which course is best to study at university
By wysecom
@wysecom (346)
South Africa
December 22, 2011 5:09am CST
While growing up, my dad wanted me to read law because of my argumentative and inquisitive questioning habit. My seniors wanted me to study medicine. I was more inclined to engineering. But ended with Mathematical science.
Some parents prefer their wards to take up certain disciplines. Some want to have an array of specialists in the family. Some wards end up studying what they never wanted in the first place; but daddy's ego must be maintained at all cost.
It seems some courses are overated and some are underrated hence there are usaully vacancies for students in some courses while some are over applied. Some people believe that one can become whatever one desires despite the course of study at University. But some countries are in need of specialists of certain disciplines thereby putting the emphasis on some disciplines.
Please tell me, are some courses better than others? What would you prefer to have your child study at university? Assuming you were to start afresh, what would you study at varsity.
7 responses
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
23 Dec 11
The course that one has to take at the university depends on the student. It has to be something that he is good at and of interest to him. He also must take into consideration the demand for such kind of course / job in the future. That way, he can surely excel and benefit from such course.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
In most cases SIMPLYD, the student has an idea of what he wants to become; but not a firm one. At O'levels (matric in some countries), these students are not afforded the largesse of a career counsellor.
I remembered in my first year in the university I had my majors and minors (electives). Every lecturer in the electives used that platform to tell us the importance of that particular subject and the need for us to become specialist in that field, probably change course. Some students drifted away.
But from the onset, we already had the great expectations of the family on our weak shoulders. Then in some cases, the government says the country has need of ..... On campus, the lecturers are scrambling to get some more students into their departments because some courses were being scrapped if student enrolment were found to be below minimum volumes for the university to sponsor. At times, friends come home boasting of the superiority of some courses while the role models in our communities are men / women who studied xyz at university.
With all these, it is commonly found that people who studied 123 made it much more than those who studied 789. I am compelled to believe that you must have developed some liking for some courses either as a direct result of the pattern of the economy or your love and respect for that profession.
Tell me something.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
Sad but it is true. You do not sound like you are satisfied with the noble profession of accounting. It seems the excellent intention of daddy doesn't flow well with ou any longer but he meant all goo without any harm.
This is part of what we are trying to trash out here; experiences and outcomes as a result of the profession of study and the reasons we took such professions and of course, what could have been done in case of a turbulent sea in the future.
In your case you wanted economics but daddy wanted accounting, if you were to start all over again considering what you knew then and now, where would you steer your boat?
would you apply the same approach to your children?
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
23 Dec 11
Actually, in my case, i took BS in Business Admin. Major in Accounting as my course , because it was what my father wants me to take. I would have wanted Economics as major, but he didn't allow me. Hence, i took Accounting , much to my defiance, and didn't pass the board .
He said that it is a course that is well sought for in companies and to that i agreed. I easily found a job and stayed there for a long time, until i resigned , tried to seek job abroad but was unfortunate with it, so i am back to working but on a different company with different type of industry.
I can say that as of now, most people are into courses to which the demand is great. They are mostly nowadays after the monetary aspect.
Sad but it is true.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
22 Dec 11
It depends of course, on why you are studying; to get a better job or for personal development.
There are many course, such as business, etc, that are run purely for the sake of making money for the university.
For personal development, I don't believe you can beat philosophy of the English School
all the best urban
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
22 Dec 11
urbandekay, are you trying to twist me into confusion? No one would enter for a course just to gain personal development unless s/he has already made money. Therefore, money making and personal development cannot be separated when youngsters pursue higher learning.
Are you deciding for English as a major? Sounds like you majored in it. If you were to start afresh, where would you pitch your tent?
From what you have experinced thus far, would you recommend it to the would-bes!
@urbandekay (18278)
•
23 Dec 11
Well, I studied for interest and personal development for about 10 years.
I would not recommend English as a major and I am not convinced it should be studied at university.
If I choose to study further I might choose, some branch of physics, law, medicine, some kind of engineering or theology
all the best urban
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
urbandekay, please I need your help.
At the bottom of my computer screen, there is a clock running (myLot) and the time has a 4hour difference to mine. The question is this, is this clock running a 24 hour time or a 12 hour time?
I do not know if this clock is Asian timed or American timed. For instance, as I am asking this question, the clock says 04:04:45 while my time is 12:04:45. Is the myLot clock 4pm or 4am?
please assist.
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
22 Dec 11
Hi wysecom,
Most parents are like that. We can't blame them for wanting to influence their child on the course of study. I guess it's not only their ego but some really think that they know best and hence try their utmost to persuade him/her to follow their advice. They are wary that pursuing a course that has less "marketable" value may be detrimental or disappointing for their child when he/she graduates.
We live in a world in which we need to make a living. It would be ideal if our own preference for study matches the industries demand. Some vocations have higher pay and prospects than others. So we should in our decision for the course of study take this into consideration even though we may be less inclined for the subject. I think one needs to strike a happy balance here. In my opinion courses such as medicine and law would always be top, followed by other 'professional' courses like architecture, accountancy and engineering.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
22 Dec 11
That is exactly the problem I am trying to solve here. should we yied to parental demand or industrial demand or personal love for the course.
Some parents have goone out of the way to buy admission for their wards contrary to what the ward wants or could do. This practice has produced many half-baked unhappy graduates.
I know of a youngman who wanted to study music but daddy wanted medicine. he was forcefully uploaded into the medical school because daddy had some connections. He performed so woefully in the second and the faculty had only one option 'advised to withdraw'. His transcript was so poor none of the sciences could wedge him for a change of course. He was so badly eroded he ended in the arts but the trauma was great; he had disappointed daddy who boasted mouthfully to friends that junior would soon become a medical doctor. his stress left him with a 3rd class.
see what I mean!!
@francesca5 (1344)
•
23 Dec 11
i would argue quite strongly that the course we should do at university should be one that we find interesting and are good at.
but the problem is that by the age of 18 not all young people have sufficiently developed their interests and personalities to really know themselves well enough to know what they are good at and would really enjoy.
my two oldest daughters went to university a little later, and both of them are doing courses that they find really interesting and enjoy, and i am happy with that, though i can't claim it was brilliant planning, more accident. but i would prefer my children to do something they really enjoy, and find interesting.
it is a problem when parents try to get their children to follow career paths for the wrong reasons, as young people do have to develop their own identities and interests and follow their own paths in life.
i did economics at university, and didn't really like it, as i was very interested in music, but at that time to shy to pursue a career in it. however now i do do things in that area, having more or less dealt with the shyness, and strangely enough i actually now find economics quite interesting, not much fun, but interesting, and am actually quite pleased i studied it when i was younger, though at the time i wasn't.
its a difficult question you've ask, but i think university should be a way for a young person to realise their potential, but to do that someone has to have been able to properly explore their interests and their identity through education, otherwise they will not necessarily make good choices.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
Hi myLot Lady Francesca5, how are the girls doing? Others on this wall wrote about interest, career and money as guiding factors. Glad you have expanded it with enjoyment.
But what makes a course interesting because I believe everything is interesting if you stay long enough or open your eyes to different possibilities tied to that atmosphere. You never liked economics at that earlier stage of your life but now you seem to be glad it was economics you studied then. Also, you are of the opinion that despite not studying music, you still have a part to play in the music industry with economics assisting.
Don't you think parents should assist their children in making the choice more flexible and all encompassing so that future adjustments can be embedded, if the need arises, without resorting to full scale adjustments which could prove to be building a castle in the air?
Do you know that those who manage the musicians are as rich as if not richer than the musicians? I am forced to believe that a bit of counselling would have put you in the best point combining music with economics, even now.
From your thread, the university should be a way to realise potential but... Now 'how would one explore interests and identity through education'? At what age would one then enter the university and be able to handle studies without flopping?
You said my question was a difficult one but have made it even more difficult from the tone of the last paragraph you wrote.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
Modern universities have been attempting to cater for the 'I want all subjects in one course' somehow but the outside world has its demands. I am not advocating that one should study everything.
Do you think employers should join the universities in designing the curriculum? It seems the employers have an idea what they want and of which some professional bodies are trying to meet but the universities seem to be lacking and lagging.
Assuming you major in one discipline, don't you think it would be interesting if you are exposed to other fileds related to your major?
Combining music with economics depends on how you see it. People are managing different aspects of other musicians at fees.
@francesca5 (1344)
•
23 Dec 11
i tend to find everything interesting too, but the problem is studying everything is not an option in the modern world, where qualifications are so important.
i only play folk songs which is a relatively uncompetitive specialised area of music, but integrating an interest in music and economics is quite hard, i tend to jokingly say that its because i was born at midnight, and sometimes feel like two people, but that would suggest that astrology had some basis in reality.
chosing a subject seems to be a lot easier for young people who are able to focus on one particular area, and like specialising at a young age. but it tends to be more of a problem for people who are interested in everything, and its an interesting question of how to meet their needs. as education seems, for obvious reasons, to prefer the young person who specialises, but many people from the past who turned out to be geniuses did not specialise early, but were interested in everything, but it just seems to me that modern university does not cater for them.
@mohkanari (1957)
• India
23 Dec 11
I think selection of study field should be made considering a students interests and his/her ambition of life. Otherwise there may occur some kind of dissatisfaction in future, related to any unfavorable atmosphere in job field.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
Mohkanari, if you talk of ambition, then every student in this generation wants to be Chris Brown (know him?), travelling the world and making millions in record sales, wearing latest fashion brands, driving big expensive fast cars, live in a 50room marble house, etc. They want the loudest deafening ovation and blings without foundation.
Dissatisfaction is a common part of humanity. Whether it is your preferred field or not, one is bound to have some elements of dissatisfaction and incompleteness along the line. Nothing on earth can truely and fully satisfy .....
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
23 Dec 11
indi15, if you were to assign the three factors you have listed above some score in a bag of 100% what would you assign each to total 100%?
Talking of the interest of the student, majority do not even know what to choose at such a stage in their lifes, therefore, how would they determine what's in their best interest?
Financial prsopects... but any industry can go into recession any time so what was excellent some years back may become obsolete i.e. industries that pulled so much weight may start retrenching.
@chrisanto (94)
• Philippines
22 Dec 11
Choosing a course in college is difficult especially if you are being dictated by parents to take the course they like for you. In my experiences and to my knowledge here in our place, those who prefers to choose for own interest are the one who became successful in life. Do not enroll in a course which you do not like and no interest at all.
@wysecom (346)
• South Africa
22 Dec 11
Great comment chrisanto. But before you entered the university, you are somwhere around 20 years. I entered at 18+, some entered earlier than this. What kind of a decision or choice do you expect a 20 year old boy/girl whose clothes, school fees food and housing are paid for by the power that control the house?
An adage says 'he that pays the piper dictates or calls the tune'. So daddy is the head of the house seconded by mommy. Both have formed a tacteam in an handicapped match against you; unfortunately they are also the officials in this one-sided game. Are you following the trials of junior here?
Daddy has said it and it is spoken, c'est finis. Junior has never seen anybody disobey daddy before. Obedience to parents is the keyword in the home. No uncle or aunty on either side of the home is ready to intrude. Family friends are given a boundary. Who do you turn to or what other option can you create!
