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Speed dating was the theme of a program at Hilltop Commons Nov. 12, but instead of looking for prospective girlfriends or boyfriends, University of Maine students speed-dated majors.
Put together by Residence Life, the Office of First and Second Year Programs, the Career Center and Hilltop Dining, this event allowed undecided students to explore their options and decide where they want to focus their studies.
With more than 100 UMaine majors to choose from, committing to one can be difficult.
One first-year student, Alisha Gagnon, found the event informative.
“I was able to look at all of the options available and see that there are lots of wicked exciting choices,” Gagnon said.
Although she imagined the set-up differently, she said it “taught me to be open-minded about different majors.”
Gagnon came to college undeclared but is now thinking about a psychology major or other social science.
Another first-year student, Maddie Manning, was a psychology student when she first got to college, but chose to be undeclared so she could explore other fields of study. After seeing what Speed Date a Major was all about, she said she “learned how I am not ready for a major but am now more aware of my options.”
Despite calling it an overall good experience, Manning said she is staying undeclared for now.
Directed mainly toward first and second-year students, Speed Date a Major was intended to help students choose based on what career they have in mind postgraduation. Ideas from Erin Howell, graduate assistant from the Office of First and Second Year Programs, and Kim Trela, community coordinator from Residence Life, formed the event. Along with Residence Life intern Vikki Caron, Howell and Trela began by reaching out to the Career Center for formatting ideas – Speed Date a Major was born shortly after.
“We are very much hoping this event becomes an annual tradition for undeclared students both in and out of the First-Year Residential Experience,” Trela said.
Besides information on a variety of majors, the Career Center provides resources on the UMaine’s Counseling Center and Peer Education Program as well as the Maine Mentor Program.
