Do you
want to go to university?
While it may seem ridiculous to suggest that you
need to ask this very basic question as one of the
first steps in the university selection process, it
is an absolute necessity. Too often, students are
expected to decide which university they want to
attend even though they haven’t yet figured out
what they intend to study when they get there. Now
that doesn’t mean you have to know! The majority
of students heading off to university haven’t
yet decided what they are planning to do for a career
and that’s just fine. Did you know that over 70%
of university students change their major and nearly
40% change it twice or more? University offers a much
broader range of courses than any high school can.
That means there are many courses you haven’t
had a chance to study yet! Who knows, perhaps
you’ll be the next sociology or toxicology
expert (these are two of the subjects not typically
offered in high schools)!
So do you know why you want to go to university?
There are only two possible initial answers to the
question. Either you know or you don’t. My
experience suggests that most students really have
never asked the question at all. Students go to
university for many different reasons. Some students
want to study to become a professional of some type,
others want to explore an interesting subject in
great depth while others may just want to explore a
variety of courses to discover a passion. There are
also students who go simply because it is expected of
them. Whatever your reason, you’ll typically fit
into one of two categories: those who know what they
want to study and those who aren’t sure. Before
you can really decide which university you want to
attend, it’s important to figure out to which
group you belong.
Below is a simple exercise to help you figure out
why you’re going to university. Circle your
answer to each question below and then read the text
which goes along with your answer.
- Have you decided what career you would like
to pursue when you complete university?
| a) Yes |
b) No but I have some
directions I’d like to explore. |
c) I haven’t a clue! |
| Great! Now you’ll have to
decide which university programme makes the most
sense for the occupation you are planning. Does
it require a specific university degree (i.e.
engineering) or is a more general background
useful (lawyers need to be able to read and
communicate effectively but there is no specific
degree requirement to get into law school)? Go on
to question 2 on page 3. |
Super! Did you know most
students choosing a career do so through a method
of elimination? They don’t decide what
they’re going to be but instead decide what
they’re not going to be as they gain
experience. As they gain exposure to new areas
they eliminate those in which they have no
interest. You need to look for programmes that
allow you to continue to explore while focussing
on your interests. Go on to question 6 on page 4. |
Not a problem. University is a
great place to explore a broad range of
possibilities. You might want to reflect on
whether there are any high school subjects you
enjoy. You also might want to pick up a
publication which lists university programmes and
simply highlight any which look interesting. Look
beyond traditional subject areas. There are many
exciting areas of which you may never have heard.
Go on to question 9 on page 5. |
|
