College is an exciting time, filled with friends, fun, and of course, earning your degree. But there are so many degree paths out there. How can you possibly know which is the right one for you?
Choosing the right degree is a decision that must weigh your desired career choice along with your finances and future lifestyle preferences. This isn’t easy, but there are some methods you can use to make finding the right degree easier for you.
Whether college is next year, or maybe you are currently enrolled, it is never too late to find the right degree. Keep reading to learn some tips on how to decide on the degree that is right for you.
Table of Contents
How Do I Decide What Degree is Right for Me?
So you’ve finished high school, the last thing you probably want to think about is more school! But when enrolling in college, you need to take your desired degree into account as not all colleges offer programs in all degrees.
The first thing you need to do when it comes to deciding what degree is for you is to visualize the future you want to have. This is because your degree is a stepping stone to your future, and if you don’t know where you are going, it will be impossible to get there.
Do you have an image in your mind? Good. Now make sure that image has all the aspects of a future life, including a career, where you will live, and how you will eat. This should help clear up your degree choice a bit, as you should look into a degree that will get you to the career you envision for your future self.
….
But you may find that your future career doesn’t specify an exact degree, and when that happens, you need to use the tips below to help you narrow down your desires to a degree—this is especially true if you have an idea of the direction you want to go but not an exact degree in mind.
Above all else, even if you aren’t sure of your career, you will want to select a degree that is in a subject that you are at least interested in. This will make it easier and more fun to attend classes and complete assignments.
Which Degree is the Most Useful?
Are you having trouble envisioning the future you want to have? That’s okay. Some people aren’t sure where they want to go in the future. And if that’s you, it’s sometimes easier to start by thinking about what degree is the most useful.
And the truth is, there is no single degree that is the most useful above all others. However, there are several degrees that can cover multiple jobs or are in high demand in the economy. And because of this, they are generally considered the most useful.
The Most Useful Degrees:
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Education
- Pharmaceutical
- Mathematics
- Law
- Veterinary Science
- Engineering
- Finance
- Business
- Medicine
- Dentistry
These degrees are considered the most useful because they are jobs that will always be necessary for society. And if you pick a degree like education, finance, or mathematics, these are very broad subjects that could qualify you for several different career choices in the future.
Tips to Help You Decide What Degree is Right for You
If you are feeling completely overwhelmed at this point, don’t panic because below are some tips to help you make the right decision. Go through these tips one by one, and by the end, you should have a degree in mind that is perfect for you!
Tip 1: Think of the Type of Career You Want
Do you love sitting all day long? Or do you need a more active job? The first step to deciding on a degree is to decide the type of career you think you will want. For example, if you find it hard to sit still, a degree in computer programming probably isn’t for you.
Take a look at your work habits. Do you work well in team situations? Or do you prefer to work alone? This will also come into play, as working in a hospital is more of a team situation in the medical field, while becoming a medical researcher will be in the same field but more of a solo job.
Then think about where you want to live. Do you want to live in the city where you are now? Or does it matter if you move? These are two important questions that will play into your degree choice. Write down your answers to all of the above questions.
Tip 2: Look At Your Extra Curriculars
By the time you finish High School, you should have at least a couple of hobbies that you know you enjoy. And if you can find a career expanding on something you already do, this can help you to be more successful in getting your degree as well as have a better future in your career.
Do you like to tutor younger students? You might find it best to go into a degree in education to become a teacher. Or do you love playing sports? Even if becoming a professional soccer player isn’t in the cards for you, you can still go into degrees in business administration (with the hopes of eventually managing and administrating a team) or sports medicine (and work with players behind the scenes on their health.
But sometimes, the reason you like a certain extracurricular is that it isn’t work. So before you sign up for a degree in one of your hobbies, be sure it is something you would want to do for the foreseeable future as your profession.
Tip 3: Consider How Long You Will Be in School
If you love school, this part will be easy, because it won’t matter how long you will be in school. But if you are in a hurry to begin your life, or want to get married and have kids sooner rather than later, then you need to consider how long you will be in school for your degree.
Degrees can be attained in anywhere from 2-10 years, depending on the area of study. For instance, in continuing with the above example, if you want to get into something to do with sports, a degree in business management will only take you 4-5 years, while a degree in sports medicine will take 6-8. If you don’t enjoy school 6-8 years is a long time to be sitting in class for a degree.
After you have decided how long you want to be in school, you may find you need to revisit the above two tips, and this is okay as deciding on a degree is important. Go back as many times as you need.
Tip 4: Look At Your Finances
Now comes the not fun part—looking at your finances. You need to evaluate the cost that will be involved in your education. Don’t forget to include the prices of tuition, books, fees, and any commuting expenses.
If you were planning to go to a school far away, but find you don’t have the money to make it work, then it may be better to look at programs in a school that is closer to home so you can save money by living with your parents.
Additionally, if you’ve chosen a degree like medicine, it will be difficult to work while you are in school, and you will have to be in school for up to 8 years. This means you will need a lot of money to attain this degree.
Don’t let finances get you down too much, though, because you can take out loans or apply for scholarships. But you should at least be aware of the debt you might be facing beforehand because this might change whether a degree is for you or not.
Tip 5: Consider Your Weaknesses
Everyone has weaknesses, and it’s okay to acknowledge them while you are looking into what degree is right for you. You don’t want to go for a degree that is in your weakest subject, as this will make it difficult and no fun for you.
Say you aren’t very good at math, that’s okay, but be sure you avoid degrees like mathematics and computer science, as they typically require high levels of math. Instead, look for something having to do with language or art, as these will be more your forte.
Tip 6: Look at the Contents of Degrees
If you’ve narrowed it down to a few degrees (or even if you haven’t), now is the time to grab the class lists of any degrees you might be interested in and give yourself some time to look it over.
You may find, upon closer review, that a certain degree just isn’t for you. Maybe you were interested in a degree in business, but when you looked over the course list, you realized you would have to take classes Financial Accounting 1 and Financial Accounting 2 to attain the degree, and you aren’t very good at accounting.
Obviously, you can still choose the degree and just suffer through two classes, but this might be a deal-breaker for some people, and you might find that a course is a deal-breaker for you. Additionally, some degrees require you to do extra things to attain your degree. For example, a teaching degree requires a year of student teaching, and a political science degree online may require an internship.
After you have reviewed the course list, if you find yourself excited for most, or all, of the courses, then chances are you have found the degree that is right for you!
Tip 7: Ask For Help
Still, stuck? Most colleges anticipate this, which is why they provide advisors who can help you to choose the right degree or career path. If you have tried all the tips on this list, and are still feeling lost, then make an appointment with a degree advisor at your school. They may be able to help.
What Can You Do if You Think Your Degree Isn't Right for You?
Maybe you are already in college, and you are slowly coming to realize that the major you picked while you were still in high school just isn’t for you. It’s okay, this happens, and chances are, it’s not too late to do something about it.
As long as you aren’t too close to graduation, make an appointment to see your college advisor. They can help you to select a degree that is a better fit for you without you having to retake too many courses.
This doesn’t mean you won’t have to retake courses; it just means they can help you retake as few as possible. The first year or two of college is mostly general education classes anyway, so if you switch within this time frame, you may find there is very little difference to your course load.
But whatever you do, don’t continue on the path to a degree you don’t want, because this will lead to you working a job you don’t like and living a life you don’t enjoy. To see an advisor and see what can be done right away.
Outro
Choosing a college degree is a big decision, and it can be difficult to find the degree that is right for you. But if you follow the above 7 tips and be sure that the college degree you choose fits in with your lifestyle and desires, chances are you will find the degree that fits your life perfectly. This will make attaining your degree fun and much easier than you may have anticipated.
