Choosing a Degree: Practical Tips to Pick the Right Path

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Published by Bright Kwofie at December 14, 2025

Understand Your Genuine Interest

One of the key considerations when choosing a field of study at the tertiary level is to understand your interests. This involves a deep personal reflection on what you are intensely passionate about and want to solve, requiring critical thinking and quantitative reasoning. With this, challenges in the way are manageable but not something that easily drains you, stresses you, or makes you regret choosing that field of study at the tertiary level. Passion is a strong foundation at the tertiary level because every field of study has some level of difficulty.

Conduct Personal SWOT Analysis

Another key consideration in choosing a career path at the tertiary level is reflecting your capabilities through the lens of SWOT analysis. This framework helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses in a particular field of study and how to turn your weaknesses into strengths, gaining a double-edged advantage. Additionally, it provides a dimensional view of opportunities and threats throughout the course of study, as well as how one can mitigate these threats when they arise. Knowing this prepares you strongly to choose a better career path for your future self.

Job Market Demand

Job market demand plays a significant role in one of the factors to consider when choosing a career path at the tertiary level. Conduct personal research and find out whether the demand for those with degrees in the field you want to study is either higher or lower. If the demand is higher, it indicates that you have a higher chance of securing a job after graduation; if the demand is lower, it means you have a lower chance of getting a job after graduation. Knowing the demand for the job market saves you from regret and overthinking after graduation.

Internship and Practical Exposure Opportunities

Another factor to consider when choosing a career path at the tertiary level is the opportunity for internships and practical exposure. Employers nowadays want to hire graduates who have completed internships and gained practical experience beyond the standard classroom setting. In view of this, research to see if the course you want to study offers stress-free internship opportunities and practical exposure experience to those who are offering the course, rather than a typical classroom setting. Knowing this helps you acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge in your field of study, which gives you a competitive edge in this world.

Assess Financial Capacity

Access to finance is one of the fundamental stepping stones to any tertiary institution. This is because it allows you to have a clear mind to focus on learning and better understand the course of study. Check the financial background of your parents or guardians before you make a choice. If your parents or guidance have the financial muscle to help you study a course of your interest and is in high demand in the job market, you seem to be on a good career path; if not, start searching for scholarship opportunities from the university you are applying to or any scholarship foundation that will support you.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a degree is not just about paying fees to attend; it requires grounded, practical factors to consider so you don’t regret wasting your time. To save yourself from overthinking and regret after a wrongful degree, understand your genuine interest, conduct a personal SWOT analysis, consider the job demand in that field, consider an internship and exposure to opportunities, and finally, assess your financial capacity. Knowing this helps you to make a good decision that your future self will thank you for later.