What should I think about when accepting an offer to University?

I can vividly remember holding the offer letters in my hands. I stressed for weeks, thinking about whether or not I was making the right decision. Thinking that if I chose the wrong one, what would happen? Would I regret it forever? Would I be able to find a job?

At that point in my life, it was such a monumental decision when compared to all other decisions I had made at that time. Before that, my biggest decision was deciding if I wanted a Bell or Rogers cell phone.

I remember I held an offer from Queen’s, Brock and Laurentian. I had visited all the campuses, read all the books and talked to students on each campus. Still, I hadn’t made up my mind.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have still deliberated just as much, but I know I would have made the same decision. Here’s an idea of what to think about when accepting an offer to University.

1 – There’s no “wrong” choice.

Each path will create different opportunities and challenges, what you make of them will determine your success, not which route you take. Choosing the route you’re most passionate about will allow you to put more energy and dedication towards that path and THAT will increase your odds your success.

2 – Your destination is unknown.

Very rarely will you know exactly which job you’ll end up doing at the end of your education, which means that trying to choose the “perfect” path to that opportunity is nearly impossible. Your opportunities at the end of your degree will be wide ranging and may even have very little to do with your degree. Case in point, I’ve now got a Master’s of Business and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Sports Administration and I work on Laurentian’s website and social media – who would have guessed that?

3 – Go with your gut.

You’ve visited campuses. Can you picture yourself starting classes there in September? Can you imagine how you’ll walk to class, where you’ll stay, what you’ll do during your spare time? What feeling do you have if you say out loud “I’m going to Laurentian University”? If you say it with pride and excitement, you’re making the right decision. This can go a long way in being comfortable with your decision.

4 – Study what you’ll enjoy.

I had the option of choosing between a business program and a sports business program. I weighed the options of the impact of that specialization but made the determination that I would enjoy studying sports business much more than all business. I remember walking out of my first ever class and wanting to talk to the prof about why he thought Disney bought the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, we talked for an extra 10-15 minutes but I knew at that moment that I was in the right class.

In the end, remember that you can always change your mind, whether that’s after year 1 or later on, you will have options.