Likes, Skills, and College Majors

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Brainstorm likes and skills as a group.
  
• Learn how different likes and skills relate to college majors.
  
• Discuss college majors that might be of interest to them.

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Materials

For each student:

• Pen or pencil
• 4-6 index cards and/or sticky notes

For the group:

• Rolls of tape
• College majors information sheet (see attached PDF)

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College majors information sheet

Preparation

• Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.
• Use reputable sources to review a few popular college majors, such as education and journalism.
• Post the pages of the included college majors information sheet around the room.

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Activity Steps

1. Ask students questions about college, such as, "What do you know about studying in college?" and "How do you think the education of a college student is different from your education at your school?"
2. Explain that college students usually take on majors, which means they concentrate their studies on a subject of their choice. Explain that many college majors are the same subjects students are studying in school right now, like math, English, history, art, etc. However, some majors are not individual subjects; they prepare students for a specific field such as medicine, nursing, law, and so on.
3. Point out that college students pick their majors based on what they like to study and do, as well as what they are good at. For example, a student majoring in education will someday be a teacher, so this person probably likes working with kids; a student majoring in journalism will someday write for newspapers or the web, so this person likely enjoys writing.
4. Tell students that in this activity they will consider how likes and skills relate to specific college majors.
5. Have students brainstorm things they like to do or are good at. Write these on the board. In addition to spontaneous ideas, prompt students with questions to guide them toward some of the majors that are posted around the room. For example, you might ask questions like:
   
   • Who here is good in math?
   • Do any of you like animals?
   • Does anyone here act in school or community plays?
   • Who likes to make art projects or work with their hands?
   • Who likes studying social studies or current events?
   • Who likes learning about space?
   • Does anyone like to spend time outdoors?
6. After you have written down many likes and skills on the board, distribute the index cards. Then, have students write down 1 like or skill on each of their index cards. Clarify that they can choose from the list they already brainstormed or think of new ones.
7. Tell students that many college majors are posted around the room. Ask students to walk around the room and read the name of each major and its description.
8. Tell students to post each of their index cards under a college major that it seems to relate to. Clarify that some likes and skills may connect to more than 1 major.
9. Allow students several minutes to write and post. Circulate among students as they write and post, providing suggestions about how likes and skills connect to certain college majors.
10. After you call time, reconvene as a whole group. Have students name a few likes and skills they connected with the college majors. Prompt them to discuss why they made these connections. Encourage students to talk about whether their own likes and skills relate to some of the majors.
11. To wrap up, ask students what they learned from this activity. Ask: 
    What did you learn about how college majors are related to what people like and are good at?
    
    • Which likes and skills were posted under more than 1 major?
    • Why do you think that is?
    • Do you think you might like to study 1 or more of these majors someday? Which one(s)? Why?

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Variations

1. Students could work in pairs to write and post their index cards, rather than work independently.

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