Passion or Profession: Influences on Degree Choice for Undergraduate University Students
By Ruby Thomas and Sara Cinti
Introduction
Choice of university degree is a significant decision for young people entering tertiary education.
This research aims to investigate the main factors leading students to select their field of study. There are many reasons influencing degree choice, such as future job opportunities, a desire to help others and the influence of friends and family. Investigating the reasons students choose particular degrees is central to understanding the role of tertiary education in Australian society.
Methodology:
Two students from the University of Canberra, aged between 18 and 25, were sourced from our personal networks. We completed qualitative, semi-structured interviews, lasting 20 to 25 minutes, using a set of 11 questions, and separate prompts as they emerged in each interview. Pseudonyms were used to protect participant identity, thereby maintaining ethical integrity. The interviews were recorded with consent and then transcribed. To research the scope of influences on degree choices, we ensured the interviewees were of different genders and studying in different fields. Sam (aged 19) studies a Bachelor of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation, while Sally (aged 20) is enrolled in a Bachelor of Media and Communication, majoring in journalism and creative writing. Our analysis of the transcripts produced 22 codes, synthesised into three main themes: career expectations, passion and interests, and relationships.
Career Expectations
The participants’ degree choice was impacted by their conception of particular professions. Sally, pursuing a journalism and creative writing degree, started her studies aiming to become a journalist. She expected the career to give her a sense of purpose, allowing her to serve others. Sally also assumed the job would involve her love of writing. These motivations align with research showing journalism students are motivated by enjoyment of the work and social justice. Sally’s internship, however, caused her to reconsider the career. Sally said, “I sort of had the idea in my head that they were working on one maybe everyday but like because everything was falling through they would have like 6 stories to like all keep up with and like, that’s something that they never mentioned in class.” Sally’s misconceptions about a journalist’s profession were also caused by a lack of career education at school. Sally said, “If there was like a section of like my English class that was dedicated to teaching us about journalism I probably wouldn’t have gone into it.” Sally’s experience is consistent with research indicating students benefit from practical work experience programs in career decision making.
Passion and Interests
Both participants chose degrees based on their interests and passions, however, these choices were mediated by family and concern about their financial future. Sam is passionate about sport and anatomy, and although his degree is related, his family pressured him into studying, despite his objection. Sally is passionate about writing, considering it part of her identity: “For me writing hasn’t just been like a hobby I do, it’s a huge part of my personality.” Sally was also passionate about filmmaking, however, her family disapproved of this study path and Sally herself was concerned about financial security in this field. Nonetheless, both interviewees were studying degrees relevant to their passions. This is consistent with research demonstrating students often choose degrees based on their interests, with an intent to work in a field aligned to their passions. Sally expressed her passion started from childhood, stating “I wrote like a letter to myself when I was young and in it, it said like ‘oh, I hope you become a journalist’.” Sam also expressed excitement toward his degree: “I find it really interesting, I have a lab class every single week.” Although both participants made compromises in their degree choice, their choice to study subjects aligned to their interests to some extent is compatible with research suggesting enjoying subjects studied and building a sense of connection with the university environment is linked with personal satisfaction.
Relationships
Sam and Sally said their relationships impacted their degree choice. Sally’s family dissuaded her from pursuing filmmaking due to fears about job security, and her sister damaged her confidence going into teaching by making Sally feel ‘dumb.’ Sam’s degree choice, and entrance to university entirely, was heavily dependent on family. Sam said, “Ever since I was young I was always told I have to go to university,” adding his university studies were attached to family identity. Sam expressed refusing to study was not an option: “I would be the first person in my Mum’s family that didn’t go to university so I felt like there was always a lot of pressure.” Sam’s explicit connection between studying and his educated family background aligns with research showing children of university educated parents are more likely to achieve this themselves. Furthermore, he linked this experience to his cultural heritage, saying “...my mother is Chinese so there is quite a cultural thing that Chinese people want all their kids to go to university.”
Aspiring to be a personal trainer, Sam considered his degree an excessive expenditure. Nonetheless, Sam felt intense financial pressure from his family to pursue the degree as his parents were funding his tuition and would evict him from the family home if he withdrew. Sam’s situation is congruent with research stating parents with high educational attainment have better educational experience and resources to help their children attain university education, despite Sam’s negative experience in this environment.
Conclusion
Our research suggests university students aged between 18 and 25 choose degrees based on three main influences: career expectations, their passions and interests, and their relationships with others. These findings provide insights into the role of tertiary education for young university students. Students study at university to enter a chosen career and embrace their passions, however, other factors interact with these aspirations. Sally’s experience shows work experience programs are critical in helping students form realistic career expectations, and although both Sam and Sally study degrees relevant to their interests, their families and financial concerns impacted their degree choice. Finances were a major focus for both participants, suggesting university studies are largely used to attain financial security, as opposed to education’s inherent value. Furthermore, family was a significant factor impacting degree choice. Sally’s family impacted her confidence, and in Sam’s case, family impacted his attendance at university altogether.