Sticking To Your Decisions
Many times, we are overcome by peer pressure and prefer to follow the herd. Granted you do want to meet more people and bond with your new friends, but its important to choose your classes based on your own merits and interests and not just take a class because your friend is taking it. Before looking at what your peers are doing, focus on yourself and be confident about the decisions you make, as you are investing not only your time and money but your emotional and creative capacity as well.
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Overall, looking back, I believe I made the right decisions for my first year by paying attention to the classes and the curriculum I chose to take up. The first few weeks were definitely some of the hardest and confusing periods of my life, and I do hope the next half of the semester passes by relatively smoothly as I get myself more acquainted with the system and nature of the academics. Even though the adjustment period once you get to college is often unforeseen, learning what you have an interest in and passion for is a truly rewarding experience and the greatest motivation.
Learn more about college classes in our Majors and Academics section.
Students Can Choose A Major With The Help Of Research And Contemplation
Students who are unsure about their college major should sit down and think about their personality, interests, values, and academic strengths after this, speak with trusted adults about how the different majors being considered may relate to a future job.
Basically, students should consider their favorite high school coursework as part of this reflection. If they enjoy creative writing, they might consider a major in journalism or English.
Students who excel in band or music may choose to seek a major in performing arts or audio engineering.
Other questions students should consider are:
- What are some of your favorite pastimes?
- What would you do for fun if you had an unscheduled hour? and
- What kind of workplace setting do you envision for yourself?
Some of this introspection might occur during a students first year of college.
College students who are confused about choosing a major should explore their interests by enrolling in classes that sound fascinating, participating in a new club, activity, or community service project, obtaining a job or internship in a field of interest, job shadowing, and visiting with advisors at the campus career center.
Talking about research and introspection, here are some steps to take if you are confused about how to choose a major in college.
What Are Your Interests
For many students, their personal and professional interests provide the best insight on how to choose a college major. Learners who follow their interests may find more job satisfaction and more success in their careers. The following sections outline how students can identify careers that align with their interests.
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Match Your Subjects To Program Requirements
Read up on the general subject requirements for each program that you are interested in. For example, for mechanical engineering, the program may require you to study Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in your FSc. Furthermore, your BISE board exam scores should meet the minimum requirements for the program. Your FSc subjects should match the subject requirements to make you eligible to apply for that program.
What Classes Are Included With The Major
When choosing a program, consider whether it offers classes in the areas you need most for your desired profession or where you need the most improvement. Choosing a program that offers courses that complement your existing skill set will help you make the most out of your degree. For example, aspiring graphic designers might want to ensure their potential art programs include coding classes, as graphic design careers often require computer literacy.
Choosing programs with the most useful classes pays off in the long run, though you should also look for intriguing classes that will keep your training interesting and absorbing.
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Talk To Students Who Have Chosen The College Majors Youre Considering
You can spend as much time as you want looking up different college majors and researching them ad nauseam. But you wont really know what a major entails until you speak with someone who has chosen that major and gone through everything associated with it.
If possible, touch base with several college students who have chosen the college majors youre considering. They can shed some much-needed light on what goes into studying a particular major and give valuable insight into what its like to pick a certain major.
They can also give you some pointers on what youre going to need to do to survive your first year of school. To see what they might say, read on here.
University Culture And Diversity
Many universities have their own unique culture or identity, usually rooted in their founding. For instance, particularly in the US, there are schools that are single sex or faith-based. If you are Catholic, for example, then you may want to study at a Catholic university, and so on.
Sometimes the culture can be more implied. In the UK, some universities have a reputation solely for nightlife others like Oxford and Cambridge are renowned for being more traditional and conservative. Whether your happy place is in a 14th Century courtyard discussing Charles Baudelaire in Latin or at Wetherspoons inhaling tequilas in a toga, you need to decide which kind of school will be the perfect fit for you.
The right fit is all about what works with the individual and what their beliefs are as well. The amount of times student has chosen a university because it offers services that resemble their own, are happier than those that ignore their own needs.
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Watch Our Online College Panel
Through its website, resources, and high school visits, OU-JLIC is dedicated to assisting students, parents, college guidance counselors, rabbis, and anyone involved, to do the proper research and make informed college decisions.
Here is the place for Orthodox Jewish high school students selecting college options that meet your academic ambitions and will accommodate your Jewish lifestyle, so you can have a great college experience AND grow as a Jew. These pages will inform you about many of the challenges and opportunities for Jewish students at secular college campuses, open your eyes to the questions you should be asking and provide much of the information you will want to know.
Additionally, OU-JLIC sends staff to many Jewish high schools throughout North America and yeshivot and seminaries in Israel to educate students about various issues and to connect them with relevant programs on campus.
These are verified profiles about Jewish life on various college campuses. They include information about the size of the Jewish community, kosher availability, Shabbat and weekday prayer services, Shabbat meals on campus, if there is an eruv, student clubs popular among Orthodox students and other information you may want to know.
Browse through our frequently asked questions to find answers to your college questions. You might even learn about something you never would have thought to ask about.read more
What Does College Affiliation Mean
Trent University is home to a unique system of organization: The College system. The College system creates smaller social, athletic, and academic communities within the larger institution of the University. What this means to you, the student, is that the College you belong to offers a variety of programming and supports designed to assist you during your Trent career. From academic advice from your Academic Advisor, to the opportunity to participate in intramural sports, to a wide variety of social activities, your College wants to help you make the most of your Trent experience.
Each College is home to different traditions, lecture series, guest speakers, artists in residence, and ultimately a different atmosphere to live and learn in. As an off-campus member of a College, you are able to choose the college community that you belong to, and unlike members of the College who live in residence, you have the opportunity to change your affiliation at any time. Be sure to check out the information about each of the Colleges to discover which one might suit you best!
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Do Talk To Current Students
Knowing how to pick an Oxford college can seem impossible but the best way to find out about what life is like at each college, or at Oxford University in general, is to speak to current students.
There are numerous open days throughout the year, the dates of which can be found on the Oxford website.
They will be able to give you the best insight into what sort of atmosphere there is at that college and what sort of activities you can expect to take part in whilst there.
You can find out more about Oxford open days here.
Can You Change Your Major
Students often find the process of choosing a major challenging. According to an Ellucian survey, two-thirds of students feel overwhelmed by the process, and only 52% of Gen Z enrollees are confident in their choices. Thankfully, learners can make adjustments as they learn, grow, and gain experience. The following sections explore when and how to change your major.
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What Are The Highest
High wages can result from several different factors, including education, location, and experience. Every industry has employers that offer above-average wages, but looking at pay rates across the highest-paying college majors helps students understand what the most lucrative fields are. Computer science and information technology majors, for example, end up in some of the highest-paying careers.
The following chart highlights some of the most common and highest-paying college majors available in comparison with the median salary for a high school diploma, which is $38,792.
Is Your Major Locale
Students need to consider many things when choosing a major, and location is an important but often overlooked factor. Many industries and professions are more prominent in certain locations. For example, cities and metropolitan centers typically have a variety of technology careers, while rural areas have fewer opportunities in those areas.
Location can also affect wages and employment requirements. Big cities usually offer higher wages than rural areas do. Those who wish to live in small towns should keep this in mind.
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When To Change Your College Major
While learners can technically change their majors at any time, they should aim to have it decided between years one and two of their studies.
While learners can technically change their majors at any time, they should aim to have it decided between years one and two of their studies. Since most programs begin with a heavy focus on general education credits, students can change majors at this point without losing credits, time, and money.
It is not uncommon to change majors later, but it can mean taking more credits, paying more in tuition, or even graduating later.
Why Is Networking Within Your Major Crucial
Within their majors, students build the foundations for their eventual careers. This can mean skill-building, but also networking. Learners can begin creating their professional support networks and developing relationships that last long after graduation.
Students also have access to professionals who can help them after graduation, including instructors and alumni. Instructors can provide professional recommendations for job applications, and the program’s alumni network can offer potential mentorship opportunities and professional connections.
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How To Choose A College
Everyones reasons for choosing their College differ. Some Colleges dont take students in all subjects so check availability for your course first . Otherwise, you may want to consider the following points:
- Your age – three Colleges are exclusively for students aged 21 or older , and their facilities are geared accordingly
- Your gender – two Colleges consider applications from female students only
- Size – number of students
- Appearance and type of accommodation
- Particular facilities
- Personal instinct – it just feels right
Take a look at the College profiles on this website for an idea of what each College is like and what they have to offer. Once you’ve done that, you may wish to:
Dont agonise over choosing a College. They have many more similarities than differences, and students settle in quickly and really enjoy their College, whichever that ends up being!
Its the University that determines course content and students from all Colleges study together in the Universitys academic faculties and departments.
Why You Shouldn’t Get A Minor
Earning a minor can provide advantages, but not all students need them. Learners with unclear career goals, for example, may not find value in a minor. Additionally, those who have full schedules or are experiencing academic difficulties should avoid adding more responsibilities.
It’s also important to consider how a minor might affect your graduation date and tuition costs before making a decision.
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What Do You Want To Do
Before you make any decisions, be sure to ask yourself this simple question and stick to your instincts. For me personally, many classes for my first semester at Sciences Po Paris were mandatory, and I only had the option of picking certain seminars. This may not be the case for everyone and depends on the university you attend. Although your later years in school may be a lot more flexible, the first year can be a very helpful stepping stone. Often colleges admit students based on faculties like arts, social sciences, or the sciences, and you usually declare your major during the second year of study.
With all my compulsory classes in the social sciences, I took modules in law, politics, economics, and history. Even though the workload was rather heavy at times, I believe that at this juncture, I know exactly what I want to pursue in my second and third years and am beginning to get a clearer picture of what I would finally like to major in. Dont be afraid to use your first few semesters to explore different academic areas that interest youjust be sure to talk to your academic advisor to confirm that every class you take fulfills a requirement. Poor class planning could delay graduation, meaning extra semesters and money essentially wasted.
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Are You Ready To Discover Your College Program
A student’s major can influence their education and career, but choosing the right major takes a lot of consideration. The decision depends on each learner and what they wish to get out of their education.
Some students seek out the highest-paying college majors, while others might seek job security by choosing a high-demand field. As a helpful starting point, the following page details some of the most popular college majors, along with expected coursework, potential career pathways, and prospective salaries for each.
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The Story Told By The Campus Newspaper
When you visit colleges, you hear messages carefully crafted by college admissions offices intended to appeal to visitors. Tour guides, often the cream of the schools crop, are instructed to be honest. But, theyre often the students who are genuinely happy with their school and adept at expressing their enthusiasm.
So, how do you get the real view of what goes on at a school? No college is perfect. In a visit that often only lasts a few hours, it can be hard to get the whole picture. Youre going to spend a lot of time and money at whatever school you choose. Its important to get all of the information you can.
The campus newspaper can provide a great window into the real-life on campusthe good, the bad and the ugly. Campus newspapers are uncensored by the administration. Some examples of how the campus newspaper can give you the real scoop:
One college, trying hard to shake its image as a party school, sported a large article in the student newspaper entitled, Best Places to Buy Booze Part 2. Did it take two parts? What might that say about life on campus?
Another newspaper gave front-page space to the debate on gay marriage, calling The National Organization for Marriage one of the only organizations in existence that is still fighting for discrimination in the 21st century. This points to a politically active campus open to the idea of gay marriage.
Be True And Ask Yourself How Far Do You Want To Move Away From Home
One deciding factor that doesnt kick in until the student has moved to their new dorm, is how far away does a student want to live from their family? While its all exciting and fun when a student is accepted into a university or community college, the one thing that lacks is the understanding that this student now has to enter the world as an adult, right as they step out onto that campus. Some students find it too difficult to live so far away from their family and opt for a college that is closer but still meets their study field needs. Be sure to check and see if living close or far works for you.
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