5 important steps for choosing the right degree

What should I major in? What degree will I be satisfied with within 10, 20, or 40 years from now? If you’re graduating from high school soon or heading to college, these questions might always be in your head. After all, picking a major represents a significant step in college and shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

Even though it might not be a final determinant in your career or life, it considerably impacts where you land and how much you’ll get paid.

However, for many students, choosing the right degree can be overwhelming; there are so many degree courses and many reasons to choose them. Besides that, the idea that you’ll dedicate a few years of your life to your course makes it an even bigger responsibility, adding up to your stress levels. But know that choosing the right degree doesn’t have to be stressful.

So, how can you select the right major for yourself? Before committing to any course, you need to consider its costs. Additionally, remember to think about your academic and professional goals and your interests.

Feel like choosing a degree is challenging? Here are some essential steps to choose the best degree for yourself.

1. Think about earning potential

Before choosing any degree, you must consider your future income potential. Remember that the degree you’re deciding to pursue should give you enough income to fulfill your dreams and pay your bills and loans.

For instance, if you’re deciding to pursue a degree in education, search for education majors jobs to find out how much you might earn in the future. Similarly, if you decide to opt for a degree in finance, search for how much you might earn from it later. This helps make it easier for you to decide whether you want to continue pursuing this course or look for something else with a different salary potential. 

However, this doesn’t mean you should opt for a degree that lands you a job with a high salary but doesn’t make you happy. This might not just make you frustrated but prevent you from working to your full potential, making it vital to opt for a program that maintains a healthy balance.

2. Decide your career goals

After exploring what you’re interested in and possible career options, you need to think about your future career and goals. Not just that, you also need to think about how easy or hard it might be to find a job with the degree you’re opting for. If you decide on a particular career goal, you have to pick your program and major in advance, sometimes as soon as when applying to different colleges.

As a result, it’s always better to know what course you’ll need for the field that interests you. So, here’s a brief overview of several college degrees:

Joint Degree. This type allows you to earn a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree in less time if you combine them. If you’re on this track, you can also apply to a grad course as an undergraduate and start the grad course in your fourth year of college.

Bachelor’s degree. This degree requires finishing a four or five-year college course.

Graduate Degree. This degree is an advanced degree pursued after getting a bachelor’s degree like a Master of Arts or Master of Science. You can earn a master’s degree after about two years of study. However, some courses, like a doctoral degree, require four or more years.

3. Consider your interests

What do you enjoy learning about? What subject interests you? Remember, your interests are an essential part of picking a major. Choosing a degree means concentrating a lot of time on one specific area, so you must be certain that it’s an area you’re interested in learning. Considering your interests while selecting the right degree allows you to stay motivated to complete your coursework.

By the time you finish high school, you’ll probably have enough information from your classes to decide what you might or might not be interested in pursuing. But if you still have some doubts, you can dig deeper by listing down things you love doing inside and outside the class. For instance, if you love drawing but are also tech-savvy, consider opting for a degree in graphic design.

4. Evaluate the cost

Are you considering choosing an uncommon degree that might require you to relocate? If yes, you need to consider all costs and expenses. On the other hand, if you decide to opt for a degree that only a couple of colleges offer or even state universities in other countries, expect to pay more, as tuition might be higher in other states.

Keeping in mind the difficulties in managing college and work, you need to consider whether you can afford to move to pursue a degree. For instance, if you’re considering entering an industry that requires broad education beyond the starting years, like medicine or law, these majors might be more expensive.

5. Talk to older students and advisors

One part of choosing the right degree for yourself is to meet students and professors from departments that interest you. After all, if you don’t have fun hanging around the students and professors from a department, you probably shouldn’t opt for a degree in that subject.

Additionally, talking to students from a certain major helps you get unfiltered views and insights into what the degree is like. Besides that, don’t forget to talk to your advisor. They can help you know more about what you’ll study in the program, career possibilities, and whether your skills fit well in the degree.

Even if your advisors don’t know much about the degree you’re deciding to opt for, they can help you reach out to professionals in the field you’re interested in. These experts can discuss with you how they got from school to where they are right now, making it easier for you to pick the right degree.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right degree for yourself might seem like a daunting task. But don’t worry; we’re here to help you. Look at the effective steps mentioned above to help yourself look for the right program and open doors for many great opportunities.