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