The secret to success and happiness is to love what you do. Choosing a degree is a monumental step and determines what you will be doing for the rest of your life. Hence, the pressure you might feel when choosing a degree is well-justified.
We know that the question of a career choice can be complex and confusing. You probably wonder how you pick something that will determine the direction of your life. However, it is crucial for your growth and adds immense value to your profile. A person with a bachelor’s is preferred to a high school graduate, and a master’s holder is preferable to a bachelor’s.
When choosing your degree, be sure to analyze your domain of interest and whether or not you can mold your lifestyle according to it. Moreover, take personality and aptitude tests as much as possible to ensure that you have complementary characteristics to your degree. It helps you stand out and perform better.
To make the process of selecting the right degree easier, we bring you six simple steps:
1. Analyze Your Domain Of Interest
We started this article by telling you to do something you love in life. We reinforce that fact here because if you pursue something that falls into your domain of interest, your chances of leading a fulfilled life increase tenfold.
Hence, when considering a degree, you must first consider your interests. If you like being around children and teaching them, pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education. It will increase your probability of completing your degree with good grades and being content.
Understand your personality and see whether your chosen degree is complementary to it. If we continue our last example, being patient, empathetic, and a good listener makes you a great educationist.
Explore whether you want to pursue a vocational field or a generalist field. A vocational degree is typically in medicine, engineering, teaching, nursing, or business. They provide you with skills that are relevant to attaining a good job. In contrast, a generalist degree applies to sciences, humanities, and arts. This gives you a broader scope of professions to choose from.
Hence, choose a field that aligns with your interests.
2. Analyze Purpose of Degree
Once you know the domain of your interest and relevant degree, whether vocational or generalist, the second step is knowing why you want to pursue the degree, are you pursuing it to advance your career and open yourself to more opportunities, or do you want more education in your field?
For example, you might have pursued a post-graduate degree to further your knowledge after your undergraduate degree, or perhaps you want a higher salary package.
You can ask your employer or people at senior positions in your field of interest for guidance about courses and certifications you should pursue to develop your career.
3. Check The Criteria
After identifying the degree you want to pursue, the third step is to check the application criteria. It would be best if you saw whether you met it or not. If you meet the requirements, then that is well and good.
However, if you don’t meet the criteria, there is nothing to worry about. Make a list and see what you need to do to be eligible to apply for it. Do you need to take a test, or do you need to complete certification?
Note where you lack down, then talk to someone from that field and ask them what the best means of preparing for the respective test or getting that certification is. This will help you get a deeper insight, and their experience will help you.
4. Preferred Mode of Education
Many universities in the United States offer education in different modes. You can opt for an online, weekend, on-campus, or part-time mode. Some degrees are also offered in a hybrid model, and some might only be provided through on-campus classes.
You need to see your schedule, financial position, and resources to see which mode serves you best. If you are pursuing a full-time corporate job, then there is no way you will be able to attend on-campus classes. Hence, analyze your commitments and responsibilities before choosing a program.
If you are a parent to a toddler, then your best bet is to go for part-time or online classes. If you work five times a week, then go for weekend degree programs. Do not choose a mode of education that does not align with your lifestyle. You’ll end up overworking yourself and compromising your mental and physical health.
5. Location of The Institution
This step is primarily essential for those people who are planning on attaining an on-campus education. However, it is equally important for those choosing a hybrid education model in which their institution employs both a virtual and physical learning environment.
In both of these cases, you must keep in mind that you choose a university that is located according to your convenience. If you plan on staying close to your hometown and your loved ones, then your best bet is a local or community college.
However, if you want to experience diversity and access a greater variety of accredited programs, you should look for international degree programs and accredited universities. Ensure you apply for your preferred degree program timely so you don’t miss the opportunity.
6. Cost of The Degree
The cost of a degree and your financial position are crucial considerations when pursuing a program. Higher education is never cheap; it will cost a pretty penny. If you want to apply for a program at a foreign accredited university, make sure that you add up all the expenses to know the actual cost of pursuing that respective degree.
Tuition is a significant expense; however, you must also consider lodging, study material, medical costs, and transportation. Whichever university you choose, be sure to see whether or not you can afford it. Moreover, also explore financial aid or scholarship options and see whether you are eligible for them or not.
Once you have figured out this technicality, you must apply for your degree of choice and wait for the acceptance letter.
Bottom Line
Choosing the right degree is one of the most important choices that you will make in your life. It will determine the direction your life will take. While people think it is challenging to choose a degree, we have brought a six-step guide to help you choose the program that aligns with your preferences.