Magic of Meet the Majors

I remember my first Meet the Majors Fair. It was Wednesday, September 21, 2011, and I was a first-year student in the Explore Program, with no idea yet how to narrow down my academic interests into a possible major or career path. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Centennial Common, and I could not wait to begin exploring my future.

I visited tables for majors in what would soon become the College of Arts, Media & Design and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. I distinctly remember being interested in the Graphic Design table – I can even remember exactly where the table was located. My experience at Meet the Majors set the tone for the rest of my exploration that semester. Because I came to the fair prepared, but open-minded, I was inspired to explore majors I had never previously considered, and to continue my exploration process that semester by attending What’s in a Major programs and meeting with my academic advisor, Kim Irmiter.

Who would have guessed that six and a half years later, I would be the one planning the Meet the Majors Fair? My academic interests led me to spend a semester exploring Graphic Design, before deciding on Communication Studies and focusing my coursework in organizational and interpersonal communication. From there, I began to discover my passion for working with college students, especially through my experience as an Explore Program student leader. After graduating from Northeastern in 2015, I began working in the Explore Program and pursuing my Master’s degree in College Student Development and Counseling, which I will complete this May!

Since that first fair, I have attended many more as both a student leader and staff member. I absolutely love watching students begin to make their first connections and decisions about majors each semester at the fair. I love asking them about their exploration so far, pushing them to explore beyond their comfort zone, and reminding them to gather as much information as possible to begin planning strategically for their futures. I love when my advisees and Connections & Decisions students find me at the fair to tell me that they’ve ruled out a major, or they are going to begin exploring a new major, or sometimes even that they’re ready to declare!

Though it was difficult to see where my path would lead during my first Meet the Majors Fair, I can look back on that experience and clearly see how it set me up for success in my exploration, my major, and my career. Meet the Majors empowered me to ask questions, interact professionally with faculty and students in majors, and take it all in without getting too overwhelmed. My advice for current Explore Program students: be curious, step outside of your comfort zone, and embrace the magic of Meet the Majors!

By: Brooke Hoger