{"id":26986,"date":"2020-12-22T20:57:19","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T01:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2020\/12\/23\/how-to-choose-a-major\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T13:54:15","slug":"how-to-choose-a-major","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/12\/22\/how-to-choose-a-major\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Major"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Thelma Ortiz of Lawrence discovered a career path, with the help of NECC.<\/p><\/div>\n

Thelma Ortiz of Lawrence graduated from the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) Academy at Greater Lawrence Technical School, thinking she wanted to major in engineering in college.<\/p>\n

After one month at a public university, she says she realized \u201cengineering wasn\u2019t for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discouraged, she left college and went to work full time for a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe process of choosing a major carries a lot of fears,\u201d she says. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I would find something I really wanted. I had to overcome those fears.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the fall of 2019, Ortiz was ready for a restart. She enrolled at Northern Essex Community College, determined to explore her interests and find a major\u2014and a career\u2014that was the right fit for her.<\/p>\n

Exploring Interests and Options<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Ortiz took advantage of all of the resources Northern Essex has available to help students find their path.<\/p>\n

Before enrolling in classes, Ortiz met with Eldiane Elmeus, program coordinator for the college\u2019s Exploratory Program<\/a>, who focused on goal setting, financial planning, and academic planning as part of the new student orientation process. Elmeus also connected her with personality and interest tests and virtual job shadow opportunities to help her hone in on her interests.<\/p>\n

What Ortiz discovered, after months of self-assessment and frequent conversations with Elmeus, was that her interests were in the health field.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing from STEM to health, I felt pretty surprised,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Honing In<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Deciding on health was only a part of the process. Northern Essex offers 22 associate degrees and certificate in health fields<\/a>\u2014from nursing<\/a> to sleep technology<\/a>\u2014and the next step was choosing a specific program.<\/p>\n

Working with the Center for Health Professions<\/a>\u2014one of five academic centers<\/a> on campus\u2014Ortiz attended health program information sessions and set up appointments with program coordinators to discuss their programs one-on-one, including academic requirements and career opportunities.<\/p>\n

After talking with Jennifer Jackson Stevens, coordinator of the Respiratory Care Program<\/a>, Ortiz\u2019s direction was clear. \u201cThe big picture fell into place,\u201d she says. \u201cI finally understood where I see myself going in the next couple of years, and it felt pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her decision was influenced by her nephew\u2019s struggles with asthma, a disease that respiratory therapists treat. \u201cIf I can help people with issues that my family deal with, I would feel highly privileged.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since she started, she has taken many of the prerequisites for the program, including Physiological Chemistry, and she plans to take Anatomy & Physiology and one elective, The Short Story, before starting the Respiratory Care Program<\/a> in the fall of 2021.<\/p>\n

Changing Majors is the Norm<\/strong><\/h4>\n

According to Jennifer Mezquita, assistant vice president of student affairs, college students change majors an average of three times before getting a degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Northern Essex, we want to provide students, like Thelma, with the support they need as they are navigating the college journey,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

That exploration starts with a prospective student\u2019s initial contact with an admission recruiter<\/a> and, once enrolled, it continues with their relationship with an academic advisor<\/a> with support from services such as the Career Center<\/a>; the First Year Seminar (FYS) course, a three-credit course which has a career module built into it; and resources offered in the academic centers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All students also have services available to them including tutoring<\/a>, academic coaches<\/a>, academic advisors<\/a>, counseling<\/a>, learning accommodations<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe strive to make all of our services unavoidable,\u201d says Mezquita with a smile.<\/p>\n

Focus on the Goal<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Ortiz, who is the first in her family to attend college, is deeply appreciate of all the resources Northern Essex provides, and excited about the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to walk across that stage wearing my cap and gown and have my family see that I was willing to work hard for something I really wanted,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

To learn more, visit the website www.necc.mass.edu<\/a> or contact admissions@necc.mass.edu<\/a> or 978 556-3700.<\/p>\n

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers\u00a0approximately\u00a060\u00a0associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.\u00a0 Each year,\u00a06,000\u00a0students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and\u00a0another 2,000\u00a0take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.\u00a0 For more information, visit the website at\u00a0www.necc.mass.edu\u00a0or call 978-556-3700.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Having a hard time choosing a major? NECC has services to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":26988,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Choose a Major - NECC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/12\/22\/how-to-choose-a-major\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Choose a Major - NECC News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Having a hard time choosing a major? 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