You are in good company!
Uncertainty about your major is common: 1/5 of first-year students enter CSU as Exploratory students. Over half of CSU students who enter with a declared major change their major at least once before graduation.
Explore intentionally
Entering CSU as an Exploratory student is not a liability if you engage in exploration from the start and work strategically with your Academic Success Coordinator (ASC). Being engaged early in exploration is key.
Support along the way
Academic advising is a critical component of every student’s college experience. Academic Success Coordinators (ASCs) provide professional support and work with you to incorporate your goals, interests, and abilities into a semester schedule.
Fall 2023
Fall Hours of operation (August 21 — December 15):
8:00am -5:00pm Monday – Friday
Academic Year Hours of operation (beginning August 21 )
8:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday
Welcome to Exploratory Studies!
Whether you are joining us with clear academic or career goals in mind and just aren’t sure of the path to get there, or you are arriving with a mission to explore, we welcome you wherever you are in your decision-making process.
From individual advising appointments, to seminar classes, to weekly advising tips, and more, our Academic Success Coordinators work hard to connect with students and support you through your transition to CSU.
In Exploratory Studies, we hope you’ll engage in reflection and a thoughtful decision-making process that will ultimately land you in a place to declare a major that aligns with your interests, values, skills and identities.
There are so many options at CSU!
We hope that you will dive in, explore, and write a story for yourself that has impact and meaning – at CSU and beyond!
Spring 2024 Class Registration is coming!
All Exploratory Studies students must meet with their assigned Academic Success Coordinator to discuss their interests and co-construct a plan for spring 2024 classes.
To schedule an advising appointment for class registration, please either:
- watch your CSU email for your ASC to invite you to schedule an appointment
- use https://csurams.campus.eab.com/home
- or call 970-491-7095.
Prepare for your appointment:
- Engage with the Exploratory Studies Exploration course in Canvas! Take the Explorer’s Challenge and complete a couple of tasks!
- Review the Major Tracks! Read about options, consider how you can narrow possibilities to 1-3 “tracks”, and consider the class options available to you within the track (see curriculum guides).
- Complete CSUMyMajors.com, a 5-10 minute assessment, to discover some “best fit” majors available at CSU that reflect your interests and abilities.
- Reflect. Reflect. Reflect. What do you like? Not like? Why? What do you value? When do you feel at your best? What is most important to you in a major or career? Why are you here at CSU? etc… THINK DEEP – smarter, not harder.
Explore Majors with our downloadable Major Exploration Guide!
XLC: Exploratory Studies Leadership Council:
Connect with a group of current or former Exploring students to build community, give a voice to Exploring students, and build your leadership skills. Meetings are on Mondays from 3:00-3:30 in the Collaborative for Student Achievement.
Contact Paul.Barker@colostate.edu for more info or to sign up.
Recommended Course for First Year Exploratory Studies Students
New Student Seminar: Exploring Major Tracks
New Student Seminars are 1 credit, 8 week courses available to new students to assist them with their transition to CSU. Each New Student Seminar course includes an Instructor and an upper-class Peer Facilitator who will assist new students with making connections as part of their new student experience.
In this course, new first-year students will learn about academic and career options within the various major tracks at CSU. Experiential opportunities will allow students to explore academic options and determine how students’ interests, values, skills and identities fit with these options. Within a supportive CSU community of peers, students will also begin identifying their professional and educational goals and how to make the most of their CSU experience.
Advice from former Exploratory Studies students:
The best way to find out what you like is to always try new things and make mistakes. Challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone and be involved all over campus. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and use those experiences to learn about and better yourself.
Regina Martel
Political Science & Communication Studies double majorIf I could offer one word of advice, it would be this: Relax. Determining a major does NOT pre-determine the entirety of your future. If you can think, really think about what it is that interests you most, you’ll find a way to make it happen, and picking a major will come naturally.
Andrew Cox
Health & Exercise Science majorDon’t be ashamed, or worried that you will not find what your true passion is, because your day will come. It is perfectly normal to not know what to major in. Remember that you have a lot of time to figure out what to do for the rest of your life.
