Jack is a junior majoring in Human Relations Administration, and he is a new UST Peer Liaison. He is from Connecticut, the oldest of four siblings, and loves to watch and play soccer.

What is your dream job and are you on a path to achieve it?

While I am not certain of an exact job, I have said from day one that I want to have a “social job in a business world”. Having articulated this numerous times to my advisors, they helped put me on this major so I can have a job that fulfills those desires.

What are you involved in outside of the classroom?

At home, I work at a restaurant and a non-profit organization in my town. At school, I participate in intramural sports, and I am a member of the UD HR Student Chapter.

What advice do you have for new or prospective UST students?

My advice would be to use all of the resources at your disposal. There are so many ways to seek assistance or look into different majors within UST. There is a lot of time freshman year to dive in and find the best major for you, so to ensure you’re put in the best major for you, take advantage of your resources.

Zizhuo is a former UST student who is now a senior Statistics major. Upon joining UD, Zizhuo didn’t know what he wanted to do in the future or what major he was interested in. Fortunately, he knows the importance of having a clear direction to enhance decision-making. He knew that he was good at calculations but not so much with writing. He considered majors like Mathematics, Computer Science, Finance, and Statistics.

“UST provides more opportunities for students to learn about their interested majors to help them make a suitable choice. It gives them more chances to get in touch with knowledge that they are interested in, and they will have a clearer idea about what major they want to choose. “

Being in UST helped him to explore his interests and learn where his strengths are. He determined that even though he liked using computer software like Python and R to aid with data analysis and building models, he decided that computer science jobs were not for him. He had also realized he didn’t enjoy Finance. He chose Statistics because he enjoys working with and analyzing data.

Zizhuo was recently featured on UDaily. You can read the article here.

Sarah is a sophomore honors student majoring in Cognitive Science with a Pre-Professional Speech-Language Pathology Specialization and minoring in Psychology and Disability Studies. She is one of our peer liaisons and an active member of NSSLHA (the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association). She also works on south campus in STAR tower as a research assistant in the SLAM lab, which studies child language acquisition, and as a substitute gallery attendant on campus on the weekends when she has the time.

Tell us about an experiential learning experience you’ve had while at UD.

I work as a research assistant for course credit, so I would definitely consider that an experiential learning experience. I get to work closely with individuals such as my PI, Giovanna Morini, who know a lot about some of the disciplines I hope to continue studying. She and others have given me great foundational knowledge in research areas I am interested in, as well as some experience in the field of communication disorders.

What advice do you have for new or prospective UST students?

Make use of your advisor! I didn’t know about a lot of majors that I considered before I consulted with my advisor. With her help and the guidance of other students, I was really able to narrow out my search.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started at UD?

The truth is that, even though a lot of people will say they do, nobody knows exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life when they start college. I felt super pressured to know what I wanted to major in as soon as I started my freshman year, and I was so worried that I was going to be behind other people. Now I’m actually ahead of some of the people who declared their majors early on, and some of the people I know who were certain they had it all figured out have switched majors numerous times since they started college. Take a deep breath—you have time!

What’s one resource you think UST students should utilize more?

Their Peer Liaisons! I feel like some students may be afraid to reach out to us, but we really are here to help! I love when I get an email from a student and I can give them advice. Don’t hesitate. 🙂

Ray is a senior Environmental Studies major and one of UST’s Peer Mentors. She has studied abroad in Spain and Barbados, which she really enjoyed. And she is a proud foster mom to puppies and kittens.

What did you find most helpful when picking out your major?

I had a lot of help from the UST advisors and they helped me choose a major that was right for me!

What is your dream job and are you on a path to achieve it?

I would like to help combat sea level rise through coastal zone management in tropical regions, and I am on my way!

What are you involved in outside of the classroom?

I intern with the Sustainable Energy Utility of Delaware, I am involved in greek life, and I am the Vice President of Women Ready, an organization that collects and distributes hygiene products to homeless women in the area.

Lia is a former University Studies student who is now a junior majoring in Communication Studies. She is a member of Harrington Theatre Arts Company and a brother of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.  She is a proud singer, dancer, and musical theatre buff. She also loves to travel and try new foods. This spring she will be participating in her first UDaB trip!

Describe your process for choosing your major. Were there any resources you utilized to help you?

I mostly used the UD website and online catalog. I dove deep into all the majors that interested me and looked at the courses they offered. I also utilized the Career Center resources, such as Handshake and the career counselors, and took a career assessment test, which helped me understand my career-related values and personality.

What advice do you have for new or prospective UST students?

I have SO much advice! But for now, I’ll just say: Don’t beat yourself up about not knowing exactly what you want to do right now. You will eventually find your way! But if you feel stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is no shame in needing a little guidance!

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started at UD?

I wish I had known that ANY major has endless possibilities! I was so focused on choosing the perfect major in order to get the perfect job. But that doesn’t exist. You can construct your major(s) and your career into anything you want it to be!