Junior education major Seth Imme knew what he wanted to do coming out of high school. However, three years into his college career, Imme began having second thoughts on his selected major. In fact, he hated it.
“I hated all of the education parts. Once I started all the education classes, I realized they were not for me,” said Imme. “I did observation hours; you meet a ton of people and everyone seems nice enough. I just realized I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be in school my entire life.”
Many students struggle with the overwhelming task of choosing a major in the beginning of college. Sometimes, they simply choose wrong as a freshman because they aren’t aware of all of the options or what they would enjoy studying.
Imme knew he wanted to change his major but had no idea what to change it to, or even how to begin the process. Imme’s supervisor in the housing department recommended that he go to Career Services. He made an appointment and met with career counselor Beverly Sellers. There he took a career aptitude test and a personality test, designed to help students choose a career. The personality test also recommends what kind of environment a person is suited to work in, whether it be in a cubicle or a classroom or anywhere else. His answers were submitted to a computer, which calculated what options he would be most compatible with.
“Whenever I met with her, she had this whole packet of stuff prepared with all the different answers and the different personality types,” said Imme. “It was kind of overwhelming all at once, but she ended up going over all of it with me and it helped out a lot. Career Services was definitely pretty awesome. They were really friendly and helpful.”
The career aptitude test revealed that he was most compatible with the study of computer science, followed by business management in second. The personality test revealed an outgoing personality, not shy about talking. He has just about settled on majoring in computer science with a concentration in business.
“Computer science is what I tested most interested in,” said Imme. “I’ve been wanting to do something like that, this kind of just helped push me forward. It was nice to have something backing it up.”
Although changing his major as a junior will likely set his college career back by about a year, Imme thinks the change will be worth it.
“I’m done with all the freshman classes, I get to dive straight into the curriculum,” he said.
When asked if he would recommend that other students go to Career Services for guidance, Imme replied that he had already done so.
“I’m a Resident Assistant in Taylor, and I was talking to one of my residents the other day about how he needed help with his resume; I was telling him how Career Services can help him out with that,” said Imme. “I’m all for it. Especially since it’s one of those things on campus that every student pays for. You should definitely use it at least once.”
Career Services offers a variety of helpful options, from career assessment and resume reviews to job search assistance and career fairs. Counselors are available by appointment to help students, as well as alumni, plan for their futures. To find out more about what they offer, go to the Southeastern website and search for “Career Services.” For guidance, stop by their office in Student Union room 241 or call 985-549-2121.