Looking For A Degree? Here’s How To Choose One

With so many university courses to choose from and us being on the cusp of another major technological change it can seem incredibly harrowing having to choose one. Like any issue, it is much easier to deal with once you decide to break things down into smaller parts. We’re here to help you with just that. Here’s how to choose a degree.

First and foremost, don’t let others dictate what you should and shouldn’t do. It is your time and your life and you need to do something that you want to do. This will ultimately make the entire degree process easier for you. If you have no idea what you want to do, that’s perfectly normal. Let that sink in and relax you.

Once you have accepted that, it’s time to start drawing up a few lists.

Subjects You Enjoy

One of the most important things is picking something that you enjoy. When you pick something you enjoy or think you will, you are going to have a much easier time finding one of the best degrees to get for you. If it isn’t something you enjoy, you are going to have a much harder and far more stressful time completing it and this could lead to you dropping out.

Subjects You Are Good At

It is important to outline things you are good at. This is a good indication of the sort of courses you should be looking at in a university/college setting. If you have a few subjects that you enjoy and are good at, this is a really good place to start. Chances are that you will excel at something similar on a university level.

If you pick something you’re really good at but hate doing you will likely struggle to find fulfillment once you are working, and may not even be able to finish your degree.

Things You Are Good At

You aren’t confined to school subjects when it comes to choosing a degree. University has so much more to offer than school. Think of your unique skills. Apply that to your subjects and you could come up with something completely unrelated to anything you’ve specifically learned before.

Make a Shortlist and Do Your Research

Now that you have all three of these lists, start combining things and narrowing things down, based on what you have gathered from the previous three steps. Draw up a list of three or more subjects you think you might be able to study at university and start to research a little bit more about them. Find out what you need to study in order to pursue these options, which subjects you will study over the course of your degree, and what sort of career options you will have available to you once you graduate. Pick the one that stands out the most to you.

It is never too early to start looking at different degree options. It can be really intimidating, but it is also a lot of fun. Good luck!

Jack Palmer

Jack Palmer holds a PhD in Education from the University of Oxford and has been influencing the field of educational research and policy for 10 years. He joined our editorial team in 2019, enriching readers with insights on educational trends and teaching methodologies. Jack’s prior experience includes a professorship at a prestigious university and a policy advisor role in education reform. He is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and enjoys playing the piano in his free time.

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