Oct 4, 2021

How to choose a study program?

If you thought that choosing a country and a university to study is difficult, also take into consideration the study program. Most students think that this is the easier part. You just start reading the descriptions of the programs, analyze them, compare them and finally you choose one. Well, let me tell you, it is not that easy.

There are two types of students: the ones that know from a young age what they would like to study and the ones that still don’t have any clue about what they would like to do with their lives. If you are part of the second group, don’t panic... just take a deep breath and continue reading.

Would you like to read more about studying in the Netherlands?  Check out our  free whitepaperMy case:
I never knew what I really wanted to study or what my hobbies really were. I knew I enjoyed doing a lot of things, but almost none of them seemed important or good enough to support me later in life. I thought that maybe by asking my friends or my parents about their dreams would help me. Eventually it didn’t because even though they all had amazing dreams, those were not mine. Something didn’t feel right and in the end I was even more confused than when I started. But that was a good thing...as I was more confused I was also getting scared that I wouldn’t make the right decision, so I started thinking and thinking and finally made a decision. The whole process took me a while but it helped me get to know myself better.

My process of choosing a study program that would best fit me:
The first step was to make a list of my strong points and weak points. I think this was the most difficult thing to do because you realize that even you don’t know yourself that well or you do but you are too afraid to admit it. Also on this list, write what you like and what you don’t like, especially in terms of school subjects.

Secondly, I went on the webpage of the university and opened the pages for every single program they had. I eliminated from the start the ones I was sure I didn’t like. Even if you have no idea what would suit you best, I am pretty sure we all have something we hate doing. Furthermore, while reading, I was writing down key words like: math, languages, drawing skills…all kind of words that I would later compare with my strong and weak points list.

Last but not least, I looked for a quiet and comfortable place where I could start analyzing and making an idea for the future. If you are lucky enough, you will end up with only one program that fits your list. But if you are unlucky like me, then you will end up with at least 2 programs that might interest you. In this case, again, you have two options:

  1. You could go and ask for an advice from your parents or friends
  2. You could take a chance and listen to your heart. Sometimes it ends up better than expected.

What I did was follow my heart and taking the risk. So I chose the program International Business and languages and all I can say is that I'm really happy with my choice and if I had to choose again I would make the same choice.

It is true that after trying it, you might find out that you were not as compatible with the program as you thought you would be. But this is the risk with every study. It is a fifty-fifty percent chance that your decision was the best. But hey, life is all about making choices. That’s why you should take your time and think carefully about the future and what would really make you happy. This is your time now, the moment when you finally choose, so make it worth it!

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