Now that current and incoming student-athletes are gearing up for the Fall semester, academic advisors should be thinking about new ways to promote their academic success. One important way advisors can maximize their student-athletes’ academic success is by helping them select a major that’s compatible with their personality and interests.
Studies have shown that the degree to which a student finds subject matter relevant and interesting directly influences their engagement and motivation. Thus, a student is more likely to perform well academically if they select a major that is genuinely interesting to them.
But how does a student-athlete go about discovering their genuine interests and personality type in order to select the optimal major?
One approach is to conduct individual interviews with student-athletes to determine appropriate areas of study based on their strengths and interests. Another approach is to provide job shadowing opportunities for student-athletes. Job shadowing gives students an opportunity to consider a variety of career paths, allowing them to select their major based on their ideal job.
A more practical approach is to use individualized strength and interest assessments. Assessments are an excellent option for helping student-athletes identify future career paths and academic majors. By using an assessment, student-athletes can learn more about themselves and their own interests. Knowing this information, allows the individual to conduct better research around the majors that align with their interests and provides a foundation for exploring their opportunities within it.
One assessment that Game Plan offers is its Student-Athlete Interest Inventory Assessment. Game Plan’s Student-Athlete Interest Inventory Assessment (SA-II) is a powerful tool that helps student-athletes as they seek to understand their unique academic and career interests. The assessment is designed to help incoming and current student-athletes learn about their interests and personality strengths as it relates to potential college majors and professional careers.
The SA-II generates a report based on a student-athlete’s responses to a wide variety of personality and interest related questions. Specifically, the SA-II:
- Identifies a student’s interest category and provides a description of what each category means
- Recommends academic categories that best fit the interest category
- Highlights specific majors related to the academic interests category
- Provides broad career track options based on personality strengths and interests
Below is an example of the results generated in a report that explains a student’s highest percentage interest categories. Based on these interests, the SA-II recommends academic categories of study, academic majors, and potential career paths.
Selecting the right major is perhaps the most important academic decision a student-athlete will make during their college career. Selecting a major that is both relevant and interesting can increase a student-athlete’s likelihood of academic success and prepare them for a fulfilling career as an alum.
The SA-II is one of many assessments offered through Game Plan’s comprehensive student-athlete development platform. To learn more about our platform and the assessments we offer, download the Game Plan Platform Overview or Game Plan Assessments Overview.
