Emily - final

**http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-little/college-sociology-major\_b\_1641546.html**

This article provides insight on why it is important to study sociology, and for people like myself who are interested in going into this field, it is useful because it explains the importance of studying sociology as a major. The article claims that a degree or major in sociology can help a student pay attention to facts, think critically and form an unbiased explanation or opinion about a specific issue. Sociology is fundamentally a social *science,* and therefore requires a lot of attention to detail and the use of quantitative research to prove a persons viewpoint or thesis. The article also notes that sociology provides a foundation for a better understanding of the world around us, because it allows students to engage in global issues and provides them with the tools they need to solve the issues in the world. “Sociology allows for consideration of things that are not immediately visible in our ordinary lives, and often not neatly understandable. These things are relevant to how social life is structured and organized.” This article claims that a major or interest in sociology can help students gain a better understanding of how people social location, gender, race etc. influence their thinking and behavioural patterns.

**http://www.theguardian.com/careers/sociology-degree-career-choices**

 In this article, a professor from the Faculty of Department and Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University outlines the wide variety of careers and opportunities for people with a degree in sociology. Things like a job in social services, education, criminal justice, welfare services, government, counselling, and jobs in the charity or voluntary field are usually popular among students who graduate with a major in sociology. Work in the field of sociology can also include community development worker, lecturer or teacher, probation officer, social researcher or a job in social work. This article explains 10 reasons why a degree in sociology can be useful and provides tips for students when they begin looking for a job. It states that:

1. sociology is a good fit for a career in business

2. marketing is a good fir for sociology as well — especially if you study social patterns in different places around the world

3. sociology could also be a goos basis for journalism

4. your university career service can help you once you graduate as well

5. its important to get involved and get experience in the field you want to go in to

6. present your skills in an employer-friendly matter based on the skills you learned at obtained while studying sociology

7. employers value people with a critical mind and who can think laterally

8. its a smart idea to get ahead of the game and start attending academic conferences and publishing papers before you finish your degree

9. there are a wide variety of jobs to choose from — take your time and pick the one best suited for you and your interests

10. think about a combined degree of sociology and something else you're interested in

**http://www.universitystudy.ca/plan-for-university/how-to-choose-your-program/**

This article provides insight and advice to students choosing their program of study in university. It encourages people to choose something they are passionate about, while reassuring them that not everyone knows exactly what they want to do at this point in their life. “Everyone is different. You may know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life and how you are going to get there. But others may have no clue.” The article then goes into explaining that there is such a wide variety of courses you can choose from in university, many which are not offered in average high schools, such as social work courses, women and gender studies, forestry, or specific business and engineering courses. Its hard to choose what you want to major in if there’s a lot of subjects and fields of study you were never made aware of. Its also important to note that not everyone has to know their specific major when they apply to school — its okay to take classes that interest you in order to get your imagination and inspiration going. The article offers tips to students who are choosing a program by providing information of what a program major actually is and how you should come about studying what you're interested in. It notes that a major should be something that excites you, but also motivates you to want to work towards and for something you are passionate about. Finally, this article says that sometimes a major does not necessarily decide your profession. For example, a degree in sociology can provide you with a wide variety of career options, same with a degree in science or english. The article ends off by providing advice to the students reading, and reassuring them that this is an important decision, but it doesn't dictate your entire life. It’s always okay to change your major, as long as it;s something you feel passionate about and inspired by.

**http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/twice-the-college-advice/2011/11/15/10-tips-for-choosing-the-right-major**

In this article, the author provides useful tips on how to decide what major you should pursue. Contrary to the other other article entitled “How to choose your program”, this entry is focused mainly around the idea of exploration and self discovery. It’s centred around the idea of finding something that’s important to you and something you are passionate about. It outlines this by listing off 4 tips on deciding your major:

1. seek out help — being an 18 year old and having to plan out your life can be really stressful for a lot of people, and there are amazing support systems and programs that can help make the transition easier. Talking to a guidance councillor in school, a second year university kid, your parents, older siblings/relatives etc. can all help.

2. explore — this suggests that, if you don't have a clear idea of what you really want to study, spend a semester or two taking entry-level courses for something you think you might be interested and branch out of your comfort zone - you might not know what you like until you try something new.

3. be introspective — “the most important component of choosing a major is getting to know yourself better. This sounds like a difficult task, but believe me, there is no better place to do this than college.”

4. be proactive — try joining a couple of clubs or sports teams while in your first year, it makes it easier to meet people and find a good balance of school and social life in university. Also, try speaking with older students that are already enrolled in a major you're thinking of taking, that way you can get an idea of what you are getting in to and if its really best suited for you.

**http://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/3-steps-to-achieving-balance-as-a-college-student/**

This article provides 3 helpful tips to (mainly) first year students on how to balance social, work, and academic life at college and university.

Step 1: Set your sights — this is the first and most important step, according to the article. It says to start by making a list of things that are important to you, and from there balance out the amount of time spent on each thing based on this level of importance. For example, seeing family and friends, going to work, studying, going to the gym, getting coffee, etc. are all things that seem little, but once you jot them all down on a sheet of paper or in a calendar it becomes easier to visualize your schedule and move on to the second step.

Step 2: Schedule it out — now that all your priorities are laid out and relatively categorized based on a level of importance, its time to actually plan it all out. Make sure you leave enough time for a social life, but also enough time to focus on your studies. “Unless you're 100% satisfied and feel your life is perfectly balanced, moving things around and making some concessions won't hurt, and you can always go back to your old schedule if you find it worked better.” Plan out your schedule around things that interest you, for example, if a new episode of your favourite show is on Tuesday nights, make sure to carve an hour out of your day to watch it. Finding this balance of school, friends, and personal life can be difficult, but its all about finding what works best for you — not everyone will be the same.

Step 3: Take action and juggle your priorities — this step requires a couple of trial runs; not everything you do will ever work out exactly as you planned them too. Sometimes you spend too much time with friends and dont study hard enough for a test, or sometimes you spend too much time isolating yourself in the library that you miss out on bonding and making friendships with the people around you. Finding this ‘balance’ takes time and often changes as you do — its important to remember that not everyone’s balance is the same, and therefore should not be taught the same way. Try some things out, play around with your schedule and figure out what works best for you personally.

**https://www.doctorfox.co.uk/student-health-guide/balancing-your-studies-and-social-life-at-university/**

In this article, they stress the important fact that a person’s “university experience doesn’t have to be all work or all play – there are ways to have a successful academic career and still have time for fun.” By setting the right goals for yourself, but not making them too unreasonable, it allows you to find this balance of social life and school. The article also explains the importance of starting assignments early, because the later you leave them the more rushed they will be and the more stressed and on edge you will be as well. Its important to make social connections, but do so in a way that doesn't make you leave assignments till the night before they are due. Its also a good idea to form study groups or trips to the library — even if you're not studying the same things its a good way to be with friends and do work at the same time. “Too much studying can cause burn out, so when you’re planning out your day or week, *add in some time for doing things that help you unwind.* Go to the cinema, have dinner with friends, or have a night out of partying”, things like that will go a long way in terms of happiness and low stress levels. While school is important, this article states that the social life is just as important, and its important to find this balance between hanging out with friends and making time for work. The last tip this article gives is to take care of your body. It can be easy to eat unhealthy foods and not be as active as you should be in university, but carve out a few hours in your week to be active. Its also important to take care of your mental health as well as the physical, meaning sometimes sleeping instead of cramming for a test is the better option in the long run.