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Op-Ed:How to choose your academic career?

September 28, 2011   ·   239564 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2Fop-edhow-to-choose-your-academic-career-23956Op-Ed%3AHow+to+choose+your+academic+career%3F2011-09-29+02%3A20%3A17Mo+Guledhttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D23956

What do I study in university? Do I take my degree in Medicine, business, engineering, IT, economics or International Relations? And many other similar questions crowd in the minds of those students who recently graduated from our secondary schools which always finish up in a phrase like: “I don’t know at least for the moment…let me check one of them and decide it later”.
Choosing your academic career is critical, because you are taking step that will show you where you will end up and take as career. Therefore, to have hints on this subject is very crucial to every student, and this article has arisen primarily in response to this increasing concern expressed many of the students.
Many times we may see some student complaining what they are studying (by expressing difficult, boring, duration is long ,etc.), and when you ask them what is wrong with them, he/she may tell you if they had known they wouldn’t have chosen this subject or you may meet many others changing their degrees due to lack of information.
Unlike the developed countries and many developing countries have established foundations that consult the students on what to study at university after they graduate from the high school , based on their strengths, weakness, activities, interest or dreams and visions, they provide plenty of ideas by highlighting what they will be good at, capable and competent. This facilitated to limit what is called DROP OUTS, and reduced incidence of many problems faced by the students during their academic years.
Based on my experience of being a university student in sixth year in studying medicine from the University of Hargeisa, and my contact with many academicians, students, lecturers, professors, I have found that there is two main co-existing principles, which together can facilitate for you to select what you will do best and enjoy, these are:
1. Ability or strength: many students they don’t meet the prerequisites intended the faculties they choose or don’t have strong basics for that subject they are mastering, for example, he/she is going into medicine but don’t have strong bases of Biology or Chemistry and English, this makes life complicated and they deplete day-in-day-out, after while they get sick of what they are learning .
2.Desire: A very important point is that most student don’t pay attention or may not even recognize the significance of the will, these student are well in prerequisite, but they don’t have the inner burning sensation or drive; they always feel boring, poor concentration, and at the end of the day simply discouraged.

The selections based on the above-mentioned principles will serve to bring you to choose what you will be best at, Insha Allah.
There are other miscellaneous factors including:
3. Constant energy: the body is designed to produce all needed energy over an amazingly long period of time, so every student must be able to use his energy and initiatives as efficiently and effectively.
4. Hardworking: most university students make preparation only the week before examination ,and they assume to be hardworking during those days; absolutely doing extra efforts and spending lots of hours surfing between the pages after you lock yourself in a secluded room, or just arrange temporary reading group for the OCCASION, is not limited to this period. You must be able to develop the characteristics of being a real student including: always be prepared, read, understand, do team canvassing and rise questions as they emerge.
5. Open-minded: a university student must be open-minded. He/she should able to make analysis and take the facts of knowledge and discard the impurities.
Finally, William James, the famous psychologist, said: “Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that insures the successful outcome of your venture”. I may say yes. What comes first before deciding the process of achieving the best, is taking into account the importance to know where you want to go in life .You can reach your goal, your best dreams can come true, and you can get the very point you previously mapped on your mind only if you know what your GOAL is.
Best wishes all of you.

A.RAHMAN ALI A.JICIIR
Medical Student, University of Hargeisa
Jiciir591@hotmail.com

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By Mo Guled