mexicans act rough and messy, but that person could share their experiences with other people who may not know Mexicans well. As a result, other people will take that stereotype and believe it, forming a prejudice inside their mind. If they were to meet a Mexican person, they would just assume that they are all rough and messy, despite having no prior experiences with Mexicans. Discrimination can consist of actions done to a group of people. Discrimination is not the same as Racism as discrimination is the unequal treatment of a person based on their race. Racism is a stronger type of prejudice that is used to claim that one race is superior to other races. An example of Racism is the Ku Klux Klan as their members believe whites are superior to any other race. They do not discriminate by mistreating other races. Instead, they spread hate speech and commit hate crimes to try to show that whites are better than other races.
Senior year in high school is the time we finally approach the first look at college applications. For many, it may be simple, for others it may not. Some of us have had our lives planned out earlier than others. others may see it as a scary lifelong decision to be made when choosing a major. One way students make their decision by planning ahead and seeing the actual potential available within a major.
One thing that varies faster than the gasoline price may be the debate around the value of a right path for a young adult— which major guarantees a smooth access to a decent job offer. According to the article, “Not All College Majors Are Created Equal”, the author, Michelle Singletary, indicates that college degrees are not the same based on the different majors. She starts her article with a question that she asked her college students, “What’s your major?” Singletary immediately determines her student’s future by the major that the student is choosing. Later in the article, she states her opinions on how majors have played a great important role in one’s career life by using different examples and statistics. Indeed, college majors are not