Higher education can often seem like quite a commitment, especially if you’re not 100% sure of the subject you want to choose. If you’re in the process of choosing a degree, here are some of the main factors to consider.
Requirements
Some courses have tough requirements. They may want A grades across the board and perhaps even work experience in the field. Be realistic when choosing your pick of universities. If you choose all universities with high entry requirements and you’re not expected to reach these goals, they may all end up turning you down and then you’ll be scrambling around for another place. That said, sometimes it’s worth having one university above your expected grades just in case you are able to exceed yourself.
University reputation
A university’s reputation is important as it will determine the quality of your studies including the staff, the resources and the content. There are university grading sites that rank each school by reputation to give you an idea of their credibility. When visiting a university on it’s open day, you should also ask students what they think of the university. Remember that a university’s reputation can also have an effect on job prospects.
Job prospects
Every course is employable, although there will be certain qualifications that will certainly have greater demand for them. This is known as return of investment (ROI). The ROI of an MBA is very good as it offers a wide skill set of practical business skills. That said certain niche courses may offer niche skills that are equally in demand.
Convenience
Not all courses are convenient for everyone. Some people may have to study around work and family commitments, which may entail doing an online course. There are also short courses that can be completed and graduated in a shorter amount of time. Other courses may be more hands-on and require going onto a campus in order to complete them. In the case of niche courses, you may even have to weigh up travelling afar, possibly even abroad. Would you have to learn a new language? Are you able to leave behind commitments at home? All this should be considered when choosing a course.
Personal passion
Whilst the practical use of a degree is important, it’s also important to have a passion for the subject you’re studying. You don’t want to find yourself several months into a course that you hate but are simply doing for good job prospects and prestige. Enthusiasm can be important for encouraging success and you may be able to come out with a better dissertation in a subject you enjoy than something you’re forcing yourself to do.
How did you find the degree selection process? Were you one of the lucky ones who knew exactly what you wanted or did it take a little longer for you?
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