Whether you’re in your second semester, fourth year or anywhere in between, sometimes niggling doubts can surface that leave you questioning if you’ve chosen the right degree. If this ever happens to you, don’t panic! There are steps you can take to determine whether to stay on your current path or change to a different course.

So how do you know if you’re studying the right degree? First, take some time to reflect on why you chose this course in the first place. In hindsight, was your choice an informed one? How long have you wanted to study in this area? Has it been a goal for years? Did you have a solid understanding of what this career pathway entailed?

If you’re able to articulate your answers to the above with confidence, it sounds like you’re on the right path. If you’re shrugging your shoulders with uncertainty, you may need to weigh up your options.

Now that you’ve reflected on your past motivations, it’s time to do a stocktake of the present. Consider what you’ve enjoyed about your course so far and what you’ve disliked or may have struggled with. Are you currently in good standing in your course or treading on conditional status?

Make a list of all the positives and negatives of your degree so far, then reflect on which list outweighs the other. If you’ve identified more negatives than positives, it’s time to do some further self-reflection.

A great place to start is by checking out Curtin Challenge. This is an online platform where you complete modules to help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Have a look at the Self-Awareness module in the Explore Your Options section. Self-awareness is about understanding you better – your strengths, what drives you, what’s important to you and how you prefer to interact with the world. Completing this module may help give you a fresh perspective on what you want for yourself in future and in a career.

From here, you may want to create a list of potential areas of interest, then have a look at corresponding courses offered by Curtin and short-list degrees that appeal.

In order to be as informed as possible before you consider changing programs, do some further research by checking out our Career Guides, in UniHub’s Resource Library. You’ll find a guide for almost every undergraduate program Curtin has to offer. They provide an overview of each course, key skills, potential career pathways, employment prospects, job search techniques and much more! As your read through the guides, consider if the content motivates and excites you, or leaves you feeling underwhelmed.

By now, you’ve either decided to stay in your current course or you’re seriously considering switching. Maybe you’ve got a few options now that you’ve done your research, and you find yourself unable to decide which path to take.

Here’s where completing the Making Decisions module in Explore Your Options might help. This module uses the career development decision-making model to give you a framework that you can use when faced with a decision such as what career pathway to take.

The time you invest in making an informed decision means you’ll feel confident and excited moving forward. If you still have more questions than answers, you can reach out to the Curtin Careers team. We’re here to help and support you throughout your Curtin journey!