Choice of Major

Timon Igeria UNDERACHIEVEMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY IS AS A RESULT OF STUDENTS BASING THEIR prime(a) OF PROGRAM ON PRESTIGE. Introduction in that measure is, perhaps, no college decision that is more thought-provoking, goats rue wrenching and rest-of-your life orientedor disorientedthan the filling of a study. (St. John, 2000, p. 22) The tinge of a wrong or skilful choice transc finiss beyond the learning atonement beca utilization it is correlated with seam stability and business sector satisfaction.One would expect a prentice to take a university program get dressede extensive interrogation, cognitive decision do and affiancement of heuristics (pike 200) except unfortunately anecdotic evidence has showed this is non the exercise. Most schoolchilds employ tactics of indecision as contrasted to cognitive decision making and galore(postnominal) times end up in the wrong program (Beggs ,Banthon, Taylor 2008). It is not move then that Roese and Summerville (2005) cite meta-analytical evidence that the or so frequently identified life affliction for Ameri washbasins involve their educational choices.The problem is not only confined to America but also to Kenya and the rest of the world. Pressure to study a particular program in university may be intrinsic or extrinsic . One of the intimately prominent reasons why university scholars chose the wrong program is because of honoredness which manifests itself in multifarious ways. Prestige is the respect and admiration that something or somebody has because of the amicable status or that which is admired and well-thought-of because it looks expensive and important. Which role does prestigiousness crook in the option of wrong university major?How does this lead to underachievement? Effect of prestigiousness on the choice of college program Before classifying most of the choices made by savants on their university programs as wrong, it is only fair that we sack up on which parameters we are using to do so. The distinction between a objurgate and wrong program can be explained using Hollands theory (Holland, 1985). Hollands theory links psychological factor outs ( educatee individualalities) with sociological factors (characteristics) of academic discip cable television services to make water a mildew of personal-environmental fit.According to Hollands theory, individuals can be classified by disposition types which can be paralleled to model environments (which in our case are the academic programs) . For example, a realist -a person who prefers activities involving manipulating machines- is vanquish suited for a existent environment equivalent engineering science. Another theatrical role of Hollands theory shows that when there is unanimity between a persons traits and the environment, he/she is likely to flourish. From the information in a higher place we can infer that scholars whose personality types dont match with their programs are in the wr ong programs.How does prestigiousness contribute to this? accessible prestige Social prestige plays a profound role in the selection of university major. Top performers in the Kenya Certificate of unoriginal commandment (K. C. S. E) are faced with a conundrum while making decisions on which program to study for in the university. A student who performs well in the K. C. S. E may be swayed to chose a scholarship related program despite his/her tasty personality type. Artistic moves like arts, English, music, gambol and theater (Smart, Feldman and Ethington, 2000) are ranked miserable by the society.enquiry indicates that most of the crystallize performing students in the Kenya Certificate of subsidiary school education end up in science related study . Does this mean that none of the students has an artistic, enterprising, social or conventional personality type? galore(postnominal) of the disillusioned students end up ever-changing their university majors later lackin g interest. In one passage fare create by Equity Bank, a student revealed how she chose to pursue medicine because of social prestige (she had emerged as the second student across the nation in K.C. S. E) but ended up leaving the program for Business confabulation after one year because that was where her passionateness was. Family prestige A research by Jeri Mullins Beggs, John H. Bantham, Steven Taylor (2008) on the factors affecting choice of college major showed that very few students use career planning tools and information research when choosing a program. Where do students get career information to choose programs from? Many students trust on personal sources which are disadvantage by prestige for information oddly parents.In addition, a significant modus operandi of parents would want their children to pursue prestigious programs which they treasured to pursue but did not suck up the chance to do so . Parents, foreign students, often view education as an investm ent in which they expect capacious returns ( Nabeel, Conaty and To 1989, p. 252). To them, when their child performs well in K. CSE, he/she should undertake a prestigious major like medicine, engineering and law. This will enable them to have successful careers and return the investments that were made.In the same breath, the parents will be exalted about the courses selected because society reveres the family. Most students who marry their parents choice end up universe dissatisfied with their programs and some even check and join other programs(often of a lesser societal rank). Career and institutional prestige Career prestige is another factor that affects the students career choice. The choice of a college major plays a critical role in determining the expected rising net income of the college students. (Arcidiano, Hotz, Kang 2011). Many students choose a career based on the future earning streams associated with it. reputable careers like medicine, engineering, law, actu arial science and monetary engineering are associated with higher future income streams hence more preferred. A student might choose a prestigious career which is not in line with his/her abilities because it has a higher potential for financial success. Job security and job stability are also critical factors in the choice of the college program. The following was the response by a student in run into to her major choice, In choosing a major, I considered how marketable the head would be, and what city or area I wanted to be in.I wanted a degree that I could go most anywhere and find a job (College bookman Journal, 2008). In Kenya, a significant summate of the top students choose Medicine because it has been associated with job security and stability over engineering which is mostly contractual. The problem is worse in South Korea where the university chosen is predicted as the highest determiner of the income that one is going to receive (Changui Khan, 2004). In Kenya some students compromise programs which fit their personality types just because they dont like the university or campus. savants would want to be associated with the best ranked universities. Most students who pursue majors because of career financial security end up disappointed there is no match with their personalities. Conclusion Kenya needs the reform scholars to develop it as it endeavors to achieve its muckle 2030 goals. Scholars who are not only academically apt, but can also create pragmatic solutions and innovations able to progress the country. The institutionalise of basing the choice of university program on prestige is apocryphal and should be discouraged . disciples should choose programs based on their interest after intensive research and outsourcing. References 1. British educational Research Journal published by Taylor& Francis Limited, Vol 33, No2 Apr 2007 2. Reasearch in Higher Education Vol 47, No7 (Nov, 2006) pp801-822 published by springs. 3. College Studen t Journal, June 2008,Distinguishing the Factors Influencing College Student Choice of Major Jeri Mullins Beggs, John H Banthon, Steven Taylor (www. findarticles. com) 4. Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing up digital The organise of the net generation. New York McGraw-Hill. 5. Roese, N. J. , & Summerville, A. 2005). What we grief most and why. Personality and Social psychology Bulletin, 31 (9, September), 1273-85. 6. Smart, J. C, and Feldman, K. A. (1998). Accentuation effects of mixed academic departments An application and exploration of Hollands theory. Research in Higher Education 39 385-418. 7. Howard, J. A. (2005). Why should we care about student expectations? In Miller, T. E. , Bender, B. E. , and Schuh, J. H. Associates (eds. ), Promoting Reasonable Expectations Aligning Student and Institutional Views of the College Experience Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp. 10-33.