Starting open option

Nora Schultes entered Iowa State University without declaring a major. An honors student, Nora is not alone. Each year about 10 percent of Iowa State's incoming freshmen enter as open option students - those who have not yet decided what to study.

And that is perfectly fine.

Advisers carefully help open option students find the courses they want to fully explore their options. This allows students to match their interests with Iowa State's many academic programs.

As a sophomore, Nora decided to major in psychology and later chose English as her minor. "I took some introductory psychology classes and really liked them," said the Cedar Rapids native. "I thought psychology would be a good choice for me."

Undergraduate research
Nora has spent three semesters as an undergraduate research assistant in the Health and Behavior Laboratory in the Department of Psychology. She's gained a lot from the experience, which allows her to work with professors doing actual research in health psychology.

"It's shown me how research takes place every step of the way," Nora explained.

Coming to ISU in the honors program, Nora used her English minor as the subject of her honors project, "The Women of Shakespeare." She's analyzing Shakespearian passages and their relevance to today, using photos of friends and family to illustrate Shakespeare's characters. Her mother, for example, posed as Lady Macbeth.

Italian study abroad
Like a number of ISU students, Nora took advantage of the university's many study abroad opportunities and spent 10 summer days in Florence, Italy. The program, titled the Tones of Florence, allowed Nora to see first hand the original art works of Michelangelo, Raphael and others in the cradle of the Renaissance.

"It was very exciting to go to Florence," Nora said. "It left me with lasting memories."

Nora Schultes

Senior
Psychology
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 

Contact us

515-294-2698
options@iastate.edu
www.openoption.iastate.edu

 

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