Sydney Life

How do you go about choosing the right degree? The right uni? How do you
even know if you should go to uni at all?

Choosing the right degree is not easy. I know that this is the last thing you want to hear. You've just finished the toughest year of your academic life, and now you have to make one of the most difficult decisions of your life.

So - how do you go about choosing the right degree? The right uni? How do you even know if you should go to uni at all?

I always knew I would go to uni. Not because it was what my family expected of me -nobody in my family had been to university before me - it just seemed logical that if I had the opportunity to study further, I should embrace it. Of course, not everyone is as geeky as me (although thanks to Seth Cohen, geeks are the next big thing...) It’s quite possible you never want to sit another exam again, or read another book (after being forced to read the “Journeys” booklet from the HSC, I completely understand...). Deciding whether you really want to go to uni is an important step in itself. What kind of career path do you want to take? If you want to be a teacher, you probably can't esacpe going to uni. But if you want to be a childcare worker, you may not have to go to uni.

So, if you decide to go to uni, which degree is the right one for you? This is also a really difficult question. If I had to choose again, it would be just as tough the second time around - there are so many choices, and so many people telling you their opinions....no wonder you're stressed out!

Start thinking about what you enjoy. If you desperately want to be a vet but can't stand chemistry, then perhaps you should rethink this choice. I thought I wanted to be a sports journalist: strange, for the girl who skipped every PE lesson possible in high school. Perhaps it was the prospect of interviewing Luke Ricketson that motivated me. After a year of studying a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) I decided journalism was not the career for me.

What I did enjoy and what really interested me were my arts subjects. I loved English, History, Art History and Theory....so I decided to change my degree to a Bachelor of Arts. I have just finished my third year and couldn't be happier with it.

Start thinking about what motivates you. What did you love to study at school? What kinds of extracurricular activities did you enjoy? If you love sculpture, maybe you should look at the courses offered by the Sydney College of the Arts. If you're politically-minded, perhaps you'd be interested in Commerce or Social Sciences.

It's important to listen to the people around you. Teachers, older siblings, parents and friends will want to help you, and may give you advice. This is all useful, and from a place of love no doubt, but it's important to remember that it's your decision. You have to study that degree for three years, so you'd better like it! It's no use studying Law if you have zero interest in it. If you'd prefer to be a PE teacher, then that's probably what you should be studying.

This is probably the hardest decision you've had to make so far. But keep in mind that if you feel like you made a mistake, you can apply to change degrees at the end of first year, like I did. You aren't necessarily locked in for life. Have fun, think of what you love and good luck!