Why You Need to See a College Counselor

Very few in-coming college freshman know what their major will be in college. I am a college counselor and that's one of the first questions I ask a student, "Do you know what you want to study?" Half respond "general education"; half shrug their shoulders meaning "I don't know". The former answer really isn't an answer to my question. General Education is just that, general. A major looks at a specific area of study like Photography, Nursing or Human Services.

The transition from high school to college can be difficult. It's a whole new ballgame and many are not prepared. Step one is to get advice from the high school counselor prior to graduation. Step two is to go to your college campus of choice and meet with a counselor. Some colleges want you to take assessment tests (English and Math placement) and sit through an orientation prior to meeting with a counselor. This is a good idea because if you skip those two recommendations and go straight to the counselor, their going to tell you to do them anyway and it helps us (counselors) tremendously if we know your assessment scores.

Armed with English and Math placement results, allow a counselor to begin to advise you on what to take each semester. I was extremely lucky and knew immediately that I was going to major in Psychology. I met with one counselor my freshman year, he mapped out my plan of attack and I never deviated from it. If you do not have a major at your first meeting with the counselor, you will be advised to take General Education classes till you find a major. Career Exploration classes are an excellent resource for help in this area.

Some students see the requirements for their goal-an associate degree and/or to transfer to a university and think they can just follow those guides without assistance. Many students can, but more students misinterpret the guides and take unnecessary courses. The last thing you want to do is delay your goal because you took Western Civilization instead of U.S. History. For every missed step, you have to add a class (or two, in some cases) to your total number of classes and semesters you thought you figured out correctly.