Looking through the Rutgers online database, I came across a few sources that will possibly be useful for my paper. These sources all describe the hard decision students have to make while choosing a major. Do students choose based on their interests or earning potential? These sources will hopefully help me clear this up so I can develop a strong argument.
Adams, Caralee. "Majors Matter In Prospects For College Graduates."Education Week 31.15 (2012): 13. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
DeMarie, Darlene, and Patricia A. Aloise-Young. "College Students' Interest In Their Major." College Student Journal 37.3 (2003): 462-469.OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
Dietz, Janis. "The Myth That College And Major Choice Decides Johnny's Future." College Student Journal 44.2 (2010): 234-249. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
Grant, Tracy. "College majors and their income potential". Washington Post. 25 Jan 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/college-majors-and-their-income-potential/2012/01/16/gIQANK94QQ_story.html>
Ma, Yingyi. "College Major Choice, Occupational Structure And Demographic Patterning By Gender, Race And Nativity." Social Science Journal 48.1 (2011): 112-129. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
Pike, Gary R. "Students' Personality Types, Intended Majors, And College Expectations: Further Evidence Concerning Psychological And Sociological Interpretations Of Holland's Theory." Research In Higher Education 47.7 (2006): 801-822. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Blog #5: Rutgers RIOT
When first looking at Rutgers RIOT, I learned about choosing a topic that is both specific and interesting. Choosing a topic that's too broad would probably cause me to leave out important information if I had to fit it into a certain number of pages. This information about choosing a topic is essential to me because my own topic needs to be able to be described about within a certain number of pages. I also want it to be interesting and for people to want to keep reading.
I also learned about how my paper could really benefit from choosing the right sources; primary sources are the best to use and therefore that's what I'll look for first. When looking for sources, I also must keep in mind the author and place the source is from to make sure it's accurate.
Rutgers RIOT is interesting because it's interactive; this made it more intriguing as I kept going along in the tutorial. I could see myself looking at this website again when I begin writing my research paper to refresh my memory on the topics covered in the lessons.
I also learned about how my paper could really benefit from choosing the right sources; primary sources are the best to use and therefore that's what I'll look for first. When looking for sources, I also must keep in mind the author and place the source is from to make sure it's accurate.
Rutgers RIOT is interesting because it's interactive; this made it more intriguing as I kept going along in the tutorial. I could see myself looking at this website again when I begin writing my research paper to refresh my memory on the topics covered in the lessons.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Blog #4: How Privatization Affects What Students Study
Writing my analytic essay opened my eyes to what privatization really affects. Part of my paper detailed how private schools offer less programs to students. This would be good to write in my research paper, as I can now offer information about schools having less majors for students to choose from and the statistics regarding what programs students are enrolling in more. For example, "Higher Education and Privatization"tells that there is a decline in liberal arts degrees in the past forty years. By becoming private, colleges limit the programs offered to students, yet tuition rates are rising.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Blog #3: Refining my topic
I realize that I have to have a larger question in order to investigate and find more information on my topic. I really would like to research the selection of a college major and how it affects the student long-term. What goes into the process and what do students think about the most when choosing? Enjoyment or money? Even the idea of deciding can be extremely stressful, as it is for me.
Blog #2 was supposed to cover some online research; after looking a little online, I found a few good articles which describe how students should go about choosing a major.
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-experts/2011/05/25/when-do-i-need-to-choose-a-major
This article was interesting because it touched upon the fact that students sometimes apply to college with an "easy" major in order to get into the school. It says that 80% of students change their major at least once, so being "undecided" isn't such a bad thing.
http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/choosing-a-major-in-college
This article advises students to think about the outcome of the major they will choose; it is going to affect the field you go into after graduating.
A lot of what I came across while exploring online dealt with how many students choose a college because it's supposed to be good for the major they want. I'd also like to research this in my paper.
Blog #3:
A few questions I'd like to ask a librarian would be:
1. Where can I get the statistics on how many students go into college without a major?
2. How can I find out the difference in salary of college graduates, due to a difference of college major?
3. Are there any books based solely upon choosing a major?
Blog #2 was supposed to cover some online research; after looking a little online, I found a few good articles which describe how students should go about choosing a major.
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-experts/2011/05/25/when-do-i-need-to-choose-a-major
This article was interesting because it touched upon the fact that students sometimes apply to college with an "easy" major in order to get into the school. It says that 80% of students change their major at least once, so being "undecided" isn't such a bad thing.
http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/choosing-a-major-in-college
This article advises students to think about the outcome of the major they will choose; it is going to affect the field you go into after graduating.
A lot of what I came across while exploring online dealt with how many students choose a college because it's supposed to be good for the major they want. I'd also like to research this in my paper.
Blog #3:
A few questions I'd like to ask a librarian would be:
1. Where can I get the statistics on how many students go into college without a major?
2. How can I find out the difference in salary of college graduates, due to a difference of college major?
3. Are there any books based solely upon choosing a major?
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Blog #2: Is it more worth it to "follow your heart" or go for guaranteed success?
After reading Professor Goeller's response to my blog, I began thinking. My initial topic about choosing a college major was really rooted in what interests people/makes people happy. Would people rather be happy and choose a major which might not guarantee a job after graduation? What about going to grad school; are there any students who choose a degree based on preparing for graduate school, and if so, how many? I feel that if I research this topic, it could help other students, as well as myself, take a look at our majors/intended majors and get more insight into why we chose them and where we can take our careers.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
First thoughts for my paper
When first registering for this class, I was a little nervous, as it is a writing course. I seem to have the habit of not knowing what I want to write about until I absolutely have to (admittedly, this is very last minute)...As an indecisive person, it really messes me up when it comes to school. I'm thinking that I might look into writing about how college majors affect a person's job upon graduation. I am an "undecided" major, so I'm already kind of reading about majors and how they look for certain jobs and what is in demand right now. It's also interesting when I hear about someone who majored in something but ended up with a completely different job. For example, my father went to school to be a police officer and ended up being a director at an insurance company. I feel like this is probably a common thing. Researching this topic could help me decide what I should major in to prepare for a job I'd like.
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