Let’s assume you’ve just finished high school and you’re not sure what to do next. You feel a bit overwhelmed with all the information and pieces of advice good-natured people are giving you, which just serve to raise your anxiety and uncertainty.
Unfortunately, we can’t decide for you which Bachelor’s degree you should study, but we can go through some major points and offer some tips, all in the hope of making your life easier. So, how can you do to find the right Bachelor's degree?
1. Do a little soul searching - What are you good at?
We understand that trying to figure out what you like and what you’re good at is, probably, the hardest thing you will have to do in your life.
Sure, there might be a few people who were born knowing what they wish to be, and some who just don’t care and simply follow the money, but, for the rest of us, it would probably be best to just take a deep breath and think.
First, you can take into account the most popular fields of study today, like:
Secondly, if that doesn’t work, you can ask yourself: What do you do best in your group of friends? Are you the one that photoshops the pictures of the gang? Are you the one who takes care that everybody is home safe, after a party? Do you enjoy organising trips?
Follow what you enjoy doing in your spare time and find a Bachelor’s degree that helps you expand on that. Don’t make your life hard and overthink things: usually, your first instinct is right, so follow that and don’t look back.
2. You can always consider well-paid careers
If you’re not committed to any discipline or field, and you don’t feel pulled in any direction, then you should definitively follow the money.
I know we may sound like Jerry McGuire, yelling about money on the phone, but hear us out. Why get stuck in a field you don’t feel compelled to study or feel like you’re wasting your time? If you’re to study, why not follow the scent of money and jobs?
From what we gathered, you will find the most popular and profitable careers in fields like:
3. Choose a country that gets you out of the house every night
Today’s world is awesome! Ok, no, not really, but, technologically speaking, it is the best! You can search for all kinds of Bachelor’s degrees in all countries, and you will surely find one that’s made specifically for you.
You can check all our countries for Bachelor’s degrees, or you can check the most popular destinations, like:
And you should definitively go for it!
Life’s too short to only stay in one city, and get to know one culture or one type of cuisine. Go and travel, visit, eat, pray, love (sorry, couldn’t help myself), study, and get to know and experience stuff you never could back home.
4. Ask around and find students who already studied abroad
You’re not the only student who is considering studying for a Bachelor’s abroad, and you won’t be the last.
If you don’t know what people to ask or you’re not sure how the experience will be, then you should definitively check other international students’ experiences.
5. Consider the university and visa application processes
If packing your things and leaving would be as easy as just buying a plane ticket, we wouldn’t be warning you about it. Relocating and applying to universities will take time, a lot of patience, and understanding lingo that might otherwise confuse you.
If you’re committed to travelling for your Bachelor’s or Master's degree, then you should definitively start researching and reading ASAP things like:
- How to apply to a university in Denmark
- How to apply to a university in Switzerland
- How to apply to a university in Spain
- How to apply to a university in China
- How to apply to a university in the Netherlands
6. Consider the extra costs and quality of life
I know the image of poor-student-having-to-live-on-noodles is catching up and may seem poetic and fun, but it’s not. There’s no poetry in not thinking in advance and having to struggle or having to say pass to something you really wanted, because you couldn’t afford it.
The thing you could do is either search for cheap tuition fees or go straight after the lowest living costs. They may seem like two categories that tend to overlap, but it isn’t that easy: Bachelor’s degrees in Eastern Europe are never free, but you can buy a three-course meal with 10 EUR, while Nordic countries offer free Bachelor’s left and right, but only paired with high living costs.
If you’re intrigued by what prices may wait for you abroad, you should check prices like:
- Living costs in France
- Living costs in Sweden
- Living costs in the Netherlands
- Living costs in Germany
- Living costs in Ireland
- Living costs in Finland
7. Studying further away from home doesn't mean you'll lose touch
Whatever you decide to study, never forget to install Skype, Slack, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or any other social network app you can think of, because your life won’t stop once you leave your country to study.
We won’t lie to you: the first week in a new place can feel lonely, but there’s nothing wrong with being a bit uncertain. You’ll see: once you arrive and see that your phone is still working, and that you can spend hours telling your old friends about your new friends, things will seem like a breeze.
8. Be sure to make a best-options list
Take a pen and paper, sit down, put on a great fight song, and start writing. And never underestimate a good fight song!
Honestly, the best decisions are taken with the right soundtrack in the background, and it will make your decision-making time more enjoyable and epic, the pros and cons taking different meanings and shapes.
And you should do that list with multiple columns, with each university and its Bachelor’s programme, and take into consideration the language they will be teaching in, the tuition fees, the ranking of the university, the safety of the country, and so on. These will help you sort out things more swiftly and may make the difference between two seemingly perfect options.
9. Never forget to have fun
Look, whatever decision you take: if it’s about studying abroad, or following a Bachelor’s degree in a certain field, don’t ever be too hard on yourself.
Give yourself time to adjust to the move and decision, have fun with the people you meet, take lazy Sundays if that’s what you really want to do, and so on.
Still, don’t neglect your studies: attend your courses, work on your projects, read everything you’re recommended and, bottom line, always strive to be the best in your field. And I’m not talking about grades here: just know stuff, ok?
The last piece of advice before you go
I know this may seem like a lot to process, but it’s easier than it seems: once you start, you’ll see that all steps are manageable.
We have faith and trust you can do it, so, after you take and release that slow breath, go get them, tiger!