For my interview, I met with Chrystal McArthur, a career counselor who speaks to students and Rutgers alumni about choosing a major and possible careers. She immediately began speaking about how years ago, people didn't really worry about being "successful" - if you went to college, you'd get a job (this made me jealous!). She was referring to when she graduated college, in the late '60s, early '70s.
One point she brought up was especially interesting, something I never thought of: "People are borrowing more, so they're more worried about making money". With college loans and the rise of tuition costs, people do have to be more aware of how they'll pay off student loans and debt. If you can't get a job after graduating, you will remain in debt.
When I asked if more students are concerned with potential success or interest in the subject, McArthur said a lot of students are influenced by their parents and culture. Many parents encourage their children to pursue certain careers because they see them as a higher status than other careers. Students may also be influenced by their culture in the same regard.
I brought up Holland's Theory, and she was well aware of this assessment. She said in general, students do act based on their personality types. For example, a student may be interested in making money because of their entrepreneurial personality type - it's in their personality to want to be financially successful. I plan to go more in depth in my paper on this.
Overall, Chrystal McArthur was extremely knowledgable on my topic and was so helpful to my paper. She even suggested that I take an assessment online to show me what a student would do who seeks her advice. I am meeting with her again next week to discuss my results and hopefully use the general information in my paper.
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