Shu Patel/ reporter

Choosing the right career path and degree plan in college is one of the most important decisions a student will make, South Campus students learned during First Year-Career Guidance and Planning Nov. 16.

MavTrack counselor Julie Garcia with the University of Texas at Arlington discussed different ways students can plan their college career, targeting science majors who will transfer to a four-year university.

“Students must take the initiative and talk to a college adviser in order to stay on track in their college career,” she said.

Students, especially science majors, should talk to an adviser about a degree plan that will ensure success and a balance in workload during each semester, Garcia said. Many sciences also require specific grade requirements before students can take an upper-level class, so this is something to ask an adviser.

Students should also talk to an adviser to make sure they are in the right field of study. Garcia said many students go through years of studying and end up changing their majors after realizing it wasn’t what they wanted.

“Talking to an adviser can answer many of your questions and solve many problems you might be experiencing in you degree plan,” she said.

Advisers help plan out the transfer process to a four-year university. It is the students’ responsibility to find out what classes are transferable and accepted at a four-year university, but Garcia said academic advisers can provide information to prevent any wasted time in taking classes that will not count for credit at the four-year institution.

“It is important to learn the process of transferring to university so the transition is smooth,” she said.

The transition process requires sending official transcripts to the university along with other documents. Garcia said students should request an official transcript and then the deliver it to the university advising office themselves. This ensures the transcript or any other document was delivered to the right person.

The most important thing is to plan everything with an adviser and then follow through, Garcia said.