EXTRA CREDIT: Major Map

Brooks (2009)

Just like you made a "wanderings map" of your broad college and outside experiences in order to begin your process of critical reflection on career options, you can use that same visual technique to think about your major. (If you haven't declared a major already, you can use any major you are considering.)

Read this first

• You Majored in What? chapters 04 and 05, "Wandering beyond majors and minors," and "Why settle for one career when you can have ten?"
• Neeta P. Fogg, Paul E. Harrington, Thomas F. Harrington, and Laurence Shatkin, "The economics of career choice Download The economics of career choice
  ," in College Majors Handbook, 3rd ed. (St. Paul: JIST Publishing, 2012).
• Career Exploration Center handouts "Ten steps to a major decision Download Ten steps to a major decision
  " and "Myths about majors Download Myths about majors
  "

Steps to complete

1. Following the format in the Brooks You Majored in What? book, draw a major map on a blank sheet of paper. Make it as detailed as possible.  (What if you don't have a major yet, or you haven't really started your major classes? That's fine; you can go ahead and include experiences that you plan to take in your major but haven't yet.)

2. Scan or photograph your major map and upload it to Canvas.

Questions for discussion

• How might this major map help you answer the following question that you might face in a job interview: "Why did you major in _______ anyway? It doesn't have anything to do with this job!" 
• If you are undeclared in your major, use this majors map together with the L&S list of all majors and certificates Download L&S list of all majors and certificates
  to consider some options.  You might also want to refer to the UW-Madison major declaration policy Download UW-Madison major declaration policy
  and the L&S degree requirements for all majors Download L&S degree requirements for all majors
  .  

To learn more

• Ann L. Mullen, "Majors and knowledge Download Majors and knowledge
  ," in Degrees of Inequality: Culture, Class, and Gender in American Higher Education (Baltimore: JHU Press, 2010).
• James Tunstead Burtchaell, "Major decisions Download Major decisions
  ," in Virginia N. Gordon and Thomas L. Minnick, eds., Foundations: A Reader for New College Students, 2nd ed. (Belmont: Wadsworth, 2002).
• Anthony P. Carnevale, Jeff Strohl, and Michelle Melton, "What's it worth? The economic value of college majors Download What's it worth? The economic value of college majors
  ," Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2011).
• Sherrie Nist-Olejnik and Jodi Patrick Holschuh, "Major decisions: Selecting a field of study," in College Rules! How to study, survive, and succeed in college (Berkeley: Ten Speed press, 2011).
• Andrew Roberts, "Choosing a major Download Choosing a major
  ," in The Thinking Student's Guide to College (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010).
• Will Weaver, "The undeclared major Download The undeclared major
  ," in A Gravestone Made of Wheat (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989).