Study choice stress

In the coming months, many young people will again make their choice of study. Unfortunately, many of them also make the wrong study choice.

For years, the number of first-years who switch or drop out has fluctuated around 32 percent, according to figures from the Ministry of Education. The main reasons students give for switching or stopping are that the study is not fun enough or different than expected, that they feel out of place and that the study is too boring.

Where does this study choice stress come from?

Why is it that making a choice of study is so difficult? What we hear from young people is this: they mainly look at their studies, at their parents, at their dean and at their friends… but not at themselves. They fail to see that this stress is caused by something completely different than the choice of study itself. Visiting even more open days and walk-in days, that’s what they do.

But choice of study is essentially about who you are, what you want and where (the place) you show the best. Young people we speak to think that more attention should be paid to this at school. They indicate that school is not only about learning and a diploma, but also about developing yourself as a person. And not just in the school yard. It is also a very logical need that belongs to puberty. That period is meant to reinvent yourself, to explore your limits and to discover where and from what you get energy.

In our view, behind this study choice stress, there is an important question: “Who am I and what do I want to be in life?” We see in our workshops and masterclasses that young people become intrinsically motivated when they discover what they really have to contribute. Then a whole world opens up for them. And that makes us happy too.

How can we help young people?

We think we can help these young people with their study choice in an accessible way. By exchanging experiences and offering inspiration with the convenience of social media. In the LinkedIn poll we recently held, most people responded positively to the question whether they would like to be a mentor for young people who are facing a study choice.

Would you like to help them, together with us? Create your account on iSeekMe (see description below) and we will match you with one of the students.

Thank you in advance,
Rob