FOR CANDIDATES
Undoubtedly, studying is one of the most important stages in one’s life. Choosing the right field of study is a complex process, during which many factors have to be considered. It’s important to also analyze your experiences, current ideas, and the job market before making this choice. Likewise, it’s important to consider the skills and knowledge you need to become the employee you aspire to become after graduation. It’s worth asking yourself whether the field you choose will bring you closer to this goal? Do you want to pursue a career you think you know well or that your parents suggest?
Studying is rarely a goal in itself. Most often, it’s a necessary step toward achieving your dream job. Remember that regardless of your academic achievements and activities, gaining experience in the job market is crucial from the very beginning of your studies.
The University of Warsaw Careers Office is here to help with such things.
Studying isn’t just another period of education. One shouldn’t think of it as earning a certificate for the next grade. Studying is meant to be a stepping stone to professional work. Therefore, when choosing a field of study, think of it as the one your future job will be related to.
How to choose what to study?
1. Be independent.
Don’t give in to pressure from your parents or peers. Don’t go to a university where your best friend or colleague is going. You don’t have to continue family traditions at all costs.
2. Choose a program that offers the widest possible career options.
Right after your high school graduation, you have the right not to know who you want to be in the future. So, if you don’t have an idea of what you’ll be doing, choose a program that offers a wider range of career choices. Remember that after your bachelor’s degree, you can still make a difference in your life by choosing a different field when pursuing your Master’s degree. You can also choose interdisciplinary programs, such as Interfaculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences or Interfaculty Individual Studies in the Humanities.
3. Familiarize yourself with the program of your chosen program.
Don’t be guided by its name. Review the classes in each year. Sometimes the most interesting classes appear only in the second or third year. So don’t get discouraged after the first year. Your ideas about geography, chemistry, or journalism may be put to the test after the first year. Read the graduate profile – find out what can be done after each stage of studies (after the first and second cycles). Pay attention to the nature of the classes: are there many lectures or more practical classes in the form of exercises, labs, or field trips?
4. Don’t treat your choice as a lifelong decision.
American research shows that employees change jobs, positions, or professions about 5-7 times in their lives. Many start working for someone else and end up working for themselves. Many climb the ladder within the same company. Remember the principles: openness to change and lifelong learning. This translates into a career path.
5. Don’t put everything on one card – have a backup plan.
If you don’t get into your dream program at that top university, then maybe you will get into a similar program at that university or your dream program but at an another institution. Furthermore, don’t bet on everything a given university offers. There won’t always be opportunities to “transfer” between programs, and frustration will linger. In the job market, it’s not always the field of study that matters most, but the skills you gain from your studies: the ability to learn and to solve problems, analytical thinking, and the basics.
Before choosing a university: read and ask questions!
What does the University of Warsaw offer?
The details about the academic offer and the admissions process can be found on the Admissions Office and the Education Support Centre’s website (https://rekrutacja.uw.edu.pl/en/)