SERP 197P: Explore, Discover, Decide…Your Major

Think back to when you were a kid and dreaming of the future. What would it look like if you sketched these childhood dreams out on paper? When you were little, what did you want to be/do when you grew up? Looking through your own eyes as a little kid, what did your dreams and your dream life look like at that time? What were the most imaginative ideas that you had about the future when you were little? What new insights do you have now looking back on that time? Did they have any effects on what you are doing today?

This Childhood Dreams Sketch assignment is just one of the many activities advisors in The A Center use in our course, SERP 197P: Explore, Discover, Decide…Your Major. This two-unit course, offered online and in-person, uses a Design Thinking framework to help students ultimately take an in-depth approach to major exploration. Design Thinking “involves reframing the perceived problem or challenge at hand, and gaining perspectives, which allow a more holistic look at the path towards these preferred situations.”¹ Choosing a major can be a challenge for many students, and in using design-thinking approaches in the course, we encourage students to take ownership of their major exploration experience, open the possibilities, and gain confidence in their major selection (or in other words, become “unstuck” in the major selection process).

At the end of the course, we have found that: 

• 92% of students say they have better self-understanding
• 90% of students either know what they will major in or feel closer to deciding
• 84% of students feel a decreased uncertainty about the future

Here are some quotes from students at the end of the course:

• “This class helped me discover the importance of confidence in yourself because that is the foundation of everything in life.”
• “Take it! This class will help you learn a lot about yourself and give you a better understanding of what you value.”

Think this might be a good option for your student? The A Center offers SERP 197P every term, including online this summer with a 5 Week I and 5 Week II summer option. This two-unit course is available for freshmen and sophomore students, and if you have any questions or would like to learn more, please visit us at: theacenter.arizona.edu or give us a call at (520) 621-7763.

¹ Friis Dam, R. and Siang Teo, Y. Design Thinking: A Quick Overview. Interaction Design Foundation: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-a-...