The thought of choosing a career can be daunting, however with a little guidance and a visit to a career fair, the path can become clear. Throughout the Spring and Fall semesters, FAU holds several career fairs. These fairs can be generalized or are split up into different fields, for example, there are fairs for nursing, education, and other various degree programs. FAU also holds fairs for students looking for part-time work and internships.

At the urging of my advisor, I went to my first fair during the fall semester of my sophomore year. Some of my sorority sisters joined me as we all wanted to check it out. We made the trek over to the rec center in our best business casual completely unaware of what to expect. We split up as we began to walk around because there were just so many different employers and companies to meet with and learn more about. We decided to first attend the general career fair, which showcases companies that suit various degree programs, so the lines were longer than we expected. Even though the lines were long, it was really beneficial to see what types of jobs I could qualify for after graduation. It was also helpful to learn what each company offered to its employees and see which ones had internship opportunities available to me.

The Career Fairs are held at the end of August, the end of September and through October in the Fall and again in February. For more information on the dates of the fair and the degree-specific fairs, click here.

Before you attend, it’s a great idea to head over to the Career Center. Here students are able to discuss various career options for their majors. The career center will also help you write and perfect your resume. My advisor recommended this to me and it truly helped to calm my nerves knowing I had a properly written and formatted resume. I was also able to schedule a mock interview at the career center, which also prepared me for when I spoke to recruiters at the career fairs. The Career Center will also help you with pointers on creating a professional LinkedIn profile using a professional headshot. A LinkedIn Jobseeker account allows you to view profiles and send InMail messages starting from $29.95 per month. HaveUHeard that LinkedIn has a version specifically designed for students looking for their first jobs? The LinkedIn Students app is free and lets you research jobs, view companies where alumni from your schoolwork, and connect with more people. You can create an account and get started right away without spending a dime.

The Career Center is also home to the Owls Professional Clothes Closet. The Owls Professional Closet provides students who qualify with business attire clothing. Students who are in immediate need of business attire clothing can rent from here as well. There are some requirements to fulfill to qualify for use of the career closet, you can find more information about that here. If you are looking to start building your wardrobe for after college, check out Dress for Success for some tips and student discounts.

The best way to prepare for the event is to do some research ahead of time. Check out the companies that will be showcased at the career fair and make a list of who you want to speak with. For more information about what companies will be attending the Fairs and to register, visit the Owl Career Link.

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What better way to learn about a prospective field or career than to do an internship? Obviously, I am a big believer in internships. I did my first internship while at FAU at a law office in West Palm Beach.  It was an amazing experience and I truly believed it helped me to get my first job out of college. Internships allow students to learn, but it also helps them decide if that is actually the career for them. They help them figure out, while still in school, whether the career they envisioned for themselves all along may (or may not) be just what they wanted? The question is how to find one.

I’m not going to lie….if you know someone, now might be the time to put the word out there that your student is looking. My oldest daughter got her first internship at Walgreens because a friend of a friend worked there. The two of them spoke on the phone and my daughter’s resume made its way to the right person.  While she did make some money while earning the job experience, it looked great on her resume and showed her that this was the career for her. Don’t worry; many internships do pay.

FAU’s Career Center offers students assistance in searching for internships and jobs, signing up for events and interviews, and career counseling. In addition, they run various career fairs and internship workshops throughout the school year. These are a great resource and often these companies at the fairs offer internship programs. FAU students have access to a database of internships. Students can create an account using their canvas usernames and passwords. Here, students can upload their resume and search for jobs and internships all over the country. And, HaveUHeard which companies were selected as the 100 best internship programs in the U.S.? WayUp presents its Top 100. Vault also has its list of the Top 20 Most Prestigious Internship Programs for 2020.

FAU’s Career Center has partnered with Handshake, a one-stop-shop for all things regarding your future career. Students can create a free account, where they can upload their resume. The resume will be looked over by the Career Center and students will receive feedback. Students can also create a personal professional profile to showcase their talents to employers. Students can also search for jobs and internships.

Check out the Career Event Calendar for updates on the next career fair and workshop.  Professional attire for these fairs is recommended as well as bringing a copy of your resume and researching the employers that will be there. They provide a list of which employers will be attending by logging in to their student Owl Career Link.

There are also many websites that list potential internships. Internships.com, as most of the sites do, allows students to put in their city and field of choice and even whether or not they are looking for paid and/or unpaid internships. From there a proper cover letter and resume would be the next step. Occasionally a Skype interview may be requested. Using sites like Indeed or SimplyHired may be worth a try, but spending a lot of time on these to simply hit the “apply” button and having their resume sent into a black hole generally doesn’t prove too successful as most of these positions get filled by students with a more personal connection.

Some websites, like Internmatch.com, allow students to sign up to get daily notifications for new postings about jobs that may be of interest to them. Glassdoor.com and YouTern.com are also useful websites to find an internship. FindSpark.com is better known for its more creative internships and entry-level jobs in NYC. LinkedIn can be an excellent resource. Perhaps your student saw a position at a company they are interested in on one of the above sites and then by scouring LinkedIn they can make a connection. My daughter also had a connection within the company through her sorority. To search for internship listings, be sure to have a detailed and updated LinkedIn page ready to go, then go to the jobs tab at the top of the page and put “internship” in the search box. Refine your search by filling in the boxes on the left side of the page.

LinkedIn can be an excellent source for both networking and landing an internship. A LinkedIn Jobseeker account allows you to view profiles and send InMail messages starting from $29.95 per month. HaveUHeard that LinkedIn has a version specifically designed for students looking for their first jobs? The LinkedIn Students app is free and lets you research jobs, view companies where alumni from your schoolwork, and connect with more people. You can create an account and get started right away without spending a dime.

Some students are creating their own videos or websites to show off all they have done and are capable of. It can be better than a long portfolio that may exceed the amount of space for uploaded information. These are generally used for more majors like graphic design or advertising, and not finance. Should your internship take you out of state, learn about housing options.

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It’s a Good Idea!

Students who attend FAU quickly discover that college isn’t all fun and games; success in the classroom requires dedication. At the same time, there are many other opportunities to get involved and enjoy these four years including football games, Greek life, and outdoor activities. A student needs to be able to balance all of this, which can prove daunting to many; however, tutoring is a great option to provide a little extra help. Tutoring isn’t just for classes a student may be struggling in; peer groups are beneficial to students who enjoy studying together or working through problems together.

But Just In Case, Get a Tutor

If your student mentions that they are having difficulty, there are many places they can turn including speaking with their professor and/or teacher assistant. There are also peer study groups. FAU offers many options for students to help them succeed in their classes. The Center for Learning and Student Success or CLASS is a great place to start if your student finds that they are struggling in a class. CLASS offers information on various programs found around campus including SI instruction, tutoring, and E-tutoring. SI instruction is a supplementary instruction program run by peer tutors. These sessions are available weekly for classes that are historically difficult for students to pass. For example, science courses tend to have large and well attended SI sessions. The availability and schedule for the SI session are available online at the beginning of each semester. For a more one-on-one experience, students can seek out a tutor. FAU has private tutoring or small group sessions. The tutors are peers who have received a grade of an A or higher when they completed the course. Tutoring appointments are booked online and usually is held in the math or writing learning center on the second floor of the breezeway. To find available appointments, use this online booking portal.

FAU also offers walk-in tutoring in the General South building. They have tutors in every subject. All a student needs to do is sit down at a table, sign into the database using their student ID and a tutor will walk up to you when they are available. They also have tutors there for a specific class (they have signs on the table) where you can meet one-on-one or do a group session depending on availability. HaveUHeard t recommends that appointments are preferred especially for the math and writing sections as around finals, they get busy and there is no guaranty of getting help if you walk in. You should go in during the morning to beat the lines and try to get personal attention? Also, there are many tutoring sessions that happen in the dorms. Students can ask their RMs or ask the desk staff about when certain sessions are.

FAU also has tutoring programs available to students who take online courses. E-tutoring makes it easy for distance learners to get help. E-tutoring is often done over Skype. Finally, the most immersive form of extra help available is in FAU learning communities.  FAU learning communities are available to first-year students only. The groups are comprised of 20-25 people that all have the same major, these groups allow for students to make friends and form study groups easily.

Textbook rental and purchase company Chegg offers Chegg Study is a great tool for help with homework. Learn from step-by-step solutions for 2,500+ textbooks in Math, Science, Engineering, Business, and more. Also, students can get answers in a pinch from experts and subject enthusiasts for your courses, 24/7, and stay ahead in their classes with Chegg Study for $14.95/month or $99.95/year.

Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelance services that started in 2010 and got its name from the original price of jobs being $5 per task. This is a great place for students to list services they offer (or parents) or even find inexpensive tutors.

EasyBib by Chegg – With EasyBib Plus, students can use the plagiarism checker to find missing citations, and fix them before submitting their paper. Also, easily catch writing style and grammar errors with easy-to-understand explanations on how to improve their writing for next time. No matter what citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago etc.), EasyBib Plus will help create the right bibliography. Right now, students get a 3-day free trial of the product

And, students also speak highly of the Knack App, a peer-to-peer tutoring approach that allows students to find peers through the app that have done well in particular courses and schedule on their time. They offer package pricing but it equates to approximately $25/hour. They do offer discounts for higher hour packages including a semester pack and a yearly pack. Of course, even with great tutoring, it always helps to have a great place to study.

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So you have a student ready to spend the next four years at FAU? That means you will undoubtedly be visiting once or twice. If you have never been to Boca Raton, you may have a preconceived idea about this city. For Seinfeld fans, you may recall that Jerry’s fictional television parents lived in a retirement community called Del Boca Vista (they even sell t-shirts with this fictional city). The novel and film adaptation, “Marley and Me” takes place in Boca Raton. The city is oftentimes referred to as New York South since so many New Yorkers live here part-time (we refer to them as snowbirds) or are now full-time residents.

Boca Raton, which actually is a misnomer for a jagged inlet, is not as populous as its Fort Lauderdale neighbor, but you would not know that from the traffic that congests the major roads no matter what time of day. Here, you will find almost every major box store, almost every chain restaurant from fast food to quick service to full service plus many newer independents, shopping malls, hotels, and grocery stores, all to enjoy in the four years.

The Next Four Years at FAU

Florida Atlantic dates back to October 1964 when President Lyndon Baines Johnson declared it officially open. The original intent was to use technology so that students could take classes wherever they were; however, that technology would not exist for another four decades. Fau was one of the first universities to offer only upper level and graduate-level work. FAU did not initially attract many students as they lacked many of the college amenities found on most campuses such as having no dormitories or dining facilities, difficulty getting to the campus and they did not actively pursue the potential students that lived in South Florida.  FAU initiated an aggressive growth plan which included the construction of an Administration Building, a Humanities Building, and six residence halls. They also introduced the nation’s first-degree program in ocean engineering which is now housed at a state-of-the-art research center in Dania Beach.

FAU’s mascot, The Owl, seemed a natural fit as the burrowing owl is a South Florida native and classified as a species of special concern by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. In 1971, the campus became an official burrowing owl sanctuary.

It was not until 1984 that freshman and sophomore classes were added to the student body. FAU continued added new campuses in South Florida including Davie, Dania Beach, Jupiter, and Port St. Lucie in addition to downtown Fort Lauderdale.  New degree programs were added in the early 1990s. Division 1 football made its debut at FAU in 2001. What lifted FAU to an even higher level was in October 2003 when Scripps Research Institute opened an operations center in Palm Beach and FAU was selected as their first university partner in Florida. It also paved the way for more partnerships, particularly in the area of biomedical research. Further research partnerships were established with the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the FAU Sea-Tech Ocean Engineering Research Center in Davie. By 2008, FAU’s enrollment increased to 27,000 students with 170 bachelors, master’s, specialists and doctoral degree programs.

Today, FAU serves over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students with 70 percent located at the Boca Raton campus. The modern campus has a tropical vibe with its lush landscaping and architecture. The temperature is often described as mild, thanks to its vicinity to the Atlantic Ocean and the tropical breezes but summers can be extremely humid with tropical downpours that come in almost as quickly as they leave. During the winter (well South Florida’s version of winter) the temperatures can drop to the 50’s and stay in the ’70s.

FAU is considered to be a walking campus although bus service is included in the cost and is strongly recommended especially when you need to get across campus. Download FAU Mobile for a campus directory, maps, news, as well as FAU Owls sports and more.

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Welcome to Paradise as an FAU Owl Class of 2024! Now that you are accepted, you can now take that sigh of relief that a decision has been made and then take a look at our list of what to do next. First, this may sound silly, but check your admissions letter for accuracy regarding their name, entrance term, address and major. If any changes need to be made it needs to happen in writing or online at myfau.

When you applied, you would have gotten an ID number, or at FAU they are referred to as a Z-number. It can be found on your application status page. Save this number, you’ll use it for the next four years. When you were accepted, you received a computer account, or FAU Net ID, which can be found on your acceptance letter. This Net ID will be your username to access the MYFAU website. MYFAU is the main website you’ll use as a student to access everything from class information to tickets for football games. This NetID will also become your email address. With this NetID, you’ll be able to access the Owldone online resource, which is where you’ll complete each of the next steps.

You are going to want to get that $200 non-refundable deposit and form in by May 1 for summer and fall semesters and September 22 for the spring semester. Without the deposit, they won’t be able to register for the mandatory orientation, etc… This can also be done through the Owldone portal.

Then get that immunizations form completed and sent in. Registration cannot happen without this. You can download the form here.  By the way, while you are on the health services page, take note of all the amazing services they offer students. At FAU, it is not a requirement that every student has insurance. Students, regardless of their coverage, can access all of the services and programs that student health services have to offer. More information about student health services can be found here.

Be sure to confirm the following:

• Your residency status for tuition purposes
• That your student has signed up for Bright Futures
• Arranged for any final transcripts and scores (AP, IB, AICE, CLEP, and transfer credits) to be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions
• Your Florida Prepaid program if you have one (You will need to be familiar with what you paid for with Florida Prepaid as it may only cover certain fees or dorms – although it does not preclude your student from living in certain dorms; they may just have to pay any overage fees.)
• Finally, if you have not already done so, get that FAFSA form started.

Check out the housing information. There are many options at FAU both on and off-campus. If living in a particular dorm or having a single dorm is very important to your student, don’t wait too long to send a deposit and apply for housing.

Finally, check for any holds on your student’s account. It could be the simplest thing, but there is nothing worse than going to register for classes and not being able to because of a simple thing that could have been fixed earlier. This includes making certain that a final transcript from high school (other colleges if transferring) has made its way to the FAU Office of Admissions. This must get to them in a sealed envelope. Your student and you will receive Orientation information from the Office of New Student Orientation. This is a mandatory two-day event for your student and yourself.

Check out our blogs on Housing, Meal Plans, and Orientation for many more helpful details.

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The start of freshman year of college can be exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time. As my time in college is nearing the end, there are definitely a few things I learned along the way that I wished I knew freshman year. Take this advice as someone who has been through it all and can look back and see a better path! Think of me as your future self, it’s not like your parents are telling you this, a fellow student. So listen up.

• Strive for straight A’s
• Join a club
• Go to as many football games as possible
• Make at least two friends in each class you are taking
• Introduce yourself to your professor and TA’s to establish a personal relationship
• Make sure to get along with your roommate, even if you have your differences
• Stay close with your parents and home friends by Facetiming and calling them when possible
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help and use the resources that the school provides you, whether it be tutoring or getting sick at school
• Turn your phone/computer off and pay attention during lectures, take notes the old fashioned way by hand
• Give yourself time to adjust, being a freshman is not easy especially being in a big new environment
• Don’t just stay in your dorm room watching Netflix! Get out there and experience all that college has to offer
• Try not to procrastinate. It may seem easy to put off studying or a homework assignment but this can cause unnecessary stress later on. Plan ahead!
• Allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them
• College is a fun and amazing experience and it’s even better when you attend college in the paradise of Boca Raton
• Be sure to check out our Bucket List and check it off one by one

Attending FAU will be a forever event in your life, make the most of it.

Go Owls!

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Students usually choose a major over a period of time. I have always been a fan of taking a variety of classes until you find the ones that you enjoy most and choosing a major around that. Every school, including FAU, has its more popular majors as well. However; in these unprecedented times students might want to take recent events into consideration when choosing or changing their major.

As with any major event, such as a recession, war, or, in this case, a pandemic, there is a shift in what type of degree a student may want to consider pursuing. Certainly, the job market will look different in the future. Contemplating what jobs were sustainable throughout the pandemic may also help in the decision-making process. For instance, public health which can include hospital management, infectious disease, and clinical research, among other things, was already a fast-growing major, but may continue to grow due to an upcoming need. Similarly, we definitely learned the significance of our health-care workers.

There are many avenues that can stem from majors in the Health Sciences; including, but not limited to, degrees that can lead to careers as a physician assistant, biomedical engineer, occupational therapist, microbiologist, and nurse. Under the Health Sciences umbrella students can study Behavioral and Mental Health, Women’s Studies, Public/Global/Environmental Health, and Geriatrics (Aging Studies). FAU uniquely offers various majors in regard to Geriatrics. Students can study Gerontology or Healthy Aging.

Majors in Exercise Science and Health Promotion teach students to help people live healthier lives through exercise, rehabilitation, and nutrition. Students are groomed for careers that will undoubtedly take on a new look post-pandemic but will remain necessary. Graduates often pursue careers in fields, such as physical therapy, sports medicine, cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation, corporate fitness, medical school, allied health, coaching, and other industry positions.

Teaching has undoubtedly taken on a new lens, aside from many having a newfound respect for the value of a good educator. FAU offers degrees to prepare students for traditional and non-traditional avenues through their College of Education major. However, while the look of education has also been altered, teachers will always be needed and now could also benefit from a background in computer sciences.

Politics in one form or another, particularly since politicians and government seemed to have become an integral part of our daily lives, could be worth considering. FAU’s Political Sciences major prepares students for careers in law, government and non-government organizations, politics, and the private sector.

Wellness in mental health has taken on new forms (particularly those that can be done remotely) and have increased in popularity, so a major in psychology or social work, can lead to varying careers in this realm. A Bachelor of Science in psychology is widely sought in business, education, and mental health fields.

Majors in engineering range from Environmental, Civil, to Geomatics engineering; with an opportunity to enter a joint BS/MS degree program allowing students to complete both degrees in five years, it provides many positive choices for students long term.

Finance, as well, which can prepare students for careers in financial management, investments, and insurance; among others, are also available and will continue to be needed. Economics majors are taught skills and training for careers in business, law, government, politics, teaching, research, and a variety of other areas that lead to stable, higher-paying jobs that will undoubtedly remain popular. However, in today’s climate, it can’t hurt to consider what jobs can be done remotely as well.

In addition to choosing a major, students may want to add some skills like mastering Photoshop, Google-drive, Zoom, data analysis, computer programming, proficiency in a second (or third) language. There are many certificate programs that can be done outside of college classes that can only enhance your employability. Increasing your knowledge escalates your value to potential employers.

Some college majors may be changing and many are offered almost solely online. New ones may be added and others may disappear. Find out what major programs are of interest to you and how FAU can help you decide. Encourage your student to visit the Career Center or Career Advising and Consulting. They offer seminars and meetings to not only help find them a job but to educate them on the careers out in the working field; and for now, it is all offered virtually. And, for those students that are truly undecided, Major KnOWLedge is an early exploration tool that helps students identify personal interests to guide them to career pathways.

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College grading systems can be especially confusing when coming straight from high school. The biggest difference between the public school and college grading scale is the plus/minus addition to the traditional As and Bs.

At FAU, the plus/minus grading scale adds weight to the letter grade. For example, the difference between an A- and an A is 0.33 points (see FAU grading scale). In order to get an A and not an A-, you need to achieve a grade of 93 or higher. An A- is within the range of a 90 to a 92.5. Most teachers will be nice enough to round your 92.5 or above to a 93, which would give you the complete A. Many students complain about this system and the way it works considering an A- is a 3.7 to your GPA, while an A is a full 4.0.

Many students, including myself, feel that the A- is not an achievement, but rather a punishment, as we came so close to getting an A and now our GPA’s are not going to go up as much as they could have with a 4.0. One of the main problems is that a 3.7 added to your GPA versus a 4.0 creates a big difference in the averages. Many feel that since we were above a 90, that in itself deserves a solid A. I believe the A- is discouraging to students because there is not a big incentive, versus the way a 4.0 incentivize students to keep working hard.

Though the popular saying is “C’s get degrees”, the type of C received will determine if a student receives the degree of their choice. To see your specific degree program requirements, see the FAU website. When it comes to graduating with honors, getting an A or A- may mean the difference between graduating Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude. FAU recognizes superior academic performance by granting baccalaureate degrees of distinction to undergraduates who have earned at least 45 credits at FAU as follows:

• Cum Laude for an FAU average of 3.50
• Magna Cum Laude for an FAU average of 3.70
• Summa Cum Laude for an FAU average of 3.90

The +/- system can have a lot of negative impacts on your GPA, especially if you are looking to go to grad school. To calculate your GPA, check out FAU’s GPA Calculator.

Sabrina Kaplan, FAU Intern, HaveUHeard

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Volunteering in college gives students the opportunity to give back to the community while doing what they love. It is important to give back to your community for a variety of reasons. Not only will you be helping others, but also students can discover a passion for their future and increase their chance of standing out within a sea of grad school applications.

Why should the graduate program pick you over another person? Graduate schools look for more than just the book smart student. They look for well-rounded students who want to make a difference. Being altruistic is such an important quality to have. Another great quality graduate schools look at is being able to balance your time. If you are able to take rigorous classes, be involved in extracurricular, have a job or internship AND volunteer, they know that you will be able to handle their program. (Is this sounding like your application to get into undergrad?)

While volunteering, you might have a life-changing experience. If you have some idea of what you want to do in the future, it may be a good idea to volunteer in that field. If you are interested in making a difference in the medical field, volunteer at a local hospital. Maybe you are aspiring to be a teacher; a youth center might be the perfect fit for you. Students who are undecided should not be deterred; volunteering is a great way to find your passion.  There are so many options to make a difference and have the experiences impact your life.

But you may ask, how do I find these experiences? FAU has incredible resources to help find volunteer opportunities. Check out FAU’s Wepner Center for LEAD & Service-learning. You find information on several volunteer opportunities on and off campus including Elite Owls and Owl Breaks. The Wepner Center for LEAD & Service learning also presents a Volunteer Fair each fall. The Volunteer Fair features 25 local community agencies looking for volunteers.

Other Volunteer Opportunities include:

Volunteer for OwlThon

Alzheimer’s Association of Southeast Florida

American Heart Association

American Cancer Society

Boca Raton Regional Hospital

Deaf Service Center of Palm Beach County

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Quantum House

Big Brother Big Sisters of America

The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County

Boca’s Helping Hands

Feeding South Florida

Habitat for Humanity

Tri-County Animal Rescue

Major-specific volunteer opportunities can be found here.

Interested in helping to aid the local environment? 4Ocean is a group started by FAU alumni that sponsors beach cleanups around the world in an attempt to improve to the condition of the Oceans.  4Ocean’s headquarters is in Boca Raton where they often hold beach cleanups. For more information, click here.

Another option students who are majoring specifically in medical, engineering and Physical Science may find volunteering opportunities through is research. This is often a great option because research and volunteering are often two large portions of an application that a student can complete at the same time. To find research positions, click here.

If you have a passion for art, consider volunteering at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

Political science majors also have several opportunities to get involved in Florida and Boca Raton Politics. Click here to learn more.

For the history buff, Boca Raton and the surrounding cities are a part of Florida’s rich and deep history. One of its most famous residents, Henry Flagler, had a winter estate that has become a museum.  Click here for more information.  The Historical Society of Palm Beach is also filled with volunteer opportunities.

And, some students will participate in FAU’s Owls Break program, which can be international, or within the country. These trips provide a great opportunity to give back to communities in need while having some fun. These trips are available in the fall, during Thanksgiving and winter break. They are also available during spring and summer break. Check it out here.

There are so many opportunities to volunteer in and around FAU.

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Considering that Florida Atlantic University offers a multitude of degrees; how is one to choose? Most students begin college with some idea of what they want to study, but it is not uncommon for them to change majors. My own children changed their major or minor a few times before finding their perfect fit.

Changing and choosing a major isn’t always easy. There are several ways you can support your student as they are trying to decide or consider changing a major. One of the main reasons students reconsider or hesitate to declare a major is because they do not understand the career options associated with it. Encourage your students to search the undergraduate catalog to see what courses are required in majors that are interesting to them. They should also meet with an academic advisor and visit the Career Center. The career center is a great resource for students to discover what job options go along with each major and what the demand is for those jobs.

Students at FAU are encouraged to choose a major upon admission, but there is also an option to choose Undeclared or Exploratory as a major, which allows students to take a variety of classes and declare during sophomore year. Make the most of any interests and skills while taking all those required general education courses and use that time to uncover avenues that may lead to a new study and career choices.

Should they decide to change their major during their time at FAU, they will need to speak to their Academic Advisor. Students who have completed less than 30 credit hours of coursework are able to change their major right with their academic advisor with the exception of students in specific programs. If a student has more than 30 credit hours and is changing majors to a different college, they must consult an academic advisor at that college. The bottom line, as a student progresses further into their time at FAU, it becomes more difficult to change majors (and graduate on time).

Encourage your student to get involved on campus or in the community. Student organizations, part-time jobs, or volunteer roles are all good ways for students to investigate career options and network with professionals. There are a great many clubs and organizations at FAU where students can get involved.

There are so many classes out there that may change their lives, but they won’t know until they take them. Spending a little time surveying, investigating and exploring can lead to some eye-opening adventures and life-changing discovery. When my daughter began the job hunt, we learned that some degrees may be interchangeable with the job they apply for. Her having internships and holding positions with many different organizations and events at FAU was what ultimately helped her land a job.

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