You are in good company!
Uncertainty about your major is common: 1/3 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.
March 2023
Exploratory Studies offers both in-person and remote advising in the Spring 2023 semester.
Welcome to Exploratory Studies!
March is the time to EXPLORE MAJORS
Choosing a major is an important decision; one of many you will make during your time at CSU. Choose to ENGAGE IN SOME EXPLORATION so that you can make an informed decision about your fall 2023 classes.
Check out the Business-Related Majors Fair on 3/29.
Use the Major Exploration Guide (below)
Meet with your Academic Success Coordinator
Happy Exploring!
Explore Majors with our downloadable Major Exploration Guide!
Explore involvement options this spring:
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 held on Fridays at 1pm.
Contact Paul.Barker@colostate.edu for more info or to sign up.
Recommended Courses for First Year Exploratory Studies Students
New Student Seminar: Exploring Major Tracks (For Exploratory Studies Students)
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.
Key Explore
The Key Explore Community is a first-year residential learning community serving Exploratory Studies students as they transition into their first year at CSU. All students take KEY 192A: Create Your Story, a required Key Seminar. The Key Explore community focuses on self-exploration and student leadership.
Students who participate in the Key Explore Community will:
- Learn more about who they are, how they make decisions, and how they work with others who are different from themselves
- Meet with their assigned peer mentor three times per semester
- Enroll in one 3 credit core classes and a 3 credit Key Seminar class during the fall semester
- Enroll in a 1 credit, 8 week Key Seminar course during the spring semester
- Live with other Key Explore students in Braiden Hall
- Participate in one hour of structured study time each week
- Participate in fun Key Community events throughout the year
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.
