It’s not unusual to find a fifth-grade kid who can design his own website these days. The Internet has transformed so many things about our world: how we conduct business, how we communicate, even how we shop. And what would the Internet be without its Web pages? Not the fifth-grade kind, but the award-winning pages and sites that rethink the medium and exploit its features to the fullest extent. If you have an eye for design and a knack for computers, you might be a prime candidate for a major in Web design. You’ll compound the interest and knowledge you already have by starting from the beginning—designing and building a Web page—and working your way up to incorporating the latest ideas, technology, and features into the sites you create. Your course work will go over everything from identifying an intended audience to selecting graphics that best portray your message. You’ll learn about different Web browsers and plug-ins and their varying capabilities. And since the Web has an artistic element too, you’ll explore aesthetic design, color relationships, and the application of font styles. You’ll learn how to create animated elements for your sites, and how to incorporate a range of motions. Websites are often interactive, and you’ll learn how to engage and guide the visitors to your site so that they get the best information possible. You’ll learn how to build chat rooms and discussion boards, and why you might choose to include them in your site’s design. You’ll learn all about links—when to use them, where they should lead your audience, and how to determine what other sites will best supplement yours. Although much of Web design lies in learning the basics of Internet technology, you’ll also learn how to deal with clients and see a project through from beginning to end. And you’ll be equipped to gather information for your site, choose an appropriate style, and test your site’s effectiveness. Though Internet jobs in general are very much on the wane, more and more companies and individuals are taking their products and businesses to the Web, and will need your expertise and creative vision to bring their own ideas to life.

Preparation

It goes without saying that the more you know about computers and the Web, the more prepared you’ll be for your major in Web design. Take any computer courses your school offers, as well as courses in art, English, and other humanities. However, some of the best preparation is probably what you do at home, experimenting with your own computer and learning design and programming skills. A basic familiarity with Web design and some of the language and skills that go along with it will give you a great head start on your major.

Welding Engineering is a bond that holds this country together. Without it, we’d be falling apart at the seams, or to be a little more accurate, at the joints. Welding Engineering is the science of holding things together. Instead of crazy glue you have ceramics, metals, plastics, titanium, steel, and dozens of other different materials. Beyond just holding materials together, Welding Engineering also encompasses almost every aspect of construction: from the actual development and shaping of the material, to the creation of new methods of keeping things from falling apart. As a Welding Engineering major you will find yourself in constant and high demand, since Welding engineers are employed in a wide array of fields. You can go off and help develop the newest space shuttle, or a dent-resistant car.

Preparation

In addition to your superior blowtorch skills, you should have very strong math and science skills, particularly advanced mathematics (calculus, trigonometry) and physics as solid preparation for the intense differential math you’ll be doing later.

Borrowing from the skills and information found in related fields, such as English, history, and sociology, Women’s Studies examines the ways in which women have helped to shape and define the world. At the core of Women’s Studies are the contributions women have made to politics, culture, history, arts and sciences, and society. These contributions are combined with a set of critical and theoretical approaches that allow you the freedom to examine how race, gender, sexuality, and nationality have influenced the way women have lived and worked in both the past and present. Women’s Studies majors explore some of the most difficult and troubling questions of our society. If you major in women’s studies, you will have the opportunity to think and write critically about the experiences women have had throughout history, and how these experiences have shaped our understanding of our society (that includes men). By considering various controversial issues through multiple perspectives, the Women’s Studies major encourages debate and critical thinking, while at the same time developing your skills and ability to think and argue effectively.

Preparation

A major in Women’s Studies requires that you know how to read, think, and write critically. To this end, a strong background in the liberal arts will help prepare you for the level of intellectual engagement you will encounter at the college level. A lot of English, history, and a psychology class or two will serve you well. Community service experiences that deal with issues related to women are great opportunities to see how this major can be applied.