Designing A Degree

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A college major is one of the most crucial and influential decisions a person will make in his or her lifetime. This important choice has the power to determine what a person will do for the rest of their life. Students across the country are challenged by this task each and every year because they are not able to find a path of study that is compatible with their ideal career and favorable interests. Traditional majors are known for providing broad educations and producing well-rounded students that are ready and able to work in various jobs. However, today it is challenging to break into the work force. Students with more specific studies are finding greater success in their job search after college. For this reason, individualized studies programs have exploded across the country. Individualized studies are a create-your-own-major approach to education. These programs allow students to design and personalize their college education by combining courses from various areas of study. Individualized-studies students leave college with a unique major printed on their diploma. With the opportunity to create their own majors in college, students in individualized studies are receiving personalized educations and realizing their ideal jobs.

Students base their college major choices on their interests. A study published in the College Student Journal, conducted to reveal information about students who are entering college, utilizes extensive research to identify the factors that influence students’ college major decisions. It is based upon the assumption that making “good” major choices is beneficial to the students. A “good” major is defined as one that helps students reach their post-education goals, as well as one that is compatibl...

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... White River Junction, Vt.: Chelsea Green Pub., 2010. 108-128. Print.

Larson, Simone. "Is creating your own major the best way to secure a job? ." COLLEGE. USA Today, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 8 May 2012. .

Samuels, Dorry. "New York UNIVERSITY." Teen Ink Nov. 2004: 38. www.teenink.com. Web.

8 May 2012.

SHELLENBARGER, SUE. "Can't Pick a College Major? Create One - WSJ.com." Business News & Financial News . The Wall Street Journal, 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 8 May 2012.
Singletary, Michelle. "Not all college majors are created equal." Business. The Washington Post,

14 Jan. 2012. Web. 8 May 2012..

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