How to find the right degree for you
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This article is brought to you by Brigham Young University-Idaho, which is a private, Christian, four-year university sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The university’s mission is to help students “develop as disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the Church, and their communities” by offering high-quality, affordable education in a fun and uplifting environment.
The college years are a crucial time for students to determine the direction they want their lives to take. While this period often involves experimentation, eventually, students will need to choose the degree that suits them best.
Here are some tips to assist them in that decision-making process.
Begin with the end in mind
Students should start by considering the life that they want to have after graduation. What goals do they have? What kind of lifestyle do they want? How do they hope their college education will help?
They can then do some research into their school’s academic catalog and list of majors and see which majors are connected to their goals. They can also look through the Occupational Outlook Handbook to explore careers and their related majors.
Talk to a career or academic adviser
Most universities have academic and career advisers to help students. Advisers can help your student explore their interests and identify courses and degrees that fit their goals. They also help students look at different career options, making it easier to choose a degree.
Try introductory classes for majors they’re interested in
Taking the time to experiment with majors at the beginning can save time in the long run—it’s easier to experiment as a freshman than a senior.
Almost every major will have an introductory course that students have to take before they can take more advanced courses. Taking these classes is a great way to learn if the major is right for your student, both in terms of coursework and career potential.
While exploring their school’s academic catalog and list of majors, your student should look at the course outline for majors they’re interested in trying and register for that beginner course.
Consider the costs, both of time and money
Different careers take different lengths of time to get and amounts of money to start in. For example, to become a lawyer, doctor, or licensed therapist, you need both an undergraduate and a graduate degree, as well as many hours of supervised practice.
It’s great for students to pursue what they feel passionate about, but it’s also a good idea to consider the full path to their career and lifestyle of choice. This includes the cost of tuition, the number of years they’ll be in school, the cost of materials, the cost of living wherever they’re attending school, and other things.
Knowing how much they’ll have to spend can help students decide what they really want and how far they’re willing to go for it.
Schedule informational interviews
Interviews aren’t just for job applications. Your student can learn right from the source by connecting with people working in their field(s) of interest and scheduling an interview to gain information about the person’s career path and experience.
Students can find potential mentors to connect with through their professors, LinkedIn, advisers and campus career resources.
To make the most of these interviews, students should approach these conversations professionally, do their research beforehand, and come prepared with good questions.
Finding the right degree to pursue can feel daunting, but putting in the effort at the start will help save your student time and struggle in the future. It might take some time and experimentation, but the end result is always worth it.