Fair showcases possible BYU majors

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With 181 majors and 102 minors at BYU, it’s no wonder students struggle with choosing a course of education that will affect the rest of their lives.

Some students may not realize BYU offers majors such as bioinformatics, wildlife and wildland conservation and illustration.

With the intent of helping students select a major, the fair will be held Wednesday in the WSC Ballroom from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is sponsored by the University Advisement Center.

“It’s a great venue for students who are contemplating their major; trying to make a good decision,” said Jeff Buell, an academic and career adviser at the University Advisement Center.

Student and faculty representatives from all colleges will be at the fair. Students can also receive information about other academic programs, including the honors program, Washington Seminar and ROTC programs.

“We know that it’s overwhelming for some students,” Buell said. “[The major fair] is just a relaxed and fun environment where they can get a lot of information about majors from across campus.”

Even though some students come to BYU with their majors decided, statistics show many students change their major.
“We find that at least 80 percent of students who come with a decided major change that major at some point,” said Karen Evans, a licensed psychologist and coordinator at the center. “Oftentimes when students are declared, they’re not really decided.”
At the Major Fair, students can also find information about minors in their areas of interest. With so many options to choose from, the fair will provide a vast amount of information on specific majors and minors.

“It’s like going into Baskin Robbins and having to choose one flavor of ice cream for the rest of your life,” Evans said. “You choose one, but what if there’s a better one?”

Student Debbie Horikami from Flower Mound, Texas, came to the major fair two years ago as a high school student through the SOAR program. Horikami said she originally wanted to major in nursing; however, while visiting the nursing booth, she decided against it.

“I walked around and found the physics department,” Horikami said. “I was so engaged about what they were talking about. It made me excited to come to college.”

Horikami is now a physics teaching major, and her advice to students is to look at all their areas of interest.

“Go to the Major Fair. Go and have an open mind about things,” Horikami said. “Don’t just go to the major you’re interested in.”

Skyler Dunford, from Lewisville, Texas, is a junior studying history teaching. She said she also struggled to determine her major but received information at the fair that helped her choose her major.

“It allowed me to realize what some of my best options were,” Dunford said.

The fair could also help students who have already chosen their major. It could also help those who are not completely in love with their major and are contemplating a change.

“The Major Fair would just open your eyes a little bit at least to be able to see that there are other options,” Dunford said. “It could also help you confirm your love for what you really are doing.”

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