Whether you’ve recently graduated from high school or have spent some time out of education and decided that you would like to take the next step, getting a college degree is a big decision. Your choice of college, degree major, elective subjects, and modules are going to have a profound effect on your career and indeed, the rest of your life. But even though it’s such an important decision, you’re definitely not alone if you’re struggling to come to a firm conclusion about what you’d like to study at university.
There are so many different college degree programs to choose from and each of them has different advantages, benefits, and potential career paths to lead to. Keep on reading for some handy ideas that you might find come in useful when considering what you’d like to do at college and why.
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Take A Gap Year
Taking a gap year between graduating high school and attending college is becoming increasingly popular. For many students, the rising cost of college tuition and the associated living costs of being a student means that a gap year is essential, allowing them to work hard and save up some money that they can put towards their college years. But less financial strain isn’t the only advantage of taking a year out before you go to college. You may also:
- Benefit from gaining valuable life and work experience that you can add to your resume both during your college degree and once graduated.
- Get more experience in the real world, working and/or volunteering, which can help you decide what kind of work you enjoy and what you want to avoid.
- Meet new people who you can learn a lot from; they may be able to introduce you to new career ideas that you hadn’t thought about beforehand.
Consider A More Flexible Degree Choice
If you know that you want to go to college this year or next year but still aren’t exactly sure what it is that you want to major in, a more flexible degree program could be for you. Some colleges offer ‘open’ degrees where you can take your pick of the different modules and classes, allowing you to try new things out and decide where you’d like to further focus your studies in the final years of your program. The main benefits of studying like this include:
- More freedom to choose to learn about those subjects that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about.
- ‘Try before you buy’; you can decide whether or not to focus more heavily on a certain subject after finishing one class or module, rather than dedicating yourself to an entire degree in a subject that you’re not 100% sure about.
- Studying a wider range of topics allows you to develop a greater variety of transferable skills that you can take to your future career.
Get An Associate’s Degree
Associate’s degree programs are designed to last for around two years and there are a variety of topics to choose from. Getting an associate’s degree can be an ideal pathway if you are unsure what you would like to major in at college, as it gives you the chance to try out at least a couple of subject major options and decide whether or not they are right for you before going on to get your four-year degree.
Getting an associate’s degree is also an ideal choice if you fall short of the entry requirements for a standard bachelor’s degree as the requirements for associate’s degree programs tend to be more lenient. You can also find associate degree programs, such as this online associate of arts degree, which allow you to choose from a wide variety of different pathways including:
- Healthcare management
- Psychology
- Leadership
- Business
- Accounting
- Criminal justice
Your associate of arts degree will help you earn entry into a wide range of career options depending on the pathway that you decide to go down. And, earning an associate’s degree in a certain subject doesn’t always mean that you have to go on to study the same subject if you want to continue on to get a bachelor’s degree; you can usually change to a different major, making it an ideal choice if you have a couple of different ideas about what you’d like to study but aren’t sure which one to go with.
Wanting to go to college but not being sure of exactly what subject matter to pursue is certainly not an uncommon feeling for many aspiring students. With so many options out there, picking the right one for you can be a daunting phase of your life.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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