After your first official year at university and dealing with the transition from high school to this new student life, it can be difficult for many students. It’s even more difficult when you acknowledge that the course you’re currently enrolled in, is just not the one for you. After completing an entire year of your course, along with careful consideration, you have finally convinced yourself that this qualification is not for you, but what are you supposed to do now?

There’s a lot to start thinking about but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming, so here are a few things you should consider when wanting to change your course of study..

1. Why?

The big and most important question in this scenario. You have to be completely honest and transparent with yourself by interrogating the different reasons as to why you want to change your course of study. There are plenty of different reasons students want to change their course after a year and this could be because they don’t find themselves in a certain field after getting their degree or the course does not align with their passion or they have finally realised that they’re in the wrong field of study altogether.

2. Research your new course

Research is important. It’s important to do thorough research on the course you want to switch to before going through with the switch. The last thing you need is to be disappointed by yet another course you hate. Something that could be of great help, is doing a quick Google search on the types of job listings available for that qualification. You basically want to see where you would end up in the long run.

3. Is it affordable?

There are some things you need to understand when you plan on changing your course. Firstly, your graduation date may be set back. Secondly, you may need an additional year or two in your new course, and lastly, this could result in more university fees. Before making the switch, consider the financial burden this might have. If you were granted a bursary, you will also need to check if the bursary will cover the new course.

4. Guidance and advice

If you find that this decision is too difficult to make on your own, you can always seek advice from your student or faculty office. Consider speaking to individuals from the faculty you wish to switch to and obtain the necessary forms to fill in.

5. Requirements

Another important thing to check is the entry requirements for the course you want to switch to. You may have been accepted for your previous qualification but not all courses have the same entry requirements. In some cases, you may be able to transfer some of your credits to your new course, but if it’s in another field of study, this may be a challenge.

Every institution operates differently and has its own set of processes, so the aforementioned tips are just a guideline that you should consider if you wish to make the switch. All the best!