Studying abroad in the wrong major – the consequences of misleading advice

Tran Kim Phuong, 28 years old, a former international business student at the University of Melbourne, is currently a data analyst in Australia. From her bad experience with counseling centers, Phuong shared her thoughts on the causes and consequences of studying abroad in the wrong major.

“What do you like to study?” This is a question often overlooked by study abroad counseling centers. Don’t go to the US, Australia or the UK to follow the trend; but what major to study, what job orientation is important. Parents also need to consider this question.

When I was in 12th grade, I couldn’t clearly answer the question about my favorite major. Instead of helping me troubleshoot, the consultant only focused on introducing courses and countries that people often choose. The consultation then revolved around topics such as which majors are studied by many people, which schools are ranked high, and which countries are affordable. She doesn’t really care about my interests, strengths and future direction.

Whenever I think back, I feel lucky that I decided not to study abroad at that time. If not, I could have spent 4-5 years studying and a lot of money and effort on something I’m not sure I’m suitable for.

At the age of 16-17, not only me but also most young people did not know what they wanted and could not orient their own future career. If the staff at the study abroad counseling center or the mentor do not have career guidance skills, it is easy for you to choose the wrong major.

Van – an acquaintance of mine – is a typical example of undirected study abroad. I went to Australia to study for a bachelor’s degree through the consultation of a famous center. After the exchange process, Van was advised to choose Commerce. The girl was in 11th grade at the time, not knowing which major to choose, and Van’s parents thought that this major was similar to the majors of Foreign Trade University in Vietnam, so it might be good. Commerce at Australian universities is a general business and economic discipline where more than 80% of students are international students.

After more than two years of studying, Van realized that she was not interested in economics and business subjects. Moreover, the Commerce industry is very difficult to get a job in Australia if you are not a native.

Van really wants to study Software engineering, but the Australian university system does not allow students to register for other majors. In the end, Van decided to study in parallel with another bachelor’s degree. She shared with me that she regretted her initial choice of major because it made her and her family waste a lot of money and time.

This is just one of many international students who have trouble choosing a major that I know of. Some of you have to study for another university degree, some of you have to study more subjects to go to graduate school to study the program you want, and there are people who struggle to get additional certificates to find a job. The common point of these students is that they did not receive thorough advice about the major and did not spend enough time to consider whether the industry is right for them.

Mentoring or study abroad counseling is a very familiar support service. I also often share my experience about scholarships, study abroad and have the opportunity to interact with many such services. I find that most of the consulting services nowadays only focus on advising on choosing schools and destinations. The career counseling is very sketchy, only introducing the school’s outstanding majors, which are easy to apply for, but little attention is paid to whether the industry is suitable or if learners really like it.

Studying abroad is one of the important decisions of many people, not only because it is expensive and requires more preparation than studying at home, but also because it opens up many opportunities in the future. And those opportunities depend a lot on the initial choice of major.

In order to choose a field of study that suits your interests and abilities, experimentation is very important. For example, if you think you’re a good fit for Computer science, take the time to try and see if what you think is actually true. First, you can find resources available on the Internet such as descriptions, articles, videos shared by people who have been and are pursuing this industry. You can also talk to someone who has or is studying. Better yet, take an online Computer science course for beginners.

Having practical experience will help you have a more accurate view, avoid being shocked when the field of study is not the same as imagined, and avoid spending too much time and effort on something that is not really for you.

Quoc Dung write the