For some Fanshawe students, the program they start in isn’t always the program they finish. Interests, career goals and new experiences can all play a role in deciding whether to stay or make a change.
Human resources student Sahar Yousefi said her original program pre-health didn’t meet her long-term goals.
“I decided to switch because I kind of realized that the program didn’t really fit my long-term goals. I had kind of like a switch desire and career path. So I kind of wanted to take a different route with my career,” she said.
photo: Sahar Yousefi, business supply chain co-op, year 1. (Torey Joseph Legarrie)
She said that her original program wasn’t what she expected and why she switched.
“No, it was kind of odd that I expected a lot of math, science and whatnot, just wasn’t really aligning with what I had envisioned for my future,” she said.
She said that switching has affected her, and caused a set back.
“It’s set me back in some time, that’s for sure. I don’t really pay attention to the cost, which maybe I should, but I’m kind of putting that in the back of my mind for now and kind of focusing on what I need to get done and what feels comfortable for me,” she said.
She said students can decide to switch their programs for a lot of reasons.
“This could be a lot of reasons. It varies from person to person. Sometimes people kind of like, have a change in mind or like they get a feel of their program and realize its not really what they’re looking for, and that’s totally okay and it happens. That’s what college is for,” she said.
“Its one of those kind of things where you have to kind of jump in and see what its like to really see if its a right fit for you or not,” she said.
Cited federal national center for education statistics (NCES) longitudinal estimate found about 30 per cent of U.S. undergraduates switch their programs at least once according to [Research.com].
Robyn Naylor, co-operative education consultant employment and student entrepreneurial services at Fanshawe College said that she thinks there’s a variety of reasons why students switch.
photo: Robyn Naylor, co-operative education consultant employment and student entrepreneurial services. (Torey Joseph Legarrie)
“I think a lot of times they find out that the program wasn’t the right fit for them. They might have learned a little bit about some of the career pathways and those aren’t aligning with what they want to be doing. Or they might find that the courses are either too challenging or aren’t challenging enough and don’t fit what they kind of signed up for,” she said.
“It could end up costing you more in the end because you would have maybe already paid for a program and hadn’t made the decision in time and then have to sign up again to enroll into a new one,” she said.
Fanshawe human resources student Dansea Steckly said that she wanted to stay in her program because she likes business, and she loves the environment.
“I really like business and it was the cheapest option,” she said.
“I really love all the classes I have and all the teachers are so friendly,” she said.
“Its been pretty much exactly what I’ve expected, like a mix of all the business courses, and I find it all very interesting and I love it,” she said.
photo: Dansea Steckly, human resources, year 1. (Torey Joseph Legarrie)
“I was kind of considering switching into marketing, but I’m not sure yet because its only been a month, but we’ll see,” she said.
“I took a bunch of marketing classes in high school, so I have already like, know a bunch of boat marketing and I think its like the most interesting thing ever. And I would love to do that, but as of right now, I’m in human resources,” she said.
She said that she does not feel confident yet if she chose the right program for her future.
“Not yet, because I haven’t actually taken like an actual human resources course yet. But I’ve taken like all the other business ones and I’m confident that I want to be in business,” she said.
Naylor said that Fanshawe has many supportive resources for students who are considering the switch.
(Torey Joseph Legarrie)
“Absolutely, they can speak to program coordinators, academic advisors, pathway coordinators, career consultants, any folks in the student services area to get some support there,” she said.
“I think talk to your faculty, make sure that you’re taking the time to thoughtfully make the decision, do research in the new program that you’re looking for. Whether that would be looking at different career paths, different outcomes of employment on the Canada Job Bank, to really make sure you’re making a thoughtful decision around it,” she said.
