Once you reach your last year in high school, you must consider what university course you will pursue. Knowing what course you will take will give you an idea of what career options you have once you finish your studies.
If you pick the right career, you are set for life. But, if you choose the wrong course, you will end up having to shift from career to career and waste a lot of your precious time in the process. That is precisely why it is of huge importance to choose the best college according to your own needs, aspirations, and abilities.
If you want to save yourself from the headache, here’s our short guide on what factors you have to consider when picking a university course and what pitfalls to avoid.
Factors to Consider When Picking a University Course You Won’t Regret
Passion
When you are considering a course for university, you should definitely consider which ones will allow you to pursue your passion. Pursuing your passion for college or university will make it easier for you to breeze through school work because you love what you are learning.
It can be very tricky to figure out what your passion is, especially as you go through life and learn more about the world around you.
As a teenager, you may end up jumping from one passion to another if something catches your interest. If this is your situation, do not worry because passion can be something that you are interested in or curious about learning more, enough to get you to pursue it for a degree.
Once you are in college or university taking up one course, you can use opportunities like internships, seminars and part-time jobs to see if you can pursue a career on the course you selected.
It may even open doors for you to find the right discipline that you can pursue without having to drop from your current career. For example, if you like cooking, you may end up finding your “speciality” while taking up Culinary Arts.
If you already have an idea of what you want to do, don’t be afraid to go for it. Once you complete the obstacles before you, the rewards of pursuing your passion are immense.
Proficiency
Every one of us has a unique set of skills that we are definitely proficient with.
Even if there are chances you can’t do something perfectly, there will be an area where you will excel on. When deciding for a course you like to pursue, knowing where you are proficient with will definitely help you find the right career you can pursue.
If you want to know where you are proficient with, take a look at your favourite and strongest subject. For example, if you like painting and you have a good grade in art, you can pursue Fine Arts or a related degree.
Some universities and colleges take into consideration the grades you get for related subjects to decide whether you are qualified for the course you want.
If you do not have a strong subject and only score average or poorly in all your subjects, don’t be disheartened. You can ask your teacher or your family about their opinion on what you can pursue.
Sometimes, we tend to devalue our skills because we think it is not enough. But, when you ask others, they will think in the opposite way. You can also take personality tests or strengths finder to see what fields you can consider based on your preferences.
Prospects
Finally, when you are picking a course, you need to see what prospects are available once you finish it.
There is no point in taking a course that is very expensive if you will end up having no or little job opportunities once you graduate. You may end up having to pay student debt with a course that won’t offer job security.
In Singapore, you can get a job regardless of what course you finished at university. However, the job pool you can work with is limited based on your course of study.
While taking a course that will open job opportunities for you, it is important to consider if you will be happy with it. Reach out to alumni and people you know who have taken the course you are considering to see how they are doing now. They can offer you advice on what you can expect and help you decide.
You also need to consider if you will take a risk with the course you want regardless of the uncertainties involved once you finish it. If you are someone who doesn’t want to risk a course that doesn’t offer many opportunities, consider taking general degrees.
Pitfalls to Avoid
As you select a course, you will definitely find yourself facing pitfalls that may end up disabling you from choosing the career you want.
Here are three pitfalls we think you should avoid:
Herd Mentality
This pitfall mostly entails choosing what your friends are taking regardless of your sentiments on it. Every one of us has different passions, preferences and expectations and it is very rare to find someone that shares your ideas.
If you think they share the same passions as you do, your friends may have influenced you unconsciously to pursue the passions they want to pursue.
Before you go any further, stop and think twice if you will be able to do the same course as them and if it is something you won’t regret in the future.
False prestige
If you are only thinking about the prestige a course can give you, stop what you are thinking of right now.
Every course does have its perks and some even see it as a symbol of intelligence and pride if you have a degree in a certain course. If you are just choosing the course so everyone will be envious of you, you will definitely end up with a course that you can’t adjust into.
Taking a course too fast
Every one of us has this sentiment that graduating early is a good thing. You can be ahead of your batchmates and earn earlier.
However, rushing can only bring to disaster because you may end up discovering in the middle of your studies that you aren’t in the right course or you are not ready for the big world just yet.
Take some time to ask yourself if you are ready to take the next step in your studies or if you need more time to think about it.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a university course can be tricky, especially if you still have no idea what you want to pursue in life. Take a moment to contemplate about what drives you, what skills you can rely on and the job prospects you want to do before you select a course.
Remember, it is your future that is at stake here and even if your family and friend’s don’t accept your choice, they will eventually understand where you are getting at once you show them that your course choice fits you perfectly.
You can find more articles about university life here:
Dropping Out of University: What Happens Next?
The University Students’ Guide to Investing in Stock Market
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