Chelsea’s interview is at the end of this post, but first I thought I’d discuss how the interview impacted me:
My interviewee is Chelsea Welch. She is my cousin, and I chose to interview her because I am considering transferring to YSU, which is the school she attends. I was curious to see how courses and faculty work at this University, as well as being curious to how she enjoyed the medical field. It made me want to enter the medical field a little bit more—though I’m still on the fence. I have a passion for helping people, just as Chelsea does. So this interview did have a little bit of influence on my career exploration, but I’m still not sure of my choice of major. I didn’t know that Chelsea changed her major. I thought that she had been a nursing major all throughout her college education. Chelsea is always very sure of herself and she loves her major so much that I had assumed this passion was something she always knew about. It relieved me a lot to know that someone so sure and passionate also changed her mind and took time to find her passion.
I feel like I need to explore different majors in the medical field still, which I plan on doing this Friday in fact. I will be attending an informational session about the HIMS major, so this should help me confidently decide whether or not I want to choose this major. This semester, my advising appointments were probably the most helpful to me, or talking in class with our peer leaders and groups. Discussion is the most effective way for me to develop thoughts and opinions about courses, majors, etc. because I can ask questions on the spot and learn by listening to other people’s experiences.
When and why did you choose this major?
- I chose to become a nursing major in Fall 2013. I chose this major because of my love for helping people and the medical field.
Did you start in this major? If so, did you ever question your decision? If not, what was/were your pervious major(s) and how did you decide on this one?
- I started out as a business major and took a year of classes to realize it wasn’t for me. I started questioning my decision the end of my fall semester and tried again in the spring to realize that I wasn’t cut out for the business world.
Do you feel you made the right choice of major(s)?
- I’m extremely happy with my decision to be a nursing major. After doing my first clinical and seeing all that all the work I put into giving my patients the best care they can receive and that’s when I knew this was what I’m supposed to be doing.
What was your favorite major course, and why?
- My favorite course of my major was patient care concepts aka nursing 101. It teaches you all the basics of nursing which are the staple of my career. The course introduced me to friends who I’m still going through school with today and have become a staple in getting me through these past years in the nursing program.
What was your favorite course outside of your major, and why?
- My favorite course of my major was patient care concepts aka nursing 101. It teaches you all the basics of nursing which are the staple of my career. The course introduced me to friends who I’m still going through school with today and have become a staple in getting me through these past years in the nursing program.
- My favorite course outside of my major was history of motion pictures. I took this class as an elective and learned all about how different types of films were made. We watched movies almost every class and learned all the hard work that goes into creating these works of art. It was nice to be able to understand and appreciate the work that someone else does.
How engaged/accessible are faculty in your department?
- The faculty in my department is very engaged with all of us! They truly are our biggest cheerleaders. They are always available to answer questions and guide you in the right direction.
What kinds of extracurricular experiences (research, internships, co-ops, student organizations, study abroad, etc) have you had?
- While at YSU I joined Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Student Government, and Habitat for Humanity. I joined these at first for resume builders but while being in them I held executive positions in all these organizations. I chose these organizations mainly for resume builders but also to gain friends at the time since mine all moved away. I’ve made connections that have landed me with jobs and opportunities I couldn’t have achieved on my own.
Why did you choose those particular opportunities? How have they benefitted you? What are your plans for after graduation?
- After graduation I plan on working at UPMC in the surgery department. I started in June 2017.