Qualifying for your major
Your second year at UCSC is fast approaching! By now, there are some advising related tasks you should have completed to help you enter your Sophomore year well prepared. Believe it or not, this is a critical time in your academic career! Right now, you should be solidifying your major plan(s) and beginning to formulate bigger picture goals after graduation. You need to declare your major no later than spring quarter of this year (sooner is better). NOW is the time to make sure you are on track to qualify for your intended major!
As you know, as a part of the First Year Advising Program, last year you were REQUIRED to complete the First Year Advising Tutorial:
1) Update or confirm your proposed major plan with a Porter College adviser; and
2) Meet with a Porter Adviser at least once during the year to develop an academic plan.
While some of you may have updated your proposed major with us, our records indicate that you did not meet with an Adviser at Porter during the year.
It's very important to the advising staff at Porter that we get a chance to connect with our students and touch base about their academic plan early on. The earlier students' plan, the more opportunities they have to do things like study abroad, participate in research, internships, and field studies, and graduate on time without any surprises! For many of our students, the sooner they connect with advisers at their college and major advisers, the more likely they are to be successful, complete a degree in a timely fashion, and move on to graduate school or a career after graduation.
If you are currently undecided on a major, it is imperative that you spend the next month doing some research so that you come back to UCSC next month with a plan to qualify for your intended major. Remember, you have a limited time to figure this out! Here are some major exploration tools you can use to get some ideas about what major(s) might be a good fit for you:
Career Center: Career Advising
Career Assessments at UCSC- online tools
What can I do with a Major in....? Read about career related information associated with the discipline, including common career paths and jobs, marketable skills, and links to job listings and professional organizations associated with that major.
If you did not met with a Porter Adviser in your first year, kick off your Sophomore year proactively! Come meet with a Porter Adviser about your intended major and plan to qualify for the major, review your first year at UCSC, and discuss your future plans. Call the Porter College Office and tell our receptionist that you have received this email message, and want to make an appointment for "Sophomore Advising" this quarter (these appointments will be between the 3rd-5th weeks of the quarter). The front desk can be reached at: 831-459-2273 or use the booknow link to schedule an appointment.
