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  • Choosing Your Perfect Post-Secondary Program

    Choosing Your Perfect Post-Secondary Program

    No more writing poetry or reading and interpreting novels for the math enthusiasts, no more complex scientific equations for the creative writers, no more arts or drama classes for the scientists. The time has come to pick a college or university program geared toward your interests and future goals.

    In high school you were given the opportunity to pick elective courses. Perhaps you took philosophy or sociology, a language course, physical education, music, culinary arts, or history to satisfy your need for something more exciting than interpreting a symbol in a novel or solving for ‘x.’ 


    College and university allow students to choose a program suited to their interests, strengths and career goals, allowing much more enjoyment than a couple of elective courses. For students interested in science, they have an opportunity to specialize and expand on their high school studies by developing hands-on skills or theoretical knowledge to succeed in a specific area of scientific study.

    There are opportunities to study social work, child studies, journalism or advertising, film and media, culinary arts, business, engineering, architecture, dental, law, event planning and countless more.

    Finding programs that are of interest to you likely won’t be an issue. To help narrow down the list of programs you will apply to, investigate career opportunities and the likelihood of finding employment in your fields of interest. For example, you wouldn’t want to pursue a Bachelor of Arts and major in English without first knowing how many career opportunities it affords.

    Ensuring that you graduate from college prepared to enter the workforce is essential. Is there a demand for the position you’re interested in taking? Do you meet the admission requirements? Are you content with your potential income? If you choose to pursue additional education, are there opportunities?

    Choosing a program is an exciting part of post-secondary education. Look for a program that interests you, builds on your current strengths, has exciting career opportunities you’re interested in pursuing and promises a future you’re excited about working toward.

  • Waiting To Choose Your Major

    Waiting To Choose Your Major

    Your first year of university or college is going to be stressful for a lot of reasons. It’s a time when many of your life skills will be put to the test. You’ll break boundaries and rebuild, only to break them down again. Your academic life will probably demand most of your time with course work, lectures, labs, research projects and more. It will all seem overwhelming at first, and to combat that feeling you might feel pressured to be proactive – to get things done and get them out of the way as soon as you can. Caught up in the confusing whirlwind that is school, new friends and living on your own, you might feel like you need to make your decisions right away without taking the time to ask questions and really consider what those decisions might lead to in the future. One of those decisions is choosing a major or minor.

    When applying to universities, most will offer the option of applying to a specific degree program. The decision you make there isn’t set in stone and it’s important not to treat it that way. Most universities will give you until your third or fourth year to change your major or minor if you need to.

    In your first year, you’ll be taking some of the courses required in the major you chose initially. This is a good time to get a feel of what the coursework in your program will be like in the future. That said, most first year courses will barely scratch the surface as far as what that program is really about. Taking a couple of second year courses in your second semester of first year will give you a clearer picture. If you find your original program isn’t something you’re interested in anymore, it might be time to change your major. However, you should hold off on that decision until you have a better idea of what you do want to learn. Remember: most universities will give students at least until third year to declare a major.

    Most programs will allow taking courses from other disciplines provided you still meet the requirements of your original program. Keep in mind the suggested course schedules for first year tend to have a large amount of open spots which you can use to take courses outside your program that you might be interested in while still staying on track to complete your current major.

    If, while at university, you find yourself doubting your academic path, make an appointment with an academic program counsellor. Ask them about taking courses outside your major and figure out where your academic boundaries are set. You’ll be paying thousands of dollars for higher learning, so you might as well learn the skills you’re most interested in.

  • Choosing A Post-Secondary Institution

    Choosing A Post-Secondary Institution

    So many colleges and universities to choose from, so hard to pick just one! 


    When entering the final year of high school, sometimes earlier for students eager to plan their post-secondary studies and reach their educational goals, it’s time to start thinking about where you will continue your education.

    With what feels like countless schools fighting for your application, it may feel overwhelming and laborious to find the one suited to your needs, but it doesn’t have to be. Take advantage of school visits, academic calendars, and individual institution websites to start investigating the options available to you.

    It’s important to prioritize and determine what you need most from your post-secondary education. You’ll likely already know if you’re interested in attending college or university, based on your program choices throughout high school, but there are plenty of other things to consider. 



    Would you like to stay at home instead of dealing with the added stresses of paying rent, living in residence, or moving away? Does the institution you’d like to attend offer a program suited to your interests and future career goals? Do you require additional services and supports during your studies? Are you interested in participating in varsity sports or other extra-curricular activities? Will you be searching for on-campus employment?

    By knowing what you want, you have a clear checklist to keep in mind when speaking with recruiters or tackling the mountain of academic calendars. If you’re having difficulties determining a program suited to your interests and career goals, meet with your high school guidance counsellor for additional assistance.

    It is important to also keep in mind that you’re not restricted to applying to only one institution. If you’re stuck between a few institutions or have a few programs that have piqued your interest, you have the opportunity to apply to more than one. Having more opportunities to choose from and more schools offering you admission into their programs is never a bad thing.

    Regardless of your future goals, there’s a post-secondary institution certain to meet your needs. By taking the time to research and understand your priorities, you’re sure to reach success wherever you go.