There are no good or bad courses. All courses are valuable and solve a certain problem in the society. If you have the necessary intellectual ability required for the course, you can succeed in your chosen course provided:

1. You have the right/positive attitude towards the course,
2. You understand yourself,
3. You have the necessary exposure to the course
4. You have work and not job mentality
5. You are committed to study and focused on succeeding

a) Allowing others to choose for you
b) Blindly choosing a course because that is what your friends or relatives have chosen
c) Choosing a course because it is considered prestigious
d) Following opinion of people with little or no knowledge about the course you intend to study
e) Having limited knowledge about the course you intend to study

1. a). Understand yourself- know your strengths, weaknesses, abilities, talents etc. This will help you enhance your areas of strength as you work on your weaknesses. To understand yourself better you can do a personality test or career test and seek career counseling
   

1. b). Be knowledgeable about the course – find out more about the course:

1. i). What is the course all about/what does the course involve?
2. ii).What are the necessary skills, knowledge, attitude etc required to succeed in that course?
3. ii).Where do people with that course work/ where are the skills in that course used in the world of work?
4. iii). What are the existing gaps in the market/ what problems are there in the society that skills in this course can solve?
5. iv). What is the work environment like?
6. v). What are the career growth and progression opportunities in that course?

i) Take your studies seriously-attend all lessons, do assignments, read widely, consult etc.
ii) Look for mentors
iii) Be active in class and group discussions
iv) Join professional body in your field and participate in their seminars, workshops etc. Apart from learning and getting exposure from them, make valuable contribution in your own small way and get meaningful contacts for professional networking
v) Volunteer your services during your free time or holiday to firms related to your course and get practical experience and make yourself visible in the world of work.
vi) Keep yourself updated on the trends in that course/career.

a) Research further from the internet
b) Interact with several people that you know who are in that field and ask all that you need to know. If possible you can also visit their places of work and spend the day with them.
c) From the department you have been admitted to
d) From continuing students in that course
e) From a career counselor
NB: Get multiple sources of credible information to have a broader view about the course.

Lucy K. Ngutiku
Students Counselor
eMail: counseling@maseno.ac.ke