<p>Hi, I will be going into Udel as an Exercise Science major this fall and am super excited!!! But I have been talking to my dad, one of the people paying for my college experience, and he has told me that your major should both prepare you for a career that you want, as well as allow you to get a well paying job right out of school rather than being forced to continue your summer job. In the future I would love to be a PA, but PA school is extremely competitive and I really dont think I can get in. I have thought about changing my major to nursing in the spring semester and become an RN? It just seems that the major Exercise Science does not have any job oppritunities right out of school. Any suggestions please???? I really dont want to graduate and be unemployed......</p>
<p>Congrats on your eagerness to start school at UD. You should have a great time if you actively avail yourself of all the educational/social opportunities UD has to offer. Some students entering college have no idea what they want to major in, some have their educational/career plans completely mapped out, and others (probably the majority) fall somewhere in between these two positions. It looks like you are in the latter group. It would seem to me to be very premature, considering that you have not even started at UD, to assume that you would not be competitive for admission to PA schools. A number of Exercise Science majors at UD end up in med school, PA school, and other Professional Schools. Sure - it is a lot of hard work as Exercise Science is one of the most academically rigorous majors at UD, but it can be done. But you need to have a well formulated plan to maximize your chances of being successful. Your level of motivation is critical. First you need to realize and be prepared to work your butt off from day 1 of college. Secondly you should meet with your Exercise Science advisor, inform that person of your career interests, and follow any direction/advice you get from that person. After one semester you can reevaluate your interests and make a determination of whether you should/want to continue in the major based upon how well you did the first semester. </p>
<p>Regarding your interest in considering transferring to Nursing in your second semester. I don’t believe Nursing accepts internal transfers into Nursing after just one semester. Secondly, the odds of transferring into Nursing are extremely low at any point from another major at UD. Our D (Nursing major) indicated that the number of transfers into Nursing only amounted to 3-4 per year, was extremely competitive, and that some students with 4.0 GPAs in other majors at UD were not accepted for transfer. So while it is not impossible to transfer into Nursing you should be aware that the chances are very low.</p>
<p>I understand your Dad’s perspective that college should prepare a person for a “well paying” job following graduation. The reality of the situation is however, that very few (if any) majors can guarantee this just by virtue of a person graduating in a particular major. There are many other issues that are tied into getting a job following graduation. In addition, even if a person is successful in getting such a job, IMHO if they really don’t at least like what they are doing life can be very miserable. Obviously others might have different perspectives on this. </p>
<p>So my advice to you, for what it is worth, is that you give serious consideration to following the recommendations I outlined in my first paragraph. Don’t underestimate your abilities at this stage of your college career. But you need to have at least the motivation to give it a shot. In any event I wish you the best of luck at UD and in the eventual career path you choose.</p>