Newsletters for Mental Health
Amber Gravitter, Intern Counselor, MSOE Counseling Services
October, 2010
Your parents dream is for you to be a biomedical engineer but what do YOU want to be?
Generally as soon as someone finds out you are a college student, the first question they ask is Whats your major? This then usually turns into a conversation about why you are interested in that particular subject or field, what specific job or career you hope to have after you graduate and how much you will earn. Most freshmen coming into college have no idea what they want to pursue. They might have an idea of several subjects that they are interested in or know of a cousin who majored in computer engineering which always sounded cool so maybe that's a possible option. Still other students have well intentioned parents/relatives who have their entire career path already mapped out for them. They are looking to you to be the biomedical engineer in the family or a computer engineer in hopes that you will earn a nice salary. Perhaps you are a first generation college student and your family is extremely proud of you and everything you have accomplished thus far and wants you to have a professional career. Now though it's time for you to take that scary next step and choose a major which will determine your future success.
STOP STRESSING! A good place to start is to make an appointment at Counseling Services. One of the counselors or interns can then administer and give you personalized feedback on a career interest inventory such as the MBTI or the Strong Interest Inventory that will help you figure out what careers are most in line with your interests. Other areas that career inventories are useful for exploring and assessing include values, what type of work environment or setting you are most comfortable in, what type of learning style fits you best, what approach you use when making decisions, and what specific skills you bring to a job.
Another excellent resource for finding information with regard to specific jobs, what skills they require, and statistical information is O*NET. This site is developed and maintained by the US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration. The same information can be found in a print based format in the Occupational Outlook Handbook that is published annually. A copy of this can be found at almost any library.
Finally don't forget about possibly the most valuable resources of all your fellow students and faculty that can tell you firsthand about a certain field or career path. MSOE has many professional societies; attend a meeting to see what interests you. Contact your advisor or program director if you would like to get connected with a MSOE alum working in your field. If you want to connect with a professional in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field who can answer your questions related to daily job tasks, consider joining MentorNet. Just remember if you're feeling major pressure, don't stress it!
Don't forget MSOE's Counseling Services
Counseling Services provides a setting in which
students may discuss in confidence with a counselor any problems that affect them. The
counselor can help students focus on realistic solutions to these and other potential problem
areas.
MSOE Counseling Services creates monthly newsletters on mental health concerns and psychological issues. You can view the complete list of Counseling Services Newsletters.
MSOE Counseling Services is located on the second floor of the Kern Center (K-230). To schedule an appointment with a counselor, call (414) 277-7590 or visit the Counseling Services homepage.