There’s definitely a deep feeling of dread and regret when you have waded through your first year of uni with the growing uncomfortable realisation that you don’t actually like what you have chosen to study. Rest assured that you are not the first person to come to this realisation and you definitely won’t be the last. In fact, it’s actually a good thing to become aware of this in the first place.
Instead of holding yourself to a path you know you’re not going to enjoy, take a look around and consider your options, because there definitely are options!
Looking outside the traditional university paradigm can offer opportunity in more ways than one.
Whilst it may seem backward to move from a degree into a diploma, it may be the best way of moving forward. Here’s why:
A diploma can typically be completed in 8 to 12 months, this is much more attractive than slugging it out for 2 to 3 more years in a degree you don’t like. Consider the subjects you have already completed at uni and maybe you will be eligible for credit towards your diploma, reducing your study time down to 4 short months.
Credit or not, within a year you have turned your uncertainty into a qualification.
Diplomas can be used for entry back into university if you decide you want to continue your studies. In fact, a diploma can typically get you an entire year of credit towards your degree. So once you have confirmed you are on the right path through actually studying and experiencing the subjects within the diploma, you can with confidence pursue the rest of your degree.
Finding a job after a degree can be super challenging, standing out for a position from everyone else in your year across all the other universities is hard! But the diploma can be the ace in your pocket.
Employability is increased by graduating with both a diploma and a degree. Or better yet, use your diploma to find part-time work in your field whilst you finish your degree. You will have years of experience ahead of your graduating peers.
Basically, life’s too short to stick to something you don’t enjoy. Be brave, take one step back, readjust and take two steps forward in the right direction. Not sure where to start? Check out SAIBT.
Committing to a degree is a daunting prospect. Have you chosen what you actually want to study? How do you know? What kind of career will this look like? What if I decide I don’t like my decision?
These concerns become even louder when accepting a second, third or even sixth preference.
A common mistake is often people are not aware of all the study options that surround them. Consider for a moment the possibility you could still advance into your first preference. How would that make you feel? Would you have the confidence to commit to your studies with more ease?
One of the most valuable alternatives to settling into a degree option that isn’t your first, is to consider a pathway into your top preference.
So what is a pathway?
A pathway is a program that enables you to enter directly into your first preference, like a diploma. It’s a stepping stone to get you where you want to be.
Diploma programs, such as what is offered at SAIBT, have proven study options, securing you to a study journey you actually desire.
By commencing a SAIBT diploma, you will be commencing the first year of university, on a university campus, taught by university lecturers. But you will be graduating after 12 months, with a nationally accredited qualification and the power to transfer into your preferred degree, with credit.
Consider it a soft introduction into your degree, but coming out the end of it with not just 1 but 2 qualifications.
You will have the opportunity to study the subjects you will be committing to for a further 2 or 3 years, giving you the confidence you have chosen exactly what you want to study and taking the guess work out of your career journey.
So why settle for a lower preference? … Take 5 minutes to look around at your options. It’s your time. Study what you want through a SAIBT pathway.