This section gives some common advice for creating your major academic
plan.
Fill Out Your MAPPick classes for each semester you plan to be in school. Type in the course names. Press the UPDATE button whenever you stop to think. If you see a message or a warning, think about it. Correct each problem if you can. MAPPER will tell you if you are taking classes in the wrong order (hard before easy). MAPPER will tell you if the class you want is not planned to be taught when you want it. MAPPER will tell you if you have required classes that you have not scheduled. MAPPER will organize your typing and will make sure all the simple mistakes are caught and fixed. MAPPER even helps the school know how many sections to plan of the classes you want.Pick A MajorEven if you don't know what you want for your major, it is still a good idea to get started on one. Most majors offer a class or two that are pretty easy and will let you get a feeling for whether this is a major you will like. And remember, you can always change your mind later. Just don't wait too long.
Dive Right InTake a class in your major as soon as possible. If you love it, why wait? If you find out you hate it, it is better to find out now.Schedule Your ClassesLook at the requirements for your major. Find out what class to take first and put it into your MAP. Find out what class to take next, and put it into your MAP. Get a fast start. Don't be like the student who came home from his mission and spent the next year "getting his general education out of the way." That strategy was a disaster. Schedule your major classes and later on fill in with your general education classes. Top it all off with an elective now and then.Add Some DiversityEspecially during your first semester or two, fill in with classes from a broad variety of subjects that interest you. You may discover that you like something better than you expected. Stories abound of students who "discovered" a new favorite major after three years. Three years is too long to wait. Try something interesting, in addition to getting started in your major. Give yourself some options just in case you need to change.Don't Be Afraid To ChangeMost students think about changing their major, especially after they find out that it is not as totally glamorous as they expected. Many actually do change their major. This is often easily done if you find out early.On the other hand, DO BE AFRAID to change after you are well under way. If you are two years into your four-year program and you want to change, that is the time to get advice from several people: your academic advisor, a professor in your old major, a professor in the major you are considering, and two or three friends. Get lots of opinions before making a late change. But if you are riding a dead horse, Get Off!
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