Choosing a course can be extremely stressful, and maybe even daunting at most times. What if it is the wrong choice? What if I can’t find a job? Believe me, as a current student who – finally – chose a degree to study, I know how you feel. Despite all that, I am completely happy with what I am currently studying, and I will tell you how I make that right decision.
1. Pay Attention to What You Do
In essence, this means paying attention to your interests, what skills do you possess, and what you are good at. It can be as simple as considering which class was your favourite in high school.
For example, if you enjoyed chemistry, look at university courses which put a lot of emphasis on chemistry courses, like chemical engineering, or petroleum engineering. You may even consider the sports and health division if P.E. was you strongest suit, there will always be a place in this world for you!
Making this decision does not solely rely on practical skills, it can be soft skills too! For me, I realized I am quite outgoing and make friends a lot, I am observant and opinionated, which is why I chose Bachelor of International Communications.
Looking beyond that, consider yourself: are you a person who holds attention to detail? Then you may consider accounting, actuarial, or courses that deal with numbers and logic. Are you a spontaneous person who does not care for rigid rules and factors? Then you may take a look at dynamic courses like economics, or arts.
2. Consider Your Budget
And of course, what is tertiary education if it does not drain your pockets?
Generally, the course fees play a huge factor in which university you choose, and even what education pathway you may take.
For instance, if you have a lower budget, you may consider taking the local government backed STPM, where they will ensure a smooth transition into a local public university.
For most private universities, their course fees are based on their global rankings. Hence, a course or its university may be more expensive if they hold a higher rank.
Even so, just because a university has a higher ranking, does not mean it should be out of your consideration. Remember, we have to think through ALL factors to make a well-informed decision.
3. Explore Your Options as Much as Possible
In time periods like result day for pre-university exams such as A-Level or SPM, there is bound to be a lot of tertiary education events lining up. No matter if it’s education fairs, seminars, field trips, or free brochures, it is extremely important to use all the resources available to you to leverage yourself as much as possible.
Because chances are, there will be a lot of information, and it can get overwhelming, so it is crucial you put lots of focus into sifting through all the information.
In a nutshell, flip through every brochure, utilize your time speaking to your school’s education counselors and university representatives, look at their website, ask for a universities’ current student’s opinion, go on university open days, etc. Doing all of these will definitely aid you in finding out your next step, or at least narrowing down to a few viable options to consider.
4. Think About How Versatile is the Degree
If you are absolutely sure about what career path you’re taking, then go for a course that covers a specific major. Otherwise, you can consider going for a generalised version of a course.
For example, if you’re sure you want to do marketing for business in the future, then choose marketing as your major, but if you aren’t sure which specialisation to take, then consider taking a general business degree, which includes a little of everything.
That way, you can acquire different skills and make a well-informed decision when getting a job.
Many people may think future careers should be the basis of choosing your future degree, but that is not entirely true.
What you study may not necessary define what you do in the future, if you have a marketing degree, some of the skills you acquired can translate into other business departments, or even go into the creative industry.
As a result, going into university is all about learning what skills you wish to acquire, rather than choosing a job, so think about that!
5. Compare the Same Courses from Different Universities
Expanding from the previous point, some universities may give their degree a general name even though they emphasise on a specialisation.
For instance, you are interested in Bachelor of Science in Psychology from a particular university. Though their Bsc in Psychology may focus more on cognitive psychology, rather than clinical psychology which you would prefer more.
In a nutshell, please pay attention to the classes in a course from different universities if you manage to narrow down your options. Perhaps this last factor may tip the scales in making a decision.
6. A Secret Tip: Contact us!
We understand that choosing a course can be a very long process, which is why we will not hesitate to help! Our professional education consultants know the ins and outs of tertiary education, just hit us up for any enquiries and we can ensure you a bright future ahead.
International Student enquiries:
Phone: +60182414802
Email: [email protected]
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About Post Author
Jude Chong
A content writer & a student of University of Nottingham studying Bachelor of Communications. I like indie bands and meeting new people 🙂
