Choosing a Major as a Topic in School Classes
An offer for teachers
The University of Mannheim’s college choice test is suitable for designing a lesson on “choosing a college major” for high school students. The test was developed at the University of Mannheim’s Faculty of Social Sciences as part of the sMArt² project, which is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts. This is a pilot project, and not all degree programs are currently covered. Overall, it is recommended to use online orientation tests for self-reflection between the written Abitur exams and the end of the 12th school year, as students are intensively engaged with their career and college orientation and the application process during this period.
An overview of the college major selection test
- Find the right degree programs
The College Choice Assessment is designed to help students find theright degree program. At the end of the assessment, your students will receive information about which degree programs match their interests. The assessment takes about 15 minutes to complete. - Reality check
With the Reality Check, your students can verify whether their expectations of degree programs actually match the reality at the university. This Reality Check takes about 20 minutes to complete. - Reflection on motivations
In addition, your students can reflect onthe motivations driving their choice of major (takes about 5 minutes to complete).
Explanatory videos on how to use the test in the classroom (in German)
1. Prepare the class for the self-assessment
This video is intended for teachers and uses a sample lesson to demonstrate how you, as a teacher, can address the topics of choosing a major and online self-assessment tests in the classroom. We offer suggestions on how you can prepare your students to take the tests.
2. What your students should keep in mind when carrying out the activity
This video is aimed directly at your students and explains how the University of Mannheim's college readiness test works. You can watch this video together in class to help them prepare to take the test on their own.
3. Reflecting on test results in the classroom
This video is intended for teachers and explains how they can go about reflecting on test results—in various small groups. All students should consider what their next steps should be.
From High School to College
Would you like to visit the castle with your school class? No problem! We'd be happy to put together a customized itinerary for you.
Contact
Contact person for questions regarding content or the pedagogical use of online self-assessments in classroom instruction:
Till Woller
Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften
A 5, 6
Bauteil B – Room B 306
68159 Mannheim