Being Involved in my Major

I have recently been accepted to be a mentor for a class that is required for my major, and any major in the Consumer Sciences and Retailing section of the College of Health and Human Sciences (Design, Retail, Financial, etc.). It's called Introduction to Consumer Sciences and Retailing, one of those 1 credit 8 week courses that introduces you to college life (things like LinkedIn) and lets you know more about your major with a recitation each week. I will be a mentor for a small group of students during the recitation for retail management and apparel design & technology majors. I am assuming I will only have design majors since that's how it was for me last year in the class. I had to move my schedule around and I had to work with my adviser because I was already at my maximum for 18 credit hours and being a mentor gives me another credit (taking me to 19) but everything is good now and I am able to be a mentor for freshman (or transfer students just coming into year 1 of design). 

In the class last year, at least the recitation portion, you learned about a lot of the opportunities that are available for our majors at Purdue. For example, retail mentors spoke about their different internships for different companies. One girl even got to come back to help with the company during Fashion Week. Some design students spoke about going to Italy for study abroad, and others about going to London and everything those trips entail. Also, the design students spoke about their internships; my mentor went to Australia for hers. We also did ice breaker games and got to know each other, especially those in our group, really well. After the first 8 weeks the class no longer meets but as a group you have to do a group outing together and then write a group paper. Along with that you interview someone related to the major with your group and then write individual papers. It's relatively easy and it's fun and interesting all at the same time!

I think I'll be a good mentor even though this will only be my second year for a couple reasons. First off, I worked all of this summer at Express and though it wasn't an internship, it is still experience and I can discuss the whole interview experience as well. Along with that I was involved in several different activities last year relating to the major such as the career fair and I was a member (still am, and will be Secretary this year) of Purdue's Fashion Association (PFA). As well as those activities relating to the major, I was published in the Bell Tower, participated in the Spring Writing Showcase, and had a campus job at one of the dining courts for pretty much all year. I can't wait to meet everyone, share my experiences, and hang out with some of my really good friends who are also mentors for the class! This is a wonderful opportunity and I'm glad I am able to be even more involved with my major. I will probably post more about it after hearing some of the others speak about their experiences and see what everyone will be discussing during the recitation.