Getting to Know You: At Step 1, Part 2 is to Ask Yourself, "Why Study...?"

Last blog, we explored the importance of picking a program based on your interests. Now I want to emphasize, do not pick a college based on reputation alone. Your college list should be about what college will fit for you. But first, you must know yourself.

Here's a task. "Zoom out" and look at the big picture. Ask yourself, why do I want to study at all?

Why go to college, or graduate school, or learn English? What do I hope to achieve? In a future blog, we will look at college choice. But before you can choose a good program, you must know yourself. Once you know what you're looking for, you can pick colleges that will help you get there.  

But what if you don't yet know exactly why want to study in the United States? It may be that you just feel you want more options in life, but you don't know what you want to do for your career. It may be that you believe an education in a foreign country will give you more opportunities, but you don't know what those are. If that's you, please read on. 

FOR U.S. STUDIES: EDUCATION OPTIONS ARE FAIRLY FLEXIBLE

Undergraduate Studies (First four years): First, for undergraduate studies in the United States it may comfort you to know this. While financially it is most expedient to know your major (academic focus) before you start, many universities will allow you to change it later. In the USA, most people change careers at least a few times (the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has fuzzy numbers, but says the average person changes jobs 11.7 times in their life). And while US undergraduate programs typically want you to pick a major (academic focus) before you apply, you can usually change it later. Doing so can add some time to your graduation date, but if you start your program with general education coursework, you may be able to 'buy time' and still graduate on time. This is why. Whereas in many countries, you only take coursework applicable to your academic focus, in the United States, it is often different. If you attend a 4-year college, many programs will require you to take elective coursework in topics like History, Political Science, Social Science, and Mathematics, and these courses can often intersect across multiple majors. If you enter university unsure, you can work with your advisor on course selection to keep as many doors option as possible.  

Graduate Studies (Master's Degree or PhD): In support of career changers, at the graduate school level in the U.S., you may choose to study a topic that is different from your undergraduate course of study, as long as you show a demonstrated interest in the new field, and take required prerequisite coursework, which can often be done at community colleges, and even online. For example, I studied Journalism in undergrad, worked in advertising and management, and then took a few required prerequisite courses at a community college, and then switched to School Counseling in graduate school. As another example, if you study English or Engineering in undergrad, you may be able to switch to another topic in graduate school if you can show a demonstrated interest and prerequisite knowledge. 

​Once you do decide on a potential career path then you can look at study paths that match.

FOR THOSE NEEDING MORE GUIDANCE 

For international students: Remember that if you are not a US citizen, most students are required to return to their home country after studying abroad, and so you'll want to consider focusing on an area of study that will be useful for you not only abroad, but at home, too. In an article on career planning, the BLS says that one "approach to identifying potential career interests is to consider local employers and the types of jobs they have." This can be especially true for international students. You will probably want to pick a program that will prepare you to work in your profession  of interest or to launch your own company if and when you return. 

After an inter-session blog with a fun book recommendation, the next college planning blog will be about defining your career interests, so stay tuned! 

As always please let me know if you have any questions!