Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Vani Gupta Rose Hills

How and Why Students Select Their College Majors

My URAP Project “Choosing My Major” began in Fall 2021 with the purpose of assisting undergraduates students in choosing their major, as well as understanding why college students pick their majors. One of the main goals of this project was to collect real stories from current undergraduate students on how they came about choosing their major. Another goal was to develop a pilot survey in order to collect information from students on their decision-making process. This initial pilot survey was sent out to 78 undergraduate students, and they answered 30 questions on how they came about choosing their major. As a SURF fellow, I plan on continuing this research by modifying the survey and narrowing the questions to be more specific. Once the survey is completed and re-sent to the student body, I plan to analyze the data collected and write a report regarding the information gathered. Eventually, the information gathered will be posted on a website for students to access and use, especially those who need assistance in choosing their college major.

Message To Sponsor

I first began this research project 'Choosing My Major' because I was having difficulty with this issue myself. As the project began, I instantly discovered how useful the information we are gathering can for other students so I want to personally thank you for funding my research project. This is a project that can benefit the lives of numerous confused college students. I assure you that your donation to this project will be appreciated by many undergraduate students at UC Berkeley.
Profile image of Vani Gupta
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Mentor: Amy Block Joy
Sponsor: Rose Hills Foundation
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