Whether to enter higher education or to improve your knowledge through a specialization: choosing a college is something that requires focus, research and analysis. Of course, nowadays it is easier to change careers, however, this does not eliminate the importance of being attentive – from the first time – when making the choice of what you will study for the next months or years of your life.
We know that, at these times, there are a series of mistakes that can end up causing problems for the professional future, such as job dissatisfaction, investments that could have been better used, among others. But don’t worry: you can prevent this from happening by keeping in mind what these mistakes are and what to do to avoid them. Come on?
Why is choosing a college an important decision?
It is not uncommon to find people who start a certain course but, over time, feel that they are not satisfied with that choice or that the area studied does not correspond to what they really wanted. As a solution, many of them end up giving up studying or choosing to change courses. This could be the case of someone you know or even your own case.
Not that changing majors is something wrong and shouldn’t happen — when you’re dissatisfied with what you’re studying, it’s actually a sensible option to consider. However, when all the possibilities are well evaluated when choosing a college, the chances of ending up in this situation and avoiding this whole process are smaller.
Choosing the most appropriate alternative can free you from future regrets, in addition to guaranteeing personal and professional satisfaction. But how is it possible for such an important decision to be made amid so much uncertainty and even pressure? The answer here is to know everything you need to avoid when choosing a college. That’s what we’ll talk about in the next item!
What Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a College?
1. Consider only the salary
Of course, in addition to the opportunity to work with what you love, receiving an adequate salary at the end of each month is important. However, opting for a certain area considering only the high yield is something that is really not worth it. When using money as the sole criterion, you run the risk of:
- obtain a financial return, but still not feel satisfied;
- allow your health to be negatively affected by stress and personal and professional dissatisfaction.
Here, the ideal is to choose a college that provides you with both professional satisfaction and a good quality of life, thus reaching a balance. From this, the chances of starting a successful trajectory become greater – that gives you that feeling of accomplishment. Financial recognition will follow.
2. Not researching the course
Although avoidable, this is a very common mistake, especially among younger people. When you don’t research the course of interest in depth, the risk of ending up discovering that the chosen area has nothing to do with what you imagined is much greater — and this problem, in most cases, has nothing to do with the course. in itself, but, rather, with the lack of analysis before defining the profession to follow.
The same goes for cases in which a college is chosen considering only a discipline in which you perform well. It is clear that this is an aspect that must be analyzed, however, it should not be the most important – especially because the level of knowledge required in a higher education course is different.
In either case, search! Analyze the entire curriculum, seek information about the day-to-day of that profession, understand what functions you can perform and in what types of segment to work and, if possible, talk to someone trained in the area to get a sense of what your job.
3. Choosing a career just because it’s hot
Choosing a career based on the current economic situation of the country or just because it is on the rise at that moment is a recurring mistake. In order not to fall into this misunderstanding, it is necessary to understand that these are very unstable criteria for choosing an area.
It could be that the market is totally different when you finish the course, or that the profession of that character from the favorite series of the moment is not for you. In either case, you may end up feeling disappointed with reality, losing motivation at work, and even feeling dissatisfied personally and professionally.
So, inform yourself as much as possible before choosing a college, avoiding being taken by surprise by a “high” career that is not at all what you expected.
4. Not knowing the educational institution
In addition to not researching the course, not knowing the educational institution in advance is a mistake that needs to be avoided — after all, one of the steps to becoming a valued professional is to choose training offered by a quality college, good penetration in the market and accredited by the MEC.
Fortunately, there are very receptive higher education institutions, allowing the prospective student to get to know the place, its infrastructure and the course up close before making a decision. So, research a lot and try to clear all your doubts about the college beforehand.
5. View education as an expense, not an investment
Just as it is essential to research on educational institutions and courses offered, it is necessary to understand that investment in education should not be seen simply as an expense. He goes much further, opening doors and opportunities for a better professional future.
A very common mistake in this regard is choosing a college just because it offers the course you are interested in at a low price. Here, a valuable tip is to consider the cost-benefit of joining that institution and attending the degree or specialization in question.
