SWOT Analysis

I did my SWOT Analysis on my major (Elementary Education).

Strengths
• I like that I already have taken a lot of the classes needed to graduate.
• The classes seem interesting.
• I believe this degree will prepare me to be a teacher and give me the tools I need to be successful.
• The classes that look the most interesting to me are Elementary Social Studies methods and the Creative Arts Methods.
• It will take me 37 more credit hours to graduate or approx. 2 years according to the Education Department.
Weaknesses
• What I like least about this major is the workload once you are in the major. The maximum amount of credits I have ever taken is 13 and I nearly lost my mind. The program has between 14-16 credit workloads every semester.
• I also don’t like how my classes are chosen for me. I like to take things I am interested in as well as required classes.
• Most students in the program work part time and some ever work full time so that works really well. I just got accepted into the 8-12 cohort, which works perfectly with my schedule.
Opportunities
• This major has a lot of field experience hours. So I believe I will be prepared for what the real job is like. There won’t be too many surprises once I enter the workforce.
• It will open doors that will allow me to become an elementary education teacher. I can’t get into a school and really teach without this degree.
• I hope to learn how to effectively teach and manage a classroom. I also want to learn what I can do to help kids learn to succeed.
• There are a lot of mentors in the program that will help me out. Supposedly teachers in the program become like your family and when you are doing your student teaching then you are assigned a mentor teacher to take care of you.

Threats
• Financing an education could become complicated if my parents don’t help me finance it. I don’t qualify for scholarships or grants at the moment and I don’t want to take out loans if I can help it.
• Finding time to work, study, go to school and have a life could be a problem for me. The first semester which I start in the fall is 16 credits which is way more than I am used to.
• There are not so much family issues as personal issues that this major could cause. I don’t really date and don’t have a social life. So it’s hard to think of having one when I am taking 16 credits and working at the same time.