Students who haven’t decided their majors got the opportunity to explore what the College of Sciences and the College of Textiles have to offer at Witherspoon Student Center Wednesday afternoon.
The event was a part of N.C. State’s Major Exploration Series, a collection of open house events hosted by every college on campus. The series began Tuesday and will continue through the first week in October.
At the event, students visited informational booths where representatives from both colleges gave broad overviews of majors and answered specific questions pertaining to their interests.
Jordan McMican, an academic advisor and liaison between N.C. State’s First Year College and the College of Sciences, helped coordinate the event.
“The explorations series are open to anyone trying to decide on a major,” McMican said. “At these fairs, students can speak with college representatives and student ambassadors to get connected with faculty and gain more information than they would just searching online.”
Jeremy Evivie, a freshman in First Year College, said he attended the event to gain information about switching from an engineering path to a biological one.
“I’m on an engineering track currently in classes like E-115, so, I wasn’t sure how to consider another major,” Evivie said. “It made me a lot more comfortable to realize that there’s some flexibility in my schedule until sophomore year.”
Representatives from different departments in the College of Sciences gave students four-year course planners and explained career path opportunities.
At the mathematics department booth, College of Sciences Director of Undergraduate Enrollment Mike Smith said there are research and study abroad opportunities across the world for math and science majors.
Smith said the College of Sciences helps undecided students with interests in science fields get into contact with faculty dedicated to helping discover a major fit for them.
On the opposite side of the Witherspoon Student Center, representatives from the College of Textiles recruited students for their programs.
Student ambassadors also showed students examples of textile products such as shoes, heart valves, scrubbing pads, car belts and diapers.
“Our visuals show students that textiles are about more than just clothing,” said Kelsy Fuller, a junior in textile technology and a student ambassador for the college. “We like to give students a physical idea of the practical and interesting properties of textiles.”
Students graduating from the program are able to seek employment successfully, with more than 90 percent of the graduating class finding a job after graduating each year.
“I’m completely undecided on my major, but I know I want to do something math related,” said Morgan Schmidt, a freshman in First Year College. “The representatives from the colleges explained how my interest is applicable to jobs in technology.”
Both the College of Sciences and the College of Textiles have high-ranking programs that produce students with a competitive edge in the job market.
“I like that these colleges will secure me a job in the future, but I know that the level of coursework is very difficult for these majors,” Schmidt said.
