How should you choose a major?

Although you probably already know that you want to continue your education after graduating from high school, you must still make one final important decision, and choose your major. With so many options available in Prague, it can be hard to narrow down the academic field that you want to study. This choice is easy for some students – they may want to follow their parents, or pursue a childhood interest. Remember that there is nothing wrong with you if you are still unsure about your major after your first semester, or even after your first year in college. It is not impossible to stick to your initial plan in terms of a preferable career path, but it is quite rare. 

The University of New York in Prague will help you become who you want to be.

How to choose a professional sphere that suits you?

First of all, you have to analyze your interests and skills. Your values and aptitudes, in combination with your personality type, should be taken into consideration. Are you passionate about a certain sport? Do you enjoy being around people and making new connections? Or maybe you’ve always been good with numbers? Luckily there are multitudes of career tests and services nowadays, with professional career counselors who can help you narrow down your choices. (In a previous article, we suggested some useful materials for high-school students looking to continue higher education in Prague.)

Your next step is to look into the subject lists of your preferred programs and attend a university Open Day, or contact the Admissions Office with any questions. For example, imagine that you want to study sports management more than anything in the world. As this is a management track, you should ask yourself which university, in the country of your choice, has the best Business Administration program.  What disciplines does this program cover? Are they relevant to sports management? Try to find out something about the background and experience of the professors who are teaching it. Another important piece of advice is not to be embarrassed if your parents want to accompany you to the Open Day event. They will have many opinions and practical perspectives, but we always encourage the prospective students to ask the questions, rather than their parents! After  all, you will be the one to make the final decision. Your choice of an institution and a major will mark the first step of your transition into adulthood. 

Finding your career path

Sometimes your university degree can help you choose a profession, simply because you hadn’t previously thought of it as an option before beginning your studies. And that’s fine – you aren’t supposed to know everything when starting your higher education! Some decisions can only be made by trying and experiencing things first-hand. According to Dr. Edel Sanders, Chair of the Psychology Department at UNYP,  “Reading around the area helps you to make an initial decision about choosing your university program, but only studying in-depth will help you to choose a specific career path.” Whether you want to solve global problems with a degree in International Relations, help people to improve their life experiences with a degree in Psychology; communicate ideas and concepts that matter with a degree in English Language & Literature; work out new trends and directions in Marketing, or drive the digital transformation of the business world with a degree in IT Management, UNYP will help you to develop the essential skills required to become an emergent leader in your profession. 

Although it is essential to major in a subject that you’re passionate about, this does not guarantee that your dream job will be exactly as you imagined it. Once you enroll in your study program, we recommend that you make full use of the university’s careers service and gain experience with internships. You will have a chance to see the industry of your dreams from the inside while in college, and make an informed decision to pursue your degree or change your major. 

Enjoy the process and be proud of the results!