I’m going to start off this article by stating that I wish I read/wrote an article like this few years ago when I was still in high school. I guess you could say I have dumb luck because I randomly picked a college program and actually ended up enjoying it. Many of my friends have gone on to completely switch programs or even worse some graduate to learn that they hate the work. My brother enrolled in a business program similar to mine only to find out after a semester that he would love to work as a Paramedic. If you don’t want to the be the kind of person that often switches careers, the following tips should be used as a guide:
Talk to others
Forums may honestly be one of the greatest inventions. Seriously, you can gather the opinions of many older and intelligent people without the fear that you would have during face to face interaction. You can ask the stupidest questions and not feel bad. Whether you go to a forum on the website of your local town, college, alumni site, etc. there will always be people older and more experienced people than you for you to communicate with and ask questions.
If forums don’t give you the answers you’re looking for then you can try the old fashioned method of actually calling or meeting someone. You can meet with a relative, older friend, adult, or anyone else in your community that has gone through a particular college program or worked in a specific field.
There really is no excuse for you to not get the answers you are looking for when it comes to deciding on your future career path.
Boring research- school website/job employment sites
Yes I will be honest that this type of research is boring but you definitely need to go on a school’s website to determine what your total fees will be- this includes tuition, rent (if moving), food, textbook costs, and school supplies. You should also check out the websites of other schools to determine which program you think would best suit your interests. I would recommend finding a school that offers a co-op or work term along with its program. This way you could at least work in the field to determine if the work is for you or not.
It also helps to go on job employment sites in order to see what the standard pay is like. If you find many postings offering high wages then it would be safe to assume that there is decent work and pay in the field. If for the life of you there is no job posting in sight then maybe the field has less work than you expected.
Be honest with yourself
Everyone wants to be a lawyer or doctor or any type of prestigious high paying job, but are YOU really ready for all the work that is needed to complete such a difficult program? If you gave a Facebook addiction or love to go out many times during the week then chances are you won’t be willing to sacrifice all of that to spend every single minute of your time studying. If you love reading personal finance blogs then maybe a Finance program would be ideal for you, or, if you’re a fitness buff then trying out something in Science or Kinisieology would be great for you. The point is that you must be realistic with your own interests and do what’s right for you, not your parents or anyone else.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I think another idea would be to get out and ‘try’ it, if possible. I talked to quite a few people who told me not to major in what I ended up majoring in, but I tried it, and I love it. I experienced other things to find out what I liked the best, but in the end, my experiences brought me back to where I am now. I know you included the ‘work term’ in your post, but I think if you want to know how it goes before you decide, it will help.
I love forums too. You’ve got to have them. Even though you’re not getting “expert” advice many times, you can still great great feedback from intelligent people.
It’s great!
You don’t want to drift aimlessly, change your major eight times, or end up with a degree in something you hate, but I don’t think changing programs is always a bad thing or a sign of a poorly researched decision. Interests evolve.When I started college, I KNEW I was going to get my degree in biology, go on to get a Ph.D. in microbiology, and go on to become a college professor so I could combine research and teaching.
I’d been an aspiring biologist since late elementary school when I first read a Scientific American article about the different mechanisms used by antibiotic resistant bacteria. (I was an odd child.) I researched job prospects, working conditions, and salaries. (The federal governments Occupational Outlook Handbook is great for that.) I talked to several people in the field and formally interviewed and shadowed one. By the time I was seventeen, I’d done all that you suggested.
So why didn’t I end up with a biology degree? Simple, my interests evolved. I took my first physics class and concluded that there was no way I’d ever be willing to give up learning about the subject. I still loaded up on biology and chemistry classes for my elective hours, and I did my thesis research on an optical methods for biophysics project where I used lasers to study proteins as they unfolded (one of the high points of my life to date). I agonized over the decision to change majors, but it was absolutely the right thing for me.
@E.C Wow you bring up an excellent point! Thanks for the very detailed response. The changing of interests is something that no one can ever predict or expect to happen. Luckily for you it was in a similar field and you followed your heart all the way. When I wrote this article I was thinking more so about young people that aimlessly switch programs whenever they don’t like a particular course or some new trend catches their eye. If you have done all of your research and your interests change then that is a completely different story.
Thank you once again for sharing your insights and I look forward to reading more comments from you!