- What do you enjoy most or least about this major?
- What does a typical day in this major look like? (Probe for detail regarding amount of time spent listening to lectures, having discussions, working in lab, studying, reading, writing papers, researching, working in groups, etc.)
- What sort of background does someone need to enter this major?
- What interests motivated you to pursue this major?
- What skills do you think one needs to do well in this major?
- Are there any particular values that you think students in this major share? Are there any other general characteristics that are typical of someone in this major?
- What do you see yourself doing with this major after graduating? Do such opportunities seem to be growing in number?
- How would you characterize the demands of this major compared with others? How is the workload, pressure, and competition?
- How does study abroad fit into the timing of requirements of this major?
- What is a typical class like-first and entry-level class, and then and advanced one? (Probe for size of classes, type of students, expectations for class participation, and degree of independence.)
- How would you describe the faculty in the department? What are their teaching styles, accessibility to students, research interests, reputations?
- Is there something you would recommend I do to test whether this major is a fit for me? Is there a particular class, student organization, or other activity I might try?
- Is there any other information you can give me to help me understand what it might be like to declare this as my academic major?
* Adapted from Strong Interest Inventory Resource: Strategies for Group and Individual Interpretations in College Settings, Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.