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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1988)
State/Local The Battalion Tuesday, October 18,1988 Page3 wo A&M offices help students choose majors, careers iniw )neci[ basis By Denise Thompson Reporter or students who can’t decide on a major or It decide what to do with the one they have, {Texas A&M offices may help them find an ts. riss Boyd, director of general studies, said department handles three categories of stu- s. Freshman make up the largest group. )ne-sixth of all incoming freshman go into ^ral studies,” she said. “These are people i have no idea what they want to do. There |85 departments here, and maybe they’ve lly been exposed to 10 or 12 in high school. iy don’t want to commit to something they’re Sure about, so they come in as a general stud- pajor. rhen we work with them in terms of what fes they can register for that will count to- any major. At the same time, we talk to i about a course they might take to try out a {in major.” : general studies department also helps stu- i who have some idea of what they want to iit are not ready to commit themselves to one ^ct, she said. hese are the students who say, ‘Well, I may I to be a management major, but 1 may want I psychology,”’ she said. “What we do is Icourses that will give them a feel for both land still keep them on track.” [though selecting general classes is possible Jl majors, Boyd said, some major courses of ft require making a commitment more pikly than in other fields. here are always majors where there aren’t Jommon classes a student can take without Bgin that major,” she said. “For instance, in anmental design, you have six hours of de- [classes each semester. If you don’t take | now, you’re going to be behind later, and they’re fairly tough classes to take during a sum mer semester. In this case, we may encourage a student to make a decison by the end of their sec ond semester just to keep them on track.” Students who have experimented in a certain major and are not satisfied with their choice make up the third group of students who go to general studies for advisement. “Sometimes a student has tried one or two se mesters in a major and decides it’s not for them,” she said. “In this case, they may want to hold off a semester before they jump right back into the frying pan.” Although general studies students are not re quired to declare a major until the second semes ter of their sophomore year, Boyd said finding classes applicable to all majors becomes more difficult after the second semester of the fresh man year. “It gets tough after the second semester to take courses that you know are going to count,” she said. “By the fourth semester, it gets really tough. By then, the student is just going to have to take some risks on classes that will count if he chooses a certain major and that won’t count to ward any other major.” Perry Liston, a junior business administration major, did not declare his major until the end of his sophomore year. “I chose business more or less because I had to choose something, and this major offers a vari ety of different fields,” he said. “I talked to counselors, and they didn’t pressure me, they just worked with me. We talked about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and she told me what I needed to do in school to ac complish those goals. “I still want to go into broadcasting, so I don’t really know if I’ll stay in business . . . just don’t tell my parents!” For students who remain indecisive after working with the general studies office, testing is available to help them choose a major or ca reer, Boyd said. “I’ve had seniors come in here and say, T’m not really sure what I want to do,’ and all I can say to that is ‘Didn’t you wait a little late?’ ” Roberta Whinant “A lot of times we ask students who are hav ing a difficult time making a decision if they’ve had any interest or vocational testing done re cently,” she said. “If they haven’t, we encourage them to go over to the Student Counseling Serv ice and get testing done because it’s a part of your student services you’ve already paid for, and it’s foolish not to use it.” Roberta Whisnant, a psychometrist with A&M Student Counseling Service, said that three tests are available to help students having trouble choosing a major or career. Strong Campbell Interest Inventory is a com puter test that identifies a person’s interests. Af ter taking the actual test, which lasts about 45 minutes, the student participates in a group inter pretation to discuss the results. “Strong Campbell is directed more to students who aren’t sure what they want to do or what major they should choose — for students whose decisions are still up in the air,” Whisnant said. For students who have a general idea about what they want to do. Student Interactive Guidance and Information, or SIGI, is recom mended. SIGI is a computer test that evaluates students according to interests, skills and values. “I suggest students take SIGI because you get a lot of in-depth information,” she said. “But I recommend it more for students who have a gen eral idea of what field they want to go into be cause it asks a lot of questions.” Requiring about four hours to complete, ^IGI gives lists and descriptions of occupations and describes the training needed for each one. Also included is information about salaries and the re gions of the country in which the occupation is most needed. “All of this information is important because it helps students weigh the pros and cons between different alternatives,” Whisnant said. Jodie Ernst, a sophomore education major, started her freshman year in general studies. Af ter taking the SIGI test, Ernst learned that she was suited for either an education or business major. “I couldn’t decide between the two of them, so I stayed in general studies,” she said. “Last semester I took two business classes, and I did fine in them. But I took two education classes this semester, and I really enjoyed them. Also, I’ve always loved working with kids, so that had a little to do with it.” For students short of time. Self Directed Search is a paper version of the Strong Campbell test that students can complete at home. After completing any of the tests, students can discuss the results in a confidential conference with an academic counselor. Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis Monday through Thursday from 1 -4 p.m. Suzanne Lee, a sophomore community health major, was a general studies major for two se mesters. Counselors from both Student Counsel ing Service and the general studies department helped her make a final decision on a major. “The counselors talked to me and helped me make a decision based on my interests,” she said. “One of the things that played a big role was that I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, and they helped me go from there.” Whisnant suggested that students who are un decided about majors should take one of the tests before the end of their sophomore year. “I would say you shouldn’t wait any longer than your sophomore year,” she said. “I’ve had seniors come in here and say, T’m not really sure what I want to do,’ and all I can say to that is ‘Didn’t you wait a little late?’ ” After completing testing and counseling, stu dents can return to the general studies office to decide where to go from there. Boyd said, “The student can come back to the general studies office after testing and tell us what occupational groups showed up strong and which ones showed up weak on the tests. Then we’ll go from there and decide which majors lend themselves toward those areas. “Sometimes a student isn’t even aware a pro gram exists. I’ll look at their interests and ask them if they know about a certain program deal ing in that area, and they didn’t even know that it existed.” Regardless of whether a student is having problems choosing a major or deciding what ca reer to pursue, Boyd said, the counselors usually can provide help. “We are here for students who have no idea what they want to do, and we’re here for stu dents who need a little push in the right direc tion,” she said. “Whatever the case, we’ll help anyone who needs it because these are the deci sions that will affect the rest of their lives.” v H .I udslinging continues in race for White House Associated Press jlpsorge Bush, signaling he won’t sit ■iiis lead in the campaign’s final |eks, returned to the attack Monday ^aid Michael Dukakis should stop [igdown defenses. Dukakis charged with ignoring the nation’s loss of Tial jobs. jling the notion that he is slipping issly behind, the Democratic presi- nominee began a campaign swing ;h industrial states crucial to his At iabccv idins: He said his Republican rival has sat on Hands while America’s industrial ■gland has been fighting for its life. Sali^-Hciikis’ running mate, Lloyd Bent- IassenBfeunched an attack on Bush in the lit (tea Kith as the only one of the four candi- mevei P who has voted for national gun Biol. He referred to a 1968 vote while Bush ® in Congress. lith three weeks left in the presi- ■ race, aides to Dukakis said he ■ seek to sharpen the differences be ll himself and the vice president, igtilarly on economic issues. But as he arrived in Ohio, a big state cial to his chances, a new statewide t‘> |,ll! |‘by the Akron Beacon Journal mem wed Bush holding a double-digit e Ante:: i. (embed Mi. buoyant but cautioning against Confidence, toured a Denver-area tnsc plant where ‘‘Star Wars” re- eaii lortediij aelDi search is conducted. He used the setting to say Dukakis has a total lack of understanding of our mili tary and is trying desperately to jump into the mainstream by acknowledging a need to modernize land-based nuclear missiles. ‘‘But there is strong reason to doubt that he would do it,” Bush said. ‘‘He still opposes the MX and he thinks the Midgetman costs too much. So he says he’s going to work with Congress to find another way. ‘‘Wake up governor, we’ve done all that,” Bush said. He defended the Reagan administra tion’s record on conventional forces against Dukakis’ past charges that such forces have been slighted in the push for new, big-ticket strategic weapons sys tems. Bush dismissed that as misinfor mation. “Governor, it’s time to stop running down our defenses,” he said. He also ridiculed Dukakis for support ing some research into Star Wars while dismissing the proposed space-based missile-defense system as a fantasy. Dukakis and his campaign staff were embracing the idea of running as the un derdog. To underscore his resolve, Du kakis said “My spirits are good” and took trumpet in hand to play “Happy Days Are Here Again,” a Democratic standard. Dukakis declared he was fighting for the values he believed in and, in a touch of populism, told workers at a copper and brass plant, “I want to be the presi dent who stands up and fights for you.” He pointed to recent trade figures showing imports to the United States were at an all-time high in August and said Bush has not given the American people a clue as to what he would do to reverse the trade deficit. “George Bush sat on the sidelines for eight years while America got beaten in world markets, . . . while a piece of America was being sold off every day at bargain-basement prices,” he said. He also disputed Bush’s standard speech line that he wants a kinder, gen tler nation. “His record tells rural America, the fewer family farmers the better,” Duka kis said. “His record tells middle class families, the glory days are over. Your kids may not do as well as you.” Bentsen, trying to save some of the South for the Democrats, said Dukakis was not planning cuts in defense spend ing and defended him against television ads playing in the South that hit Dukakis as an advocate of gun control. “I saw those ads about Mike Dukakis going to take the guns away from you,” the Texas senator said in Texarkana. “I sure wouldn’t be running with any fellow if I thought he was going to take my shotgun away from me. ’ ’ Professor: Ocean may protect earth By Teresa Carter Reporter A Texas A&M professor believes ni trogen found in the ocean may hold the key to protecting the earth against the greenhouse effect. Dr. Gilbert T. Rowe, oceanography department head, said that the green house effect started with the Industrial Revolution and is a result of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide causing a gradual wa'rming trend. This occurs be cause fne rise of gas prevents the release of heat. Rowe hopes to find the solution to the greenhouse effect in the ocean’s nitro gen, nitrate. “The ocean, with some form of nitro gen (nitrate), could accelerate the proc ess in which small plants utilize light and carbon dioxide,” Rowe said. “In other words, nitrate allows plants to increase the amount of carbon dioxide it uses. The problem is we haven’t determined if the ocean, as carbon dioxide continues to increase its concentration in the atmo sphere, will act as a buffer.” Scientists are predicting a gradual rise in the average temperature of the earth because of the the greenhouse effect. The A&M Ecosystems Research Group is planning its first expedition to the Gulf of Mexico in the spring to inves tigate the effects of nitrate in carbon di oxide consumption. “The Mississippi River drains the bread basket of America into the Gulf,” Rowe said. “Large amounts of nitrate are found in sewage or fertilizer. It drains off farm lands into rivers and enters the ocean. “We’ve got this natural experiment going on in the river. South of New Or leans, there are tremendous concentra tions of nitrate.” “The ERG will take the Gyre (the ex ploration vessel) to specific points and study the nitrate uptake in the phyto plankton productivity,” Rowe said. From a global point of view, there is little understanding of the role of nitrate and how it ties in to the greenhouse ef fect, he said. “The results of the study should en lighten scientists on how the nitrate is re cycled in the ocean,” he said. Rowe said the greenhouse effect could have a major impact on Texas. “The increase in temperature will cause glaciers to melt,” he said. “Low- lying areas such as Galveston and Cor pus Christi will be under water.” The rest of Texas also will suffer if av erage temperatures rise, Rowe said. “If you look at the eastern half of Texas, it is rich and green in terms of farming,” he said. “The west half is dry and barren. The line between the two sides will move east, wiping out some farm land.” Rowe said scientists are predicting that the greenhouse effect will not take effect for about 150 years. “A lot of people think it’s coming soon because of the hot temperatures last summer,” he said. “The fact is, the tem peratures have varied. We need about 20 years of data showing a gradual increase in temperature before we can assume anything.” ake^- ‘Ejection '88: ‘The ‘Pre.sidentiaCSeries presents ON PAUL Libertarian Candidate Wednesday, October 19 7:00 pm 201 MSC Free Admission Reception to follow tis program is presented for educational Purposes, and does not constitute an ie Udorsement for any speaker. 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