Julia Sand/Winonan

Instead of students running around Winona State University to different college departments, the Major Fair brings them all into one room, explained Darcie Mueller, Academic Adviser at Winona State.

Students are welcome to stop by East Hall from 11-1 p.m. on Oct. 24 for free information and a chance to talk to more than 50 representatives.

“It’s about bringing representatives from several departments into one room so that students who are unsure or undecided can visit with people directly,” said Sheryl Saul, Career Counselor, coordinator of the Major Fair.

Students will be asked to write down their name and ID number upon entering the Major Fair; after that the agenda and pace are up to the student.

While searching out a department member to ask one-on-one questions might be intimidating, the Major Fair is designed to be the opposite.

“It can be intimidating [for students to talk to departments], especially for freshmen, so the fair atmosphere is less intimidating,” said Mueller.

Representatives will be set up at tables grouped according to their department. Representatives are chosen based on how well they can represent their major, whether they are students, alumni, faculty or staff.

By going to the fair, students can learn what a potential major entails, the acceptance process if applicable, what you can do with the major, and much more, Saul said.

Also for students’ benefit, a Warrior Hub member will be at the fair to print off “What If” Degree Audit (DARS) reports.

The “What If” DARS reports are for students to see what their DARS would look like if they chose a certain major, explained Saul.

While the majority of undecided students are freshmen, the Major Fair is open and welcome to all students.

Mueller, who coordinated the Major Fair last year, said 230 students registered for the event, and 178 of them were freshman.

“It’s open to those sophomores or juniors who are interested in changing their majors or minor,” Mueller said.

The Major Fair has often been held in the spring, but recently, the once-a-year fair has been held in October in hopes of helping students with spring registration.

Past years have all been successful.

“It’s been good [feedback] from both students and faculty that we have had there. Students have found it convenient to visit with people in one room,” said Saul.

Mueller agreed. “[The] message we want to get out is if you have a half an hour between classes, just walk through and you can see what is out there,” said Mueller.

If a student cannot participate in the Major Fair or wants additional assistance, he or she is encouraged to check out the Warrior Success Center to talk one-on-one with an advisor for more help on deciding a major or minor.

Contact Julia at [email protected]