Tag: Social Work

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

 

While there are over 80 majors and minors to choose from at Loyola, believe it or not, one of the most popular majors in college these days is UNDECIDED! So don’t be afraid or embarrassed if that’s your current major of choice; you have plenty of time to finalize your choice during the first two years.  If you apply as a traditional Undecided student, you will be admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences which is home to most of the majors on-campus (but you can easily do an internal-transfer to the other schools should you choose a different major). Or, if you know you want to major in something related to business, you can choose the Undecided Business major so you’ll be enrolled in the Quinlan School of Business, but you’ll have time to narrow it down from there.

If you apply undecided, there are many different resources on campus designed to help you choose a major:

There is only one major at Loyola that is impossible to transfer into and that is Nursing. So if you are interested in nursing, be sure to indicate that on your incoming freshmen application, as you can transfer out but you cannot transfer in (even if it’s only your second day at Loyola and you started as a Biology major). You are able to transfer into any other major, so again, don’t be hesitant to apply undecided!

It’s more important to submit your application in a timely manner instead of waiting because you can’t choose a major. However, if you are certain which major you identify with, be sure to indicate that on your application, because all of our programs are direct-entry, so you are admitted to them and will begin in that program on you first day of classes.

All of our majors fall under these different undergraduate schools:

Good luck, future Ramblers!

 

 

 

Research

Research

One of the best decisions I’ve made during my college career, thus far, is getting involved in research with one of my professors.  My major, social work, as well as basically all other majors (especially psychology) have many research opportunities for student. I highly recommend getting involved in research if it’s something that interests you.  There are many ways to go about this.  You can either contact a professor directly if their area of research interests you, or even apply for a research fellowship.  Loyola has a ton of research fellowships, most of which even provide you with a stipend.

I got involved in research by simply asking my social work professor if she had any opportunities available to work with her, as her fields of study (mentorship, adoption, and child welfare) were all of interest to me.

I work on research with my professor, other research assistants, other professors and a Chicago agency for youth.  We meet bi-weekly, but other than that I dedicate 6-8 hours to research per week.  We are currently working on the Transitions Initiative. This is an ongoing project that deals with children in Ethiopia aging out of foster care.  We analyze data and try to figure out what youth are most worried about/how we can help them to better age out of foster care and begin their own, independent life.

Conducting research with faculty is very beneficial for many reasons. Obviously, it is great to put on your resume and usually the faculty you work with will write a great letter of recommendation. I personally like how I’m learning so much more about youth in foster care, as I may want to work with that population post graduation.

Research is a great thing to get involved with at Loyola– It has definitely been a great experience, and I can’t wait to continue the project for the rest of the year!

Top 5 Things I Miss About Loyola

Top 5 Things I Miss About Loyola

Ciao! I am having the time of my life in Rome, but I do miss Loyola and Chicago a ton.  There are so many things I miss, but I thought I’d list my top five, not in any particular order.

  1. Chicago Pizza.  Yep… they don’t have deep dish here, although Italy’s pizza is ALMOST as good as Chicago deep dish.  I am starting to miss my monthly visits to Giordano’s. Well, maybe a little more frequently than monthly…
  2. Water Tower Place.  My second home.  Water Tower Place (a big mall off Michigan Ave) is my favorite place to shop,  because they have every single store I love.  It’s really the only place I need to go if I am looking to shop.  Also, they have an amazing food court called FoodLife.
  3. Loyola4Chicago Volunteering.  Last semester I volunteered at Misericordia, a home for developmentally disabled individuals.  It was a great experience and I am sad I had to take a semester off from it, as I became close with many of the residents.
  4. Having a UPass.  Like Chicago, there is a bus and train system in Rome, and all throughout Italy.  Unfortunately, they don’t have semester passes like the CTA does.  It isn’t that big of a deal, but I do miss being able to go wherever I want on the CTA for free!
  5. Social Work classes.  At the Loyola Rome Center, I can only take core classes.  I do miss taking my social work classes because that is what I am truly passionate about.  I’m eager to take some more this upcoming Fall Semester!