Tips for Picking a College Degree

College is far different than high school. In college you are taking on a much larger challenge that will have a big impact on your future and the rest of your life.

Choosing the degree you want to pursue in college is going to have a big impact on your career. So, it really is important that you carefully make a good choice, but you shouldn’t pressure to rush to a decision, it can take a while to figure out the best degree for you.

So how are you going to prepare for college? How are you going to choose your degree? Here some tips and preferences to somehow make choosing easier.

Many of universities have a strong reputation in one or two programs, for example there are universities where engineering courses are better than other universities, while some has a lot to offer when it comes to medical courses.  So, checking the school you are planning to attend is an important point. Make a list of the universities and then check the programs they offer, you might also consider checking the achievements and credentials of each programs on that particular university, like for example for engineering courses, check the rate of board passers, if they have a good rate that is a good point for you to contemplate. Look for scholarships too, lots of universities offer a good scholarship that can help you survive financially.

It is important that you try and make every day at school feel like an exciting day and not a wasted day. If you love what you’re doing you will never get tired of doing it, you will always be inspired to strive hard and learn more things about it. Katherine Hepburn said, “If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased”, and it is important that at least yourself is pleased with what you are doing, so don’t think much about money or if this course that you take will be in demand in the future, because all those things will follow.

Opinions do matter too, people around you sometimes can actually help in deciding the right path—your friends, your parents or your teachers. These people have been around you and they see your competencies and can help you in analyzing which track to go. There are instances that sometimes you’ve gotten confused on some of your interests, like for example you do well in math, but you also love art, and you are torn between math major courses or pursuing a career in art, this is where good advice and perspective can help to clarify the right choice to make.  

This is one of the most common mistakes of students entering the college, they think they’ve got plenty of time to decide and figure out the right direction, so they chill. And when the start of classes is close or a year or two have passed, they end up rushing their decisions.  Rush decisions often lead to poor decisions that you have to live with for a long time.

Planning and using the most of your time and resources to get the most out of college is one of the smartest steps you can take to help ensure your success.  The good news is there are many great resources out there for you to help guide you including friends, parents, counselors and more. Below are also some great books to check out that can help you get the most out of college.

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Where to Buy

The Everything Career Tests Book: 10 Tests to Determine the Right Occupation for You

Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Typ

Why College Degrees Still Matter: Success Strategies

Choosing A Career: Your Step By Step Guide

Creative Colleges

Teens Guide to College & Career Planning

Fiske Guide to Colleges 2018

The College Students Guide To Picking the Right Major

How to Choose a Major An Essential Guide

Book of Majors 2018

Taking risks can be a bit of a challenge if you’re not 100% sure on what you want to do.  But sometimes you have to just dive in and see where you land. Often in that process you will learn a lot about yourself and what you like, don’t like and what your good at.  Some are afraid of taking risks, because they are afraid that they might fail, but it is yourself you are fooling, you are losing the chance of learning. Go and take the risks and do not stop learning.

Getting the most out of college will likely involve a lot of struggles, stress and the occasional meltdown but in the end it will all be worth it. Just be firm with your decisions, stand with it, face the consequences after, and if you fail that’s okay—get up and move, do not get stuck, that is the only rule.