Some people believe that college students should consider only their own talents and interests when choosing a field of study . Others believe that college students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field.Wri

Choosing a field of study in higher education is one of the most critical decisions in a student's life.The choice can be made either based on availability of job opportunities or based on one's own interests. I think it is better to base the decision on one's own interests rather than the job opportunities.

Firstly, neglecting one's talent and interests in choosing a field of study can be disastrous for some students. Students become disinterested in their field of study and consequently become stultified, losing energy and vitality. This would then lead to bad performance in academics and resulting loss of confidence can also lead to suicides (recurrent cases in most of developing countries). There is thus a need to pursue one's interests so that one retains enthusiasm in his studies in long run.

Secondly, opting for a field of study solely based on available job opportunities can be counter productive in the long run. Those fields which seem lucrative in the short term may not be so when a student graduates. If he cannot land in a lucrative job he may feel dull and lose confidence in his abilities. This would not be the case when one pursues a field of study that one likes. The temporary lack of opportunities do not bother him and in fact confidence in his abilities will inspire him to give a shot at self-employment.

On the other hand, job opportunities are important for a student for some important reasons. Firstly, they help repay significant debt that they incur as part of their education.Secondly, jobs offer an opportunity for sense of accomplishment in their life which becomes more important to further motivate individual to excel in one's field. However, it cannot be the sole criteria and can only be secondary criteria. Excelling in one's own field of interest provides even more sense of accomplishment than merely following current trends. For example, people like Steve Jobs, Tesla, etc. were in fact more successful than their intelligent contemporaries as they bucked the trend of accepting jobs and pursued their passions to become world leaders in their respective professions.

In conclusion, it is important for a student to listen to his heart in pursuing a field of interest rather than simply clamouring for jobs. Even though jobs are important as secondary considerations, most of the benefits it offers can be achieved by pursuing excellence in one's field of interest in the long term.