student stories

Deni

Courage
I really just didn't know what I wanted to do and I was afraid of being one of those students who change their major multiple times. I wanted to be at least mostly sure that I was going to stick with the major I chose. I actually heard about the program from my high school guidance counselor. I was explaining to him my fears about being undecided, and he informed me that it was okay and gave me information on the program.

Residential Community.
I think living in the exploratory community was very helpful. I feel like it made me feel less alone and not so unprepared. Going to classes and meeting new people who seem like they have their whole lives planned out and know exactly what they want to do is hard when you're still so unsure. But being able to live with other people who are dealing with the same issues you are makes it a lot easier

Advising
They don't push you, which I think is very important. They are there to be helpful and give advice when necessary, but they aren't trying to force you towards any particular direction. Because of this you are able to really focus on yourself and what you want and from there choosing a major becomes a lot easier.

UNI Courses.
It actually helped me 100 percent! I basically knew what fields I like and didn't like going into the program, but that was it. The UNI 150 program helped me narrow my choices down to certain majors and eventually led me down the path to business administration. I don't think I realized at the time how helpful all the personality quizzes and projects were, but now it is painfully obvious.

Realization
I would say the point in time that really solidified my choice was when we had to interview someone who was in a career that we thought was interesting. The lady I interviewed worked as a manager of the food and beverage department at a major casino and I really loved a lot of the aspects of her job. So it was then that I decided to pursue a career that would open up similar doors for me.

Confidence
I think it is similar to what I mentioned above, I can see myself working in various jobs within this field. I like how it is still somewhat of an open degree so I do still have options, but I'm working towards a specific goal and feel much more “on track” now. I'm happy in my major and that makes me feel very confident that it was right for me

Deliberateness
Don't rush! That is huge. I was lucky enough to be able to decide on my major after only one semester, but that doesn't work for everyone. The more time they spend in the exploratory major finding out who they are and what they really want, the less time they will spend taking classes that become useless once they start flip-flopping between majors. Also, it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. You're still just as much of a college student as someone who is already declared. The difference is that you are making the adult decision to fully prepare yourself before making such an important choice

Preparedness
For me another reason being exploratory was good is because it helped me “get my feet wet” in the college atmosphere. I was able to take my prerequisites and do well in classes that were a little less intimidating. I wasn’t thrown into classes that might have been beyond what I was ready for just because they were necessary for my major.

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