Tips for Choosing Your Program of Study
Tips for Choosing Your Program of Study
(6 minute read)
September always seems to be the busiest time of the year for me especially when it comes to attending college fairs. The month is not even finished and I have been to 15 college fairs as of the 18th of September. And there are more to come. I love this time of year! It gives me an opportunity to meet many high school students from different schools and talk to them about their plans for the future.
Most of the time when a high school student approaches my table my first question to him/her is not “What program of study are you interested in” but, “What are you looking for in a college?” I want to find out more about what kind of college they’re looking for rather than what they want to study. This gives me a better way to gauge whether they are a “right fit” for our college. However, most of the time my question becomes construed to mean “What do you want to study?” So we’ll address that issue in this article. Sometimes a student will mention two, three, or even four programs. However, there are far too many times that I get the answer, “I don’t know what I want to study.” Let’s face the facts. You are not the only high school student who hasn’t been able to decide on a major before heading off to college. Countless thousands of high school seniors every year with choosing a program of study in college. However, I think many are in this situation because they have no guidance. Many students are so focused on choosing the right college that they put the choice of a major on the back burner. The prevailing attitude among those who aren’t sure of what major to study is “I’ll just wait until I get to college to make my decision.” If that is how you’re looking at things, or if there are several programs on which you’re trying to decide, do some research now so that you’re not in the dark when it comes to your final decision.
Choosing a program of study in college is an important decision. And making the right decision before you go to college will, most likely, save you time and money. When college students change their major it usually takes more time to finish college (depending on the program a student transfers to) which means more money out-of-pocket or more student loans. In fact, it takes the average college student six years to finish college. Nika Anschuetz in a USA Today article writes, “According to 2013 data from the University of Texas at Austin, students who graduate on time will spend 40% less than those who graduate in six years.” She gives four main reasons that students fail to graduate in four years.
1. A lack of a clear plan or advising.
2. Change of majors.
3. Change of universities (see my article on Choosing the Right College: Do Your Homework).
4. Unnecessary Courses Taken.
Anschuetz’s second reason is the impetus for this article.
Majors and minors today are not what they used to be. When I was in college technology like computers and cell phones did not exist. There was no Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Information Technologies major and I had to call home using a rotary dial phone from my residence hall room. I wish I had that old phone. It would probably be worth something in about 20 more years. Needless to say, the technology revolution has changed many things about college including majors. So do your homework. Choose a major wisely so you don’t spend more time or money than you have to on your college education. The following principles will help you in choosing a program of study.
1. Think about where your interests lie. What classes do you enjoy right now in high school? Do you like science? History? Music? English? These can be programs of study in college. Do you have hobbies or extracurricular activities that you enjoy? Photography? Drawing or painting? Gaming? You’ve heard the quote, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” While that may not necessarily be true all the time, you will find that if you have a passion for your job it will be easier to head off to work doing something you love rather than something you hate.
2. As in choosing a college, don’t make your choice of a major contingent on what your friends are choosing. Be your own person. No matter how much you hang around with your best friends from high school you all have differing interests, you come from different backgrounds, and you have personal stories that have shaped your life. Use those to help you and guide you in your choice of vocations.
3. Don’t let future money be one of the major factors in choosing a major. In my 27 years of recruiting you would not believe how many people I have talked to that makes hundreds of thousands of dollar per year yet tell me “I hate my job.” I wish I was doing something else. On the flip side, I talk with many who are not making a lot of money yet they absolutely love their job (see principle #1).
4. If you are trying to decide between several programs, do research on each program. What courses will you take during your undergraduate years? Have you done well in those courses in high school or did you struggle? After graduating with an undergrad degree in that program is a Master’s degree the next step? Will you need a PhD or a Professional degree? Find out all you can about each program and then make your choice.
5. Shadow someone in that profession. I believe this point is very important. Find someone in the field that graduated with a degree in the program in which you’re interested, and ask them if you can “shadow” them for a few days or a few weeks. Seeing what they do on a daily basis will give you some great insight as to whether you can see yourself working in that field.
6. Take an interest inventory test. Our university recommends the Strong Interest Inventory test. There is no one test that can tell you choose the vocation that is right for you. But these tests and self-assessment tools can help you in making your decision. Dawn Rosenberg McKay writes in her article about the Strong Interest Inventory test: During a self-assessment, you gather information about yourself to make an informed career decision. A self-assessment should include a look at your values, interests, personality, and aptitude.
Values: the things that are important to you, like achievement, status, and autonomy
Interests: what you enjoy doing, i.e., playing golf, taking long walks and hanging out with friends
Personality: a person's individual traits, motivational drives, needs and attitudes
Aptitudes: the activities you are good at, such as writing, computer programming, and teaching. An aptitude may be a natural skill or one you acquired.
Some students choose to hire a career counselor. There are some good counselors out there that will be of great help to you especially if you are struggling with several programs of interest. However, be careful because you can spend a good deal of money if you decide to hire a career counselor. The typical cost for a career counselor is $75-$150/per hour. I’m not saying it is a bad idea to hire a career counselor. It may be a good choice. The Motley Fool has an article with some good advice on hiring a career counselor.
7. Ask God for wisdom. God knows your future. God knows you better than you know yourself. Trust Him to guide and direct you (Proverbs 3:5-6) not just to the right college but also to the right program of study and in every area of your life.
These are just a few principles that will help you as you decide on a career. If you want more in-depth information on how to choose a program of study, consider purchasing “How To Choose A College Major” by Linda Landis Andrews. This book will be very helpful and has more information than I can share in this article.