3 Questions to Ask before Choosing an Undergraduate Program

Summer is a good time to catch up with old friends, so I gave Marcus a call. The tone at the other end of the phone took me by surprise. Gone were the enthusiasm and light-hearted humor in Marcus’s voice. In its place was doubt and anguish.

‘What happened?’ I asked.

‘I am worried about Ryan’ Marcus said hesitantly, ‘we have been going in circles trying to make a decision about choosing his undergraduate major. The more we think about it, the more confused we get.’

‘Didn’t you speak to the Career Advisor in Ryan’s school?’ I asked. ‘They can help you compare majors.’

‘Well, we did that’ Marcus said, ‘But I think we need more information to make a decision.’

‘Yes, I know. We had the same problem, when we had to choose the majors for my son’ I said ‘but we ended up making the right decision, because we asked him 3 questions. Perhaps these questions would be useful for your son at this juncture’ I said.

Identify your interests. 

This may seem simple, but when you sit down to analyze what your real passions are, you might be quite surprised to see what comes out.

Research has shown that people excel in areas that they are passionate about and loving what you are studying will only increase your chances of success in school.

Ask yourself, what are you passionate about? What activity do you enjoy doing? Write down your key interests and then see if this interest translates into a possible major or field of study.

Determine your goals. 

Once you have nailed down your passion, it is time to look at your goals. Think about the goals you would like to achieve in school and once you graduate.

It is good to have a chat with your friends to compare notes and take their honest opinion. Why not spend some time with your parents and see what their expectations are? Be open to ideas.

Some students would like to graduate with a solid career path, complete with a high pay scale and job security. Others might like a career in a creative sector, where it might take a bit longer to establish yourself, but once you do that you could be on your way to stardom.

Review your options

If you are based in the UAE, you are in luck. There are lots of good institutions in the UAE that can provide you with world class education.

Spend some time visiting these institutions and speak to a career advisor to help you compare majors. To ensure you are making an informed decision about your potential major, you should take it slow and look at all the options.