Читать книгу How to Succeed At University--International Edition - Danton O'Day - Страница 9

Did You Know?

A 2010 survey of first-year students at thirty-nine Canadian universities revealed that for 27% of students surveyed, meeting parental expectations was a “very important” reason for attending university.⁵

It’s often the case that students haven’t even thought of alternatives to their primary goal in life. In high school, the job opportunities that students are made aware of are generally very limited. Attending university can open your eyes to the wide variety of career options that are available. In the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to reassess your current situation. Often one’s primary goal, especially for the professions of medicine, dentistry and law, among others, is in reality a parental dream not the student’s.

Professor O’Day’s Advice: Assessing Your Goals

Every year I have students come to ask for advice about their progress in my classes. Often they are failing or doing poorly and can’t understand why. In a large number of cases, the reason is simple. They are attending university for all the wrong reasons. The primary reason is Mom and/or Dad want them to become a professional. I’ve had dozens of students over the years come to me and ask what they can do because their parents are putting unrealistic pressure on them to become a professional when they either aren’t interested or won’t be able to meet the demands of getting accepted to that profession.

As an adult, you need to look out for your own interests. So if your marks are not up to par for your goals or if you are finding that your goals are changing, here’s a list of assessment questions you can answer that should help you in determining just what is right for you:

1.Write down your goals and interests in two side-by-side columns and list the positives and negatives for them.

2.Note whether they are your goals or whether someone else is pushing you in that choice.

3.List the subjects in which you are doing your best.

4.List the subjects in which you are doing your worst.

5.List the subjects which you like the best.

6.List the subjects which you don’t like or skip classes.

7.Seriously evaluate your grades (cumulative and recent).

8.Compare your actual grades with those that are required for the profession that you want.

9.Go through all of the above and see what things are positive and which are negative.

10.Based on those results, do an online search for professions in those areas.

In short, write down the plusses and minuses of your current life. Look at what you have written and see if being a student is the best route for you.

The smartest thing you can do, as a student, is to keep your options open. Don’t limit yourself too much too early. It’s very likely that you really don’t know what you want to do in life. How could you? You hardly know what real opportunities exist! You haven’t yet had the chance to examine in depth all of the options open to you.

For this reason, we re-emphasize: keep your options open. You may wonder, “How do I do that?” The first thing to do is to select a programme that will not limit you, that is, one that allows flexibility in selecting the subjects you wish to study in your first year. Many students enter their first year with unrealistic dreams and take subjects that are intended to prepare them for a specific academic pathway rather than give them an all-round education. After a year or so they find that they are not enjoying the subject area and want to switch programmes. Then they realize that they have made a tremendous error. Not only did they not realize their dreams, they also have a bag full of useless classes that have not prepared them for an alternative future.

That’s one of the keys to success in life: having alternatives. We all have dreams; some are easily reachable, some are not. It is important to dream. But it is important to be realistic at the same time. You have a future to protect; don’t waste your years with only one dream in mind. The chances are that it may not be realized. With alternatives, you have something to fall back on.

Professor O’Day’s Experience with Programme Selection

I was lucky in this regard. I entered university with no idea about what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do with my life. I liked biology but not to the exclusion of other subjects. As a result, I took a general programme in my first year that included the basics: math, English, introductory biology, French and chemistry. My first-year average was less than exciting, somewhere around 66%. In spite of this no-so-exciting average I had set the stage for my future. I now had many options open to me and I had strengthened my ability in basic areas necessary for survival—communication and calculation.

I subsequently pursued biology more enthusiastically but continued to round out my education with more general subjects such as psychology and many arts subjects. Each year my grades improved and my options were still open. Although I decided to specialize in biology in my third and fourth years, I still had the opportunity to switch to other areas if I had changed my mind. Having diverse subjects (but not so diverse as to generate a totally uncoordinated programme), I also found that my learning was enhanced by the different points of view to which I was exposed. This broader education has also helped me in general since it means that I am more diversified in my knowledge.

So keep your options open. If available, consider a programme that includes certain basics but still leaves room for optional subjects that you find interesting. In addition, have alternatives open for yourself. Your first choice of programme may turn out to be the right one for you. But if it doesn’t, you will have other options to fall back on.

Did You Know?

The process of changing your programme of study will depend on the specific programme and university. It can be a relatively simple or complex process. Before going through with it, speak to an adviser, counsellor or anyone else at the university whose job it is to provide academic guidance. Consider why you want to make the switch, and whether doing so will solve your problem. If you’re changing because you don’t like your current studies, are you sure you will enjoy the programme you are switching to? If you want to switch because you aren’t doing well, will studying another subject area really improve your grades? Many of your problems may be solved by changing your study habits. Advice for effective studying and learning is provided in Chapters 5 and 6.

Figure 1.1 shows a general diagram that summarizes some of the options that are open to a student after his or her postsecondary education. The types of arrows indicate the general frequency with which people will follow a certain pathway. Thus it will be common after high school for individuals to enter the workforce or go to university. But as time goes on for the university student or as he or she progresses through each year, the chances that the student will enter the workforce will diminish until he or she completes a degree, when again it will be very likely that the student will enter the workforce or, less likely, a job training school (e.g., a community college, trades or vocational school, etc.). With a university degree other options are open as well. Although it is not common for students to pursue a Master’s degree, those who do get a Master’s frequently continue towards a Doctorate. This general picture will give you some idea of how your options change as you progress through university.

The university website will be able to provide information about the exact requirements for postgraduate programmes and about the job possibilities after you graduate in various areas. Remember that your chance of getting into any postgraduate programme is going to depend on your grades, not simply on the fact that it is common for students to be admitted after they have obtained their Bachelor’s degree.

Figure 1.1 gives the general pathways that can be taken towards specific goals and the general frequency with which we perceive that students take each path. Of course this will vary widely from country to country so it will not always be accurate. Simply use it as a general guide. If you are interested in a specific programme or occupation depicted in the chart, you should check out the prerequisites for the particular programme or training that you have in mind at the university where it is offered.

By keeping your subjects general you make sure that you have the prerequisites if you do decide to switch your programme later. Most advanced classes at university have prerequisites at the first-year level. Look over all areas of the university curriculum to determine what prerequisites you might need. (There are also academic counsellors who can help you.) Then you won’t find that you can’t take a certain class in third year because you don’t have the first-year or second-year prerequisite. Some postgraduate programmes also desire certain subjects. Find out what they are because taking them may enhance your chance of acceptance. Then fit these subjects into a more general programme that will protect your future if you are not accepted.

Next, try to fit in the subjects that suit your interests. It is important to take classes related to your area of interest. In fact, you generally will find that you do best in such classes because when you enjoy the material learning is easier. However, by including diverse subjects you will discover that you are more marketable than the person restricted to one area of interest. For your overall survival it would be smart to take some English and/or a second language, which will enhance your ability to communicate with others. However, the final selection of classes rests with you and depends on the flexibility offered by your programme of study.

Did You Know?

Most students consider a university degree in terms of its use in getting a good job rather as an avenue for intellectual growth and learning. This job-oriented approach results in poor study habits, negative attitudes in class and poor academic performance.⁶