Did I Pick the Right Major? An Exercise Science Major’s Perspective

Hi Everyone!

My name is Bri Whitaker and I am a freshman here at SMSU. I am from Brookings, SD where I graduated from Brookings High School. I am an SMSU Ambassador, a member on the SMSU Dance Team, and I am a student worker in the Admission Office. I am majoring in Exercise Science-Emphasis A.

Starting your first day of senior year in high school, people will begin asking you where you are going to college, what are you going to major in, have you looked at this school, etc. It can get annoying, but it really does make you consider all of your options. Brookings High School offers a variety of classes to help students experience the fields they are thinking about pursuing a career in. My junior year of high school I took a class called Health Science Careers 2. This class allowed me to learn medical terms, abbreviations, and I had a six week internship at two different facilities. Taking this class helped me decide that I wanted to go into the medical field. I didn’t know exactly which profession I was going to pursue, but I knew the medical field was right for me. 

My senior year of high school I took Human Anatomy. On the first day of class, my teacher had us go around the room and say what profession we wanted to go into. When it got to me, I still wasn’t sure but I said nursing. After taking a full year of anatomy, I was able to learn all of the bones of the body, the muscles of the body, and all of the body’s systems. On the last day of class, we did the same thing and went around the room saying what professions we wanted to go into. When it got to me, I said Physical Therapy.

Here I am, second semester of college, and I am an Exercise Science major. I am majoring in Emphasis A, which is Allied Health. The Exercise Science major has three emphases: A, B, and C. Emphasis A is your allied health professions such as Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Dietitians. Emphasis B is your corporate wellness/exercise leadership professions. Emphasis C is your coaching and human performance professions. As of right now, I am pursuing a career in Pediatric Physical Therapy. I have chosen Pediatric Physical Therapy because I love working with kids and I love learning new ways to help improve body movement.

My advice is to anyone considering a career in the medical field is to explore your options. There are so many different professions in the medical field. Even if you’re unsure you want to major in Exercise Science or any medical related majors, take a few classes that meet those major requirements. If you decide you don’t like the classes and that major isn’t for you, it’s always nice to have those credits.

Good luck in exploring your major choices and have a great semester!

Bri Whitaker 

Choosing the Right Major: Ben's Story

Hello! My name is Ben, and I’m a sophomore here at SMSU! I’m originally from North Mankato, MN, and I graduated from Mankato West High School. I am an athlete here at SMSU, running cross-country and track, and I am also a student worker in the Admission office.

My major is Professional Writing and Communication, and I am minoring in Public Administration. The PWC major is an English major with emphasis in professional writing styles, such as technical writing. We also take courses in public speaking and graphic design. 

Originally, I came to SMSU to study communications and political science, but after meeting with the English professor in my freshman writing course, I was inspired to switch majors, and I’m super happy I did. The communications and political science programs are great too, I just found my passion in professional writing. 

As a PWC major, I’m able to develop my skills as a writer, and apply those skills to my career interests. I want to work in local and state government, so I added the Public Administration minor to work towards that goal. 

PWC students are often involved with clubs on campus, such as the SMSU English club, and The Spur (SMSU’s campus newspaper). Any student from any major can join The Spur, and students can actually get paid to write for it.

PWC students can also study areas such as graphic design, management, natural sciences, exercise science, marketing, and broadcasting & digital media. Graduates from the program have found careers in marketing, publishing, journalism, and technical writing, If you’re interested in a flexible major that has a wide array of career opportunities, check out the PWC major!

Hannah's SMSU Journey: A Psychology Major's Perspective

Hey Future Mustangs!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is back in the swing of things. I don’t know about you guys, but I am ready for spring. It is right around the corner! My name is Hannah Kuno and I am a Psychology major and Justice Administration minor and I think that SMSU has really been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am originally from Montevideo, Minnesota, which is only 45 minutes from Marshall. I was looking for a school that was close to home and I only seriously looked at two schools. When I came for my first visit, I could tell that this is where I wanted to be and where I wanted to further my education.

I originally was undecided when I came to campus. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a major nor a career. It was hard for me when everyone was asking “What are you majoring in?” and “What do you want to do after college?” These are the two biggest decisions that a high school senior has to make in the last few months before graduation. My first few semesters on campus, I took general classes in just about every area. I really enjoyed my Psychology and Justice classes so that is why I chose to pursue a Psychology major and Justice minor.

There are many options available for Psychology majors. They can go to grad school right after they receive their bachelor's degree, or they can find a job and work for a few years and they will still have the possibility of going back to school and furthering their education. Because I am graduating in December of 2017, I am seriously thinking about my options. As of right now, I am looking at getting a job after I graduate, working for a few years, and keeping the possibility of grad school as an option for later down the road.

As a part time job, I am employed at New Horizons Crisis Center. I help with a program called Parenting Time, which is a program for parents who have lost custody of their children and need supervised visits. I am hoping that this job will help me get my feet wet in the area that I would like to go into because I am considering pursuing a career in child protection. In my opinion, this is a very hard job but a very important one. With a Psychology major, someone could go into just about anything that deals with people (which is almost any job out there). Having many options with this major is very helpful, especially for someone who is unsure of what they are wanting to do for a career.

I also work in the Admission office on campus, and I get to give tours to prospective students. This is one of my favorite parts of my job in the office because I get to talk about why I chose SMSU and why it is a great place to be. Working with people is definitely a passion of mine.

 I feel as though SMSU really helped me in breaking out of my shell and becoming a more outgoing person. This will help me for when I get job interviews and also in aspects of my career. I enjoy working with and interacting with people. By getting involved at SMSU, you can meet tons of different people. I am involved in the Ambassador program and I am also an Orientation Leader. Being able to share my experiences with incoming students like yourself is what really keeps me going.

My biggest advice that I would give to someone that is undecided and is not sure what he or she would like to do is, start with doing everything and narrow it down from there. You will not know what you like and do not like if you do not try it! Take chances and make the best of it.

Good luck in everything you do!
Hannah Kuno