4 answers
Nathan
Student
New Rochelle, New York
1
Question
Asked
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What is the path I want to take in college ?
A question pertaining to this topic is a very far understatement to how much there to ask about the careers or career path I have to take in life so being that what should I look for when entering college?
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4 answers
Rebecca Tang
Banking
1514
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. This is a very good question. Firstly, you may think about what career you have interest before deciding the college that suit you . Different colleges have different strength in different subjects.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Think about what you have interest, e.g. your hobbies, favourite subjects, etc. and identify the related careers
E.g. If you like music, would you like to be a singer, musician, musical artist, music composer, music producer, etc.
If you have interest in maths, would you like to be an accountant, engineer, banker, financial analyst, maths teacher, etc
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working in these careers . Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counsellor, your parents, etc.
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers you would like to pursue. The relevant subjects in the college will be the major and minor you can target
5. Explore the college reviews on these subjects and the entry criteria
Apart from learning the knowledge, college can also train up your critical thinking and analysis skills. You can also gain the experience on organizing activities and establish people network.
On the other hand, bear in mind that your interest may change throughout your life time. You may change the career.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Think about what you have interest, e.g. your hobbies, favourite subjects, etc. and identify the related careers
E.g. If you like music, would you like to be a singer, musician, musical artist, music composer, music producer, etc.
If you have interest in maths, would you like to be an accountant, engineer, banker, financial analyst, maths teacher, etc
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working in these careers . Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counsellor, your parents, etc.
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers you would like to pursue. The relevant subjects in the college will be the major and minor you can target
5. Explore the college reviews on these subjects and the entry criteria
Apart from learning the knowledge, college can also train up your critical thinking and analysis skills. You can also gain the experience on organizing activities and establish people network.
On the other hand, bear in mind that your interest may change throughout your life time. You may change the career.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Steve Sterner
IT Management
19
Answers
Easton, Pennsylvania
Updated
Steve’s Answer
Your question is very common, there are so many things out there and so many voices telling you what you need to look for in a career. The first thing I can say to you is relax when looking at this question as even though many may tell you this will define the rest of your life it may not. Your decision is not one you are stuck with forever. Talk to the adults in your life that have gone to college and ask them what they study and then ask them what they do likely many of them have 2 different answers. My first degree is in Accounting and Specialized Management, and I was a Cost Accountant for about 9 months when I came to the realization, I hated accounting. At 56 I still think I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Speak to a lot of people that do things you think you may be interested, talk to counselors, college admissions and even college students and get their perspectives on what they do, what they study or studied and what they dream about doing later.
I am an IT Manager and when I interview more important to me than what a person studied in college is how they studied what their journey was, did they pivot somewhere in their college. I don't speak for everyone but more important to me than what you studied was did you learn how learn, did you learn how to think, did you spend 4 years grinding with other people on tasks that had deadlines and even when things got tough you persevered.
Again, I don't speak for everyone but again I say when you look at this question and it is a great question remember it is not final, it will not define you and you are well on your way by taking the time to ask it seriously and looking for input from others.
Good Luck in whatever you choose and whatever follows!
I am an IT Manager and when I interview more important to me than what a person studied in college is how they studied what their journey was, did they pivot somewhere in their college. I don't speak for everyone but more important to me than what you studied was did you learn how learn, did you learn how to think, did you spend 4 years grinding with other people on tasks that had deadlines and even when things got tough you persevered.
Again, I don't speak for everyone but again I say when you look at this question and it is a great question remember it is not final, it will not define you and you are well on your way by taking the time to ask it seriously and looking for input from others.
Good Luck in whatever you choose and whatever follows!
Nivea Hanley
AI Engineer
17
Answers
Clearwater, Florida
Updated
Nivea’s Answer
Hey Nathan,
Choosing a college path and a future career can feel overwhelming, right? Here's the deal: when picking your major, think about what really fires you up. What are you passionate about? Also, check out the job market for that field. It's cool to consider internships or jobs that give hands-on experience. Chat with people in those careers, see what they think. And hey, don't forget to enjoy the college experience, maybe even study abroad for a different perspective. Anyway, the key is to find something you love and that pays the bills, too!
Good luck, mate!
Choosing a college path and a future career can feel overwhelming, right? Here's the deal: when picking your major, think about what really fires you up. What are you passionate about? Also, check out the job market for that field. It's cool to consider internships or jobs that give hands-on experience. Chat with people in those careers, see what they think. And hey, don't forget to enjoy the college experience, maybe even study abroad for a different perspective. Anyway, the key is to find something you love and that pays the bills, too!
Good luck, mate!
Tony Riccobono
Technical Program Manager
12
Answers
Huntington Beach, California
Updated
Tony’s Answer
Your situation is quite common. Many students are unsure what career they wish to choose, and many people who think they are sure about their career choice end up changing their mind during college or later in life. And in some cases, a career choice is influenced not only by your interests but by other constraints such as family priorities or where you want to live, and for many people potential earnings is also a factor. When I was in 11th grade I felt pretty sure about my college and career direction; by 12th grade I had chosen a completely different career on which to focus.
Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for whatever career you might choose:
1) Learn more about actual careers. Your teachers or guidance counselors can assist you with this, but another place to look is employment listings on job web sites - look at the job requirements for various roles. And I believe the best way is to talk to people with these actual careers. What do they actually do? How did they make that choice? What do they like and dislike? One way to find such people who are willing to give you some time is to ask your friends at school or church - talk to their parents about their careers.
2) Learn about yourself. Everyone has likes, dislikes and passions; take the time to think about how you would articulate your passions and the basis for those passions. Don't just focus on the activity - you may be passionate about performing music, or sports, or hiking, or playing video games, but a career in these areas isn't always like the activity. Focus on what it is about these activities that makes you passionate about them, things like whether it requires attention to detail (or not), figuring out technical challenges, being able to work with (or lead) a team, or whether the activity is highly visible (or not) to the public. As you learn more about careers, this self-knowledge can help you to see how such careers may or may not appeal to these underlying interests. Keep in mind that few jobs will perfectly align with your passions, but you can still use this knowledge to consider potential career paths.
3a) As you apply to colleges, focus on schools with a broad set of majors, and schools that excel in multiple areas. Look at schools that don't require you to declare a major right away, or that make it easy to transfer between departments - some schools treat each department almost like a completely different university with a separate application process, while other schools are much more flexible. Schools with a diverse set of majors will provide more flexibility for when you are ready to choose a career, or at least choose a major. Also, with more majors there are more upper-class students whom you can query about their major or career choices.
3b) If you aren't ready to focus on a specific career or identify a specific major, a different college direction to consider is community college. Most majors will have basic requirements in math, science, history, or writing; community college will allow you to start working on these requirements and give you more time to consider what major, and therefore what college, is a good fit for you before you commit to a particular direction. Community colleges will also offer classes in certain disciplines that could give you a "taste" of what you might face in certain majors. Some community college instructors teach part-time while having a full-time career, and they can provide another opportunity for you to find out more about certain career areas.
4) Look for opportunities to be exposed to a career, either before or while attending college. Clubs, internships, and volunteer opportunities provide a way to get exposed to certain career activities. As you look at colleges, ask what opportunities exist for such activities as part of campus life.
Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for whatever career you might choose:
1) Learn more about actual careers. Your teachers or guidance counselors can assist you with this, but another place to look is employment listings on job web sites - look at the job requirements for various roles. And I believe the best way is to talk to people with these actual careers. What do they actually do? How did they make that choice? What do they like and dislike? One way to find such people who are willing to give you some time is to ask your friends at school or church - talk to their parents about their careers.
2) Learn about yourself. Everyone has likes, dislikes and passions; take the time to think about how you would articulate your passions and the basis for those passions. Don't just focus on the activity - you may be passionate about performing music, or sports, or hiking, or playing video games, but a career in these areas isn't always like the activity. Focus on what it is about these activities that makes you passionate about them, things like whether it requires attention to detail (or not), figuring out technical challenges, being able to work with (or lead) a team, or whether the activity is highly visible (or not) to the public. As you learn more about careers, this self-knowledge can help you to see how such careers may or may not appeal to these underlying interests. Keep in mind that few jobs will perfectly align with your passions, but you can still use this knowledge to consider potential career paths.
3a) As you apply to colleges, focus on schools with a broad set of majors, and schools that excel in multiple areas. Look at schools that don't require you to declare a major right away, or that make it easy to transfer between departments - some schools treat each department almost like a completely different university with a separate application process, while other schools are much more flexible. Schools with a diverse set of majors will provide more flexibility for when you are ready to choose a career, or at least choose a major. Also, with more majors there are more upper-class students whom you can query about their major or career choices.
3b) If you aren't ready to focus on a specific career or identify a specific major, a different college direction to consider is community college. Most majors will have basic requirements in math, science, history, or writing; community college will allow you to start working on these requirements and give you more time to consider what major, and therefore what college, is a good fit for you before you commit to a particular direction. Community colleges will also offer classes in certain disciplines that could give you a "taste" of what you might face in certain majors. Some community college instructors teach part-time while having a full-time career, and they can provide another opportunity for you to find out more about certain career areas.
4) Look for opportunities to be exposed to a career, either before or while attending college. Clubs, internships, and volunteer opportunities provide a way to get exposed to certain career activities. As you look at colleges, ask what opportunities exist for such activities as part of campus life.