Making decisions that are complex is the ability that individuals have to help them be more efficient in putting into effect their ideas in the world today with its challenges and risks. Making decisions involves compiling our thoughts about the situations we come across or those that we may encounter in the future. Many students view selecting colleges as a process that is very complex. Also, selecting minor options has proven to be a complicated process for many students. The steps that I have taken in choosing minor options involve; defining and recognising the choice to be made. Identifying that there is an option that needs to be done is imperative. It helped me realise that it is crucial for me to decide on a second major within a period of time.
The second step I used is collecting all information that is available about different courses. I thoroughly read the catalogue which has a lot of information on class explanations, connecting minors to professions and general programs with colleges. I also went for various events in school where I asked a lot of questions about the different careers (Ramapo College of New Jersey, 2016) . Furthermore, I went a step further by going to a development centre for jobs where I undertook a simple test that would assist me in knowing my abilities. Knowing your abilities is paramount because it helps you in the selection a secondary option that matches your skills hence you will not have a hard time coping with the subject.
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The third step that I utilised is focusing on my top minor decisions. For example, I was torn between International Business, Political Science, Marketing or psychology. From the choices, I think I will go with International Business or Marketing as my major and Political Science as my minor. I also chose classes that would aid me in making a proper decision, and that is why I ended up with my major and minor. Also, before making my final decision, I had to enquire with the faculty in the minor and major to have some light in the fields.
The fourth step is going through the risks and costs. I had to look at those subjects that offer more job opportunities and those that am naturally good at. However, selecting a minor or major does not get you a job. It is your job experience that lands you a job, so I will also work to my knowledge when I start doing my subjects. Step five involved making an initial choice. Before my sophomore year, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do, and I made my grades the most important priority.
The final step is evaluating my decision. I had to ensure if I had made the correct choice that I will not regret in the future. Also, I had to make sure that I will enjoy reading my major and minor subjects and also feel part of the college community. I had to confirm if I was satisfied with my decision.
The resources and skills that I would utilise in choosing minor or second major involve the University’s bulletin, FYDP and upperclassmen. The university bulletin enables you to look at the requirements for a variety of programs and also the courses that are appealing to you. In the bulletin, I searched for those that give a necessary complement or contrasts my major area of study in spite of their applicability of minor needs. I also attended different career seminars that provided me with knowledge about the professions which helped me in making my final decision.
The strategies that I would use in making this difficult decision involves analysing the benefits of a particular career. For example, I had to research on marketing to know its requirements and job opportunities to see whether the field is marketable or not. Another strategy that I used was focusing more on my abilities for the purpose of choosing a course that matches my skills (Barwise, 2012) . For example, I am superb at interacting and convincing people, and that is why I decided to go with marketing and Political Science.
The lessons in Discovering Passions and Designing Your Academic Future have been precious to me in that I realised that you cannot become successful in your career if you are not motivated my passion for what you are engaging in. You require passion if you want to success. Doing what you like motivates you to perform better. Designing your academic future is important as it helps you plan what you want to achieve later on in life. As a first-year business student, the lessons have helped me in choosing a second major that am passionate about as passion is key to success. With passion, can perform better in my course work because I enjoy reading what am doing. Also, can plan my academic future since it will help me in achieving success.
What I appreciated about these lessons was that they emphasise the importance of passion. Many students are not motivated in the courses they choose since they did not consider their passion. However, if students see the value of passion in decision making, they would be more motivated to invest their effort and time. The lessons could be improved by explaining the relevance to the professional lives of the students. They should emphasise more on how the lessons will assist them after they are done with college.
My minor as mentioned above is Political science. It will play a role in my business career as it gives me an understanding of the role of the government in the society and the connection between political and economic life. I can also work for agencies belonging to the government in administrative positions. Also, I can also follow a path in financial management or policy.
Critical thinking is thinking about any topic or issue where the thinker betters his or her thinking quality by accurately assessing, analysing and reorganising it. It is self-motivated and directed. It involves communication that is useful and abilities in problem-solving (The Critical Thinking Community, n.d.) .
My most valuable takeaways from BADM 1001 and BADM 1002 was the strengths assignment and the Community Engagement Project. In the Strengths Assignment, what I enjoyed most is when we took a Callup test to find out our top five strengths. Knowing your strengths is critical as it gives you a better comprehension of yourself and how you operate. Knowing your strengths puts you in a better position. For example, when going through career options, one can focus on specific job tasks based on the things you are exquisite at. In Community Engagement Project in BADM 1002, we volunteered for food for all. It was a project that we did as a group. Such projects enable you to make better decisions as you can understand many things. One is also able to identify with the community.
The advice I would offer to incoming freshmen is that they should choose second major courses that they are passionate about. Passion will motivate them to perform better in college and their jobs in the future. Also examining your strengths and abilities is important as it helps you choose a course that best suits you.
References
Barwise, V. P. (2012). Strategic decisions. Springer Science & Business Media.
Ramapo College of New Jersey. (2016, October). studentsuccess/major/ . Retrieved from https://www.ramapo.edu: https://www.ramapo.edu/studentsuccess/major/
The Critical Thinking Community. (n.d.). /pages/our-concept-and-definition-of-critical-thinking/411 . Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-and-definition-of-critical-thinking/411
