First, consider bioinformatics, which is a growing, challenging field combining the life sciences and computer theory and practice. Not many four-year undergraduate colleges offer a full degree in bioinformatics, and Canisius was one of the first in our area. SUNY at Buffalo (UB) offers a Masters degree in bioinformatics. Students who love biology and chemistry but are also thrilled to get their fingers dirty in data should consider a BS in bioinformatics. The director of the Bioinformatics program at Canisius is Dr. Burhans. Contact her at 716 888-2433 or burhans@canisius.edu.

Second, the Wehle School of Business at Canisius includes the Information Systems Department which offers a major. If you major in IS, you will be required to take the business core curriculum, in addition to the regular core curriculum.

Third, Digital Media Arts is a program in the Communication Studies Department which emphasizes use of technology to enhance communications, primarily web-based media. Many DMA majors take one or more of our early programming courses, specifically CSC 108 and CSC 111. A number of students are dual-majors in CSC and DMA.

Fourth, Accounting Information Systems is a business degree with a strong emphasis on integrating computer technology into business, specifically accounting.

There is a lot of interaction between all the various academic programs at Canisius, including the computer related fields. Students often enter college thinking they want to be one thing and end up doing something very different after four years. If you enjoy using computers, even creating web pages, you will probably investigate computer science. However, after two semesters, you might find that your mind doesn't "fit" algorithmic thinking and that programming is too hard or unpleasant. In that case, you could try DMA or even IS. Students often make the journey into our major from the opposite path, having started out as some other major, but enjoying our CSC 110 so much that they take CSC 111 (Java programming) and just love it. Hence they stay. Or they might have several majors, and double their fun!

A pitfall to be avoided in your decision making is believing that any one major is harder or easier than another. All college study is hard, if done with earnestness and hard work, because learning itself is difficult. However, it is exciting, challenging, refreshing and infinitely life-enriching. If your roommates or friends say, "Major in XYZ, it's easy!" do not immediately bolt to the Registrar's office and ask for a change of major form. You may be temporarily discouraged by a bad test grade, but such setbacks happen in every major. The best way to evaluate different majors is to judge their suitability for your life goals (do they help move you in the right career direction) and their fit with your mentality (is this major unduly hard for me? Am I not having any fun?) Sometimes you may not know whether a major fits you until you have taken a course or two. But it is worth the wait and the effort, because staying in a major that is bad for you will only make you disgruntled and disenchanted.

If you are a CSC major or thinking of becoming one, you should know whether the major is the right one for you and whether you have native talent in the field after completing CSC 110 and CSC 111. True, you may find CSC 212 or 213 quite difficult, but everybody usually does because these are "mind-stretching" courses. If you are a CSC major and you get discouraged in your sophomore year, don't give up, at least not right away! Give it take. Be gentle and kind to yourself and try to avoid letting minor roadblocks derail you. The professors at Canisius are especially willing to talk with you about your career problems and to encourage you through difficult times. Take advantage of their open doors and chat with them! If, after two years, you feel that you have really made a wrong turn, you should then reconsider changing majors. But every major has difficult points, and maturity largely consists in restraining yourself when you are suffering through negative emotions.

Once again, let your own personal experiences be the ultimate criteria in your decision making. Use the campus resources such as the career center, the counseling center, the advisement center, and the professors themselves to help you make informed decisions. Don't be unduly swayed by minor setbacks and don't believe the grapevine! More often than not, stories have leaked back to academic departments that a student told another student something or gave advice, which turned out to be inaccurate. Make informed, reasoned and seasoned decisions!

And above all, have fun in what you're doing and what you're studying. As Joseph Campbell, famous scholar of myths, so often said, "Follow your bliss."