How Are Freshman Engineers Choosing a Major?

Students social distancing on the Drill Field.

Photo / Meredith

DePuy

Article /

Adeline Ghosh

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of daily life. Businesses have shut down, everyone is social distancing, and travel has ceased in most parts of the world. This is all true, however, have you thought about what this means for college freshmen? They are expected to pick a major early into the spring semester… just a few months away. This article focuses on the Virginia Tech College of Engineering freshmen and how COVID-19 is affecting their big decision.

VT General Engineering Freshman hard at work. Photo / Meredith

DePuy

What normally influences major selection?

Under normal circumstances, there may not be a step-by-step process into engineering major selection, but there are some common experiences that most students have. Many upperclassmen students recommend taking some engineering-related courses. Although Foundations of Engineering is required for all general engineering students, other classes include Engineering Research, Materials in Today’s World, Biomedical Ethics, and Introduction to Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Many freshmen feel that they are missing out on different in-person experiences in their engineering classes. Professor Jenny Lo of Foundations of Engineering confirms that, “even during the pandemic, I am still able to do the same things to help students get acquainted with different majors.” During her classes, she talks about an engineering job of the day which shows students different careers they can pursue as well as any advice alum has for them. She also has an assignment that encourages students to explore a few engineering disciplines in more depth!

Extracurriculars also play a role in the decision-making process. Jules Jones, a senior in industrial and systems engineering, said “the ISE organizations (ISE Ambassadors, IISE, and SWE) allowed me to preview what it would be like to be an ISE student amongst the endless professional development and community building events I wanted to be a part of.” For Leah Thomas, the club, Quality of Life led her to biomedical engineering. She recalled, “I loved the fact that what we were designing was going to truly impact and help someone’s life.” This design team club works with medical devices, prosthetics, and other technologies. It just takes a little digging in GobblerConnect to find the club that’s right for you!

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What is COVID-19 doing?

“COVID affects everything, and I don’t think choosing a major will be an exception,” says materials science and engineering sophomore, Shelby Platner. Most classes and opportunities that students have to explore majors have turned to virtual settings to avoid the effects of the pandemic. Extracurriculars have also started having virtual meetings and events. The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), for example, hosted a Major Mixer in mid-October. This opportunity allowed mostly freshmen engineering students to talk to juniors and seniors from all 13 engineering majors! Additionally, the Student Engineers’ Council (SEC) is hosting the Leadership, Engagement, and Career Virtual Event Series which has been sponsored

Shelby Platner, a sophomore in Materials Science and Engineering

at VT. Photo / Meredith DePuy by Micron. This is a series of events that include talks, panels, and workshops that are ongoing throughout the fall semester!

There may be plenty of events available but Alice Noble, an academic and career advisor for the Department of Engineering Education, believes that “in-person [events] naturally create an environment where certain distractions are not present. When you’re sitting in your dorm watching a virtual event, it’s on the student to create a distraction-free environment, which is very difficult.” Students may be struggling with finding that kind of environment but on the flip side, virtual events can sometimes be more helpful than in-person events. Leah Thomas, a junior in biomedical engineering, stated that during an SEC Engineering Expo event, “students were more willing to submit their questions without the social pressure of having to speak up in a large room. This led to more discussions and helpful answers that I might not have thought of otherwise.” COVID-19 may be changing the modality of events but students continue to find ways to persevere!

How are freshmen handling it? What can they do?

Without the normal classroom experience, students have mostly virtual experiences through student-led panels or career fairs. According to undecided engineering freshman, Kiran Marques, “engineering is hands-on, so every hands-on experience we’ve missed is one less opportunity to see if we actually like a field, aside from simply reading and hearing about it.” Some students worry that they may not

know enough about a field before committing to it. Others believe that it is common for people to have a job in a different area than their degree. In terms of what students can do to make the process easier, Noble recommends taking advantage of oneon-one appointments with academic advisors, workshops on major exploration, creating their own plan of study, and joining student groups to help form new experiences in their future major. She also encourages students to reach out to their advisors as they can “guide you to whatever resources you need, be it tutoring, student groups, Career Resources, Cook Counseling...etc.” Keep in mind that freshman year is the time to learn and explore, so being undecided right now is okay!

Final tips for freshmen:

Talking to upperclassmen may feel intimidating up first, but most of them are happy to help! Jones noted that “upperclassmen were the most helpful because they are the ones that actually experience the courses, experiential experiences like internships and co-ops, and more!” Take advantage of the events you can experience! You can also enjoy Blacksburg’s beautiful fall colors during your experience! These experiences may not be traditional but it may inspire people to ask more in-depth questions. As mechanical engineering senior Will Hom said, “design teams [and other clubs] are still recruiting freshmen, so that’s a great way to see if your first-pick major is the best fit for you!” Use your resources! Professors and advisors are ready to help. They can point you in the right direction or talk through your concerns. Lastly, get involved! Joining a design team or a club that is engineering related can help you discover majors

Kiran Marques, a freshman in General Engineering at VT. (2019)

Photo / Kiran Marques

that you may not have been interested in before!

The colorful leaves of fall time. Photo / Adeline Ghosh