Universities in the UAE offer a diverse range of majors, from engineering to business to the arts; so there is a lot of variety to exploit. While this variety is exciting, it can also make choosing a major or minor degree a daunting task. For students, this choice is more than just ticking a box; it’s about setting the stage for a robust career. Let’s dive into how to make this crucial decision with confidence and clarity.
First, reflect on your interests and strengths
This is the most imperative consideration of all. If you don’t like the field you pursue, you won’t excel in it. Career counselors can help you identify the subjects you excel in and enjoy. They can also provide you with tools and exercises to explore your likes and dislikes systematically. In that way, even if all the subjects you love may not be career-worthy, you will still be able to find a few that can help you build a stable and accelerated career.
A great way to understand your interests is to make an exhaustive list of all the things you like and dislike. Draw a line down the centre of a paper, making two columns, and start allocating every and any subject that comes to mind in one of the two columns. Discuss each of these subjects in detail with your counselor, talk through the rationale behind choosing or rejecting a certain field, and then shortlist the ones that you both agree on.
Next, think about the economy
No life decision, big or small, should be made without research or knowledge.
Research industries that are growing in the UAE, read up on 5-year trends, and see how employment and funding has changed over time.
Speak to people in different industries to learn more about where they see the economy headed.
But don’t presume you can do all of this research on your own. While there is a wealth of information available online, not all of it is reliable. Finding the right kind of information online is also a tricky task. You don’t want to fall down a rabbit-hole of misguided advice. Seek out counselors that have access to up-to-date information and industry connections. They can suggest reliable sources of information and personalized advice based on your unique situation, which can be more valuable than generic online advice. They can even arrange meetings with alumni and professionals from different industries, offering firsthand insights into where the economy is headed.
You’ve got to think about the money, after all.
Ask your counselor for help in identifying the total tuition fees for your desired programs and institutes. Consider other expenses such as textbooks, accommodation, transportation, and living costs.
If you think you can’t make it into a university or course of your choice because of low funds, you can look into other avenues of funding — loans at competitive rates, or scholarships/grants. The UAE offers various scholarships for both domestic and international students, which can significantly lower tuition costs. But while they won’t bore a deep hole in your (your parents’) pockets, scholarships are definitely not an easy avenue to pursue. They require consistent academic performance in the previous years, extracurricular, and strong references from mentors. Some will even ask you take a merit test as part of the application.
Your counsellor will be able to help you build a profile for scholarships, suggesting ways to improve your likability with slightly lower or inconsistent scores. They will be able to help you write your essays, personal statements, and references.
Once all of this is done, you start calculating ROIs
ROI refers to return on investment; meaning you need to calculate how much money can you make after graduation, through your selected field of study, and then see if it will offset the money spent on education.
The formula to calculate ROI is: (earnings – costs)/(cost) x 100
If you’re confused as to how to do the costing, get in touch with a counselor who will help you understand the numbers and ensure that you have realistic estimates of potential earnings and costs, which can help you make financially sound decisions.