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As am undergrad, I feel the tension between covering breadth and specializing. What are some ways to manage this? :)

Hey there!
Daniel here! The fundamental #value of my life is being im service to others. I am interested on working with families, the incarcerated and communities.

I also have a keen interest in organizational structure and efficiency. My hope is to make work spaces more empathetic while maintaining striving for good service standards.

#social-work #business

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yanfeng’s Answer

Usually learning knowledge and trying to utilize knowledge are two main undergrad purpose. I would like to suggest trying to balance the breadth and specialization with different strategies under various scenarios at different stages. When you learn something, collect much knowledge as you can and some knowledge may not be easy to understand, but that is ok. Nobody can understand everything. You know what the knowledge is, what scenarios it is applicable, and what is the assumption, and what are the related arguments etc. You still have no hands-on experience on this knowledge, but it will help you to get the theory and its surroundings. This is about breadth. when you are utilizing the knowledge, you need dive into the knowledge and decompose it into smaller pieces, and pick some into your applications. This is about specialization.
in a word, breadth while learning the knowledge and specializing while utilizing
you are not the only one with the confusion. We have to learn how to balance under time, budget, effort constraints.
Thank you comment icon Hey Yangfeng! There is so much wisdom in your answer! Read widely but practice accurately! Yes i think the balancing with time effort within other constraints is something i am working on! Normally every 3-4 months i have a priority list where i will prioritise what are the essential things in my life. This helps me guides my decisions I will be carrying your wise words with me in my future and share it with others Daniel
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Ran’s Answer

Great question, and very relevant for people at any point in their education/career. The most in-demand skills and specializations are constantly evolving in the modern landscape, so I recommend keeping your horizons broad, especially so early in your development. Continuously pick up soft skills, which will be relevant wherever you end up. Focus on technical skills that will help you understand whole domains better. You will eventually find the areas where you are best suited and most passionate; that's the time to dig in and specialize.
Thank you comment icon Awesome Ran Sun! Thanks so much for this! it reminds me of trusting the process! Yep i love your point about soft skills. I think this is also in line with networking and really taking the time to get to know people for who they are! Through experiencing each other, we learn so much more about the world! Thanks Ran Sun! Daniel
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Katherine’s Answer

I can't speak directly to social work, but I can tell you what has worked well for me in science. Study broadly (for now) and use extracurricular activities to determine when, if, and how you would like to specialize. For example, while I worked toward a Chemistry B.S. (a broad degree), I took time in the local American Chemistry Society group to tour different types of specialized labs, I tried undergraduate research, and I volunteered for multiple organizations in multiple roles. Over time, these activities helped me understand what I wanted to do, enhance my resume and my network, and learn what types of skills are in demand. This approach also allows flexibility for you to change your mind and try new things much more than if you were to enroll in a more specialized major, then find out you wanted to change (which could cost you time and money if you need to take different courses). Remember that school is only one of the many, many ways we can learn!
Thank you comment icon Hey Katherine! thank you so much for sharing ! This is a really good answer and actually I have been doing what you have suggested! I recently wrote a paper with some friends to gain exposure to a possible career in academia/ indirect work! I love your last line Katherine! Will continue being involved, perhaps it is also to trust the process of being proactive and determined Daniel
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Jennie’s Answer

Hi Daniel! That is really awesome you have already identified your values and how you want to align your life with them. I believe that is the foundation, so you're off to a great start. As I have explored different career paths, I've realized there are many ways to live out your passions and it's not limited to a specific job. That being said, I would encourage you to focus on breadth over specializing, at least early on. Like others mentioned, there are a lot of ways to learn and gain experiences, so I would explore as much as possible what interests you! The more you try different things, the more you know what feels good and aligned, and what doesn't. You will be able to get more specialized over time as you figure this out. But I would keep your options open for now!
Thank you comment icon Thanks so much Jennie for you reply! Thank you for your kind affirmations too! Hmm yes, I will heed your advice to learn and gain experiences. I really think it will help me be a versatile professional in the future. Sometimes i feel like I am spoilt for choice given soo many things to do honestly! HAHA! But yes, your point on elimination makes perfect sense! Daniel
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Jim’s Answer

Daniel - - I had a similar sense of conflict between the broad-based core requirements and electives within my finance major. My interest was to become more focused on my major; consequently, I approached my counselor and found that I could take broader based requirements that better aligned within my scope of interest. For instance, if I had a history requirement, I could satisfy that by taking an economic history course or comparative economic systems satisfied a philosophy requirement. The drawback to this tactic was the class was targeted to econ majors who may have had more depth in economics, requiring additional effort on my behalf to close the gap. The advantage was, in each instance, you gain an appreciation for the role of history and philosophy, regardless of your narrow niche of expertise and it gave a context for me to better understand topics within my major.

Jim recommends the following next steps:

take time to discuss your interests with a counselor, TAs and upper classmen to explore viable options to reduce your sense tension in choice of classes
Thank you comment icon Hey Jim thank you so much! I love taking electives! Took a political science one and now delving into sociology! As I am slightly afraid of my Cumulative Average Point (CAP Score) dropping, I have taken coding classes outside of school which the government funds! Still far from being subject matter expert but the exposure is great! Great that you spoke about getting in touch with a counsellor! Just only got in touch with a mentor! Daniel
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Syed’s Answer

Hi Daniel,

At the end of the day, your major will likely be at most 30-40 credits or so. This gives you a lot of room to take other courses. Also, most colleges will let you take anywhere between 12 and 18 credits at the same cost of tuition. If you're doing a bachelor's, this means you have up to 16-24 extra credits beyond the standard 120-128 required to graduate. You can also consider taking summer and spring courses should your budget allow.

All that said, you're basically given a lot of room to explore in undergrad both within your field and outside of it. You can also substitute classroom learning with experiential learning through co-ops, internships and research within your field. This can free up some credits for your other interests!
Thank you comment icon Thanks Syed! I am actually planning to do minors in sociology and community development! These disciplines are complementary to social work and it will help! But I am also looking for opportunities in coding and mathematics as, although I may not be good at them, I admire the thinking processes involved and know that it will be of great help! Thank you so much for your reply! hahaha 4 years of uni sometimes i feel is too short, but i will continue to take on the opportunities that come! Have a good day Syed! Daniel
Thank you comment icon Hi Daniel, Seriously consider taking those STEM courses on a pass/fail basis. This will allow you to focus on learning instead of the potential hit on your GPA. At my college, we were allowed to take over 12 credits pass/fail. Syed Ferdous
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Tesa’s Answer

Great question, Daniel! I really like that you've already determined your main interests and what makes you "tick." You're probably ahead of the game there. To add to the other great comments already here, I think it's important to remember that your career is really where you'll learn so much through on-the-job experience, so college is the time to explore and enjoy building your knowledge and skills in areas that interest you and will build your foundation to begin your career. So I'd say take a mixed approach and don't put all your eggs in one basket. Of course, you should have a good focus on your major courses if social work/service is your passion and you know you want to end up working in that area in some capacity. In addition to that, though, take some random classes that you're interested in just for fun, even if they have no relation to your major. You have enough credit hours and wiggle room to do that, and college is also a time to expand your horizons, learn, and enjoy. Beyond that, another idea is to focus other classes on areas that will provide you knowledge of the underlying areas you'd want to serve. For example, if you want to serve in hospitals or clinics, try some courses that would help you understand some of the primary components of the healthcare industry and its practices, or if you're interested in nonprofit work, you could take some business classes or courses that would highlight key socioeconomic issues that you may see in your daily work. Hope this helps. Best of luck to you!

Tesa recommends the following next steps:

Your college advisor would also be a great resource to talk to.
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Libbie’s Answer

I would suggest focusing on what you find the most interesting. A lot of what is likely to drive your career post-undergrad will be the real-world work experiences you gain. If you keep to what makes the learning interesting, you may naturally get drawn to certain areas of specialization. That said, even if you don't, real world employers are often looking for candidates with the capacity to learn and general skillsets -- not just the concentrations from schooling.
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Reginald B’s Answer

As you journey through your experience take time to break down pieces of the information that you learn, if possible try to ground the information into your personal experience/filter, this should be relevant to you and speak to your personal situation. In this place you will find niches in which you will expand, but not lose your larger purpose.
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Jolene’s Answer

Hi Daniel - it's great that you have noticed what creates a spark for you! That's an important thing.

I think that following your interest area, and taking a deep dive into facets of it over time, can help to create a fulfilling and successful career. For where you are now as a student, consider checking out organizations that seem to do interesting work and see if you can get involved in any events/opportunities they have to continue to test out and grow your understanding of the field. All of these actions add up over time and help bring direction as you move throughout your career.

Also, always seek ways to talk with people in your field of interest and learn about their backgrounds and experience in the field to help inform your own. For the most part, people are willing to connect and share ideas in this way.

To echo what others have shared, the nature of a career is that you will start with a wide breadth and find your specialization over time (and know that your specialization can still be quite broad!) A well-rounded skillset keeps you nimble and sought after by employers, and you can target your skillset to the areas that interest you most.

Sending lots of luck to you!
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Brittney’s Answer

Hi Daniel - While in undergrad one area I was able to gain more experience and learn more about career opportunities was to look for internships, part-time and volunteer work that aligned with the broad areas I learned in my coursework. For example, learning about the criminal justice system in class, I looked through the Universities job postings and though I applied to many many opportunities, I eventually was able to intern at the County Sheriff's Department where I learned much more and was able to learn about other opportunities and skills along with my coursework. It is important to continue to apply, even if it may not sound like the perfect fit because you can always learn more once the opportunity presents itself.

Your university should also have resources for potential student programs, community groups, volunteer work that can also provide additional areas to gain experience or learn more about the types of roles that may be interesting to you. It is important to remember job titles and descriptions differ and sometimes you find out a position you took may not have been the perfect fit, but the experience along the way can help you learn what you do and do not enjoy in a role and take those lessons into your next step. Keep up the hard work.
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