What are your options?
B
y now, you’ve probably got
What are your hobbies?
What is your personality type?
a good idea of the type of
This is how a lot of people decide
The Myers – Briggs personality test will
courses you should apply for.
what they want to study after
guide you to study areas that are in
Your choice of subject area will
secondary school. You might think
harmony with your personality type. Just
influence the choice of institution
you want to be a scientist, but if
remember, your selected personality
at which you want to enrol. For
you’ve always been good at art and
type is not set in stone – it reflects your
example, if you want to be a doctor,
love drawing pictures of buildings and
thoughts and feelings right now. That
you will need to enrol at one of the
funky designs, then maybe you should
could change subtly in the future … but
university medical schools (The
consider studying as an architect
for now, it’s a handy, quick tool to draw
University of Auckland or University
or draughtsperson. For some, the
your attention to relevant subject areas.
of Otago).
passion is even more personal. If
If you want to be an IT professional,
you’ve lost a family member to
Use government resources
you have a huge range of options,
cancer, you might be motivated to
Foremost among these is the Careers
from computer science degrees at
become a cancer researcher. Bear in
New Zealand courses database www.
university, polytechnic level diplomas
mind that you’re more likely to enjoy
careers.govt.nz/education-and-training.
or certificates, or qualifications
studying a subject you already love
If you’re a lazy Googler, this website is a
from specialised IT private training
rather than the subject you think – or
good place to start. You’ll find general
establishments. Each institute has
your parents or whānau think – you
information on hundreds of different
a different spin on the broader topic
should do.
study areas. Our advice: once you’ve
(some are hands-on, some are more
decided what subject areas interest
theoretical), so do your research and
What subjects have you most enjoyed
you, look on the individual institutions’
compare the courses before you apply.
at school?
websites to get specifics about those
This is a no-brainer. If you are a maths
courses. As with any third party website,
no idea what you want to study, right?
guru, why not consider studying to be
the information is not guaranteed to
My Voice has some suggestions to help
a mathematician or statistician? Is
reflect the latest changes. Go straight to
you narrow your search:
English awesome? Consider an arts degree. Enjoy history, te reo Māori, or
the source for that.
cultural studies? Continue your study
Will my course lead to a job?
in the social sciences or anthropology
Another consideration to study is your
It’s a bit more challenging if you have
20
at uni. Sometimes it doesn’t need
job prospects. Sure, a psychology
to be a school subject. Do you
or visual arts degree might sound
love hanging with your friends and
awesome, but the job prospects after
defusing their dramas? What about
graduating might not be as high as
studying youth work or social work?
other fields. Story continued ...
