University and Your Future: Career Planning and Making the Most of Your Degree

Name: University and Your Future: Career Planning and Making the Most of Your Degree
Rating: 5.0 (7 reviews)

5.0 (7 reviews)

1,097 enrolled on this course

2 weeks
3 hours per week
Digital certificate when eligible
Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Discover how university can form the foundations of your future career

This course will help you to identify ways university can help you work towards your career goals, whatever degree you choose.

You’ll learn how engaging with opportunities on offer at university will benefit you in the future and what you can do to maximise your time at university.

Feel empowered to make informed decisions around your degree choices and career options

The pressure to know what you ‘should’ be doing with your life when school ends can be overwhelming. However, the majority of people – including those who have chosen to study for a degree – do not have clear plans.

This course is designed to help you feel more confident to make decisions about your future study and career plans. You’ll learn that a lack of certainty about career plans is normal, and explore ways to take concrete action to build a foundation for future success.

Identify your strengths and discover modern career theories

Using research-backed career planning and decision-making theories, you’ll learn how to reflect on your own strengths and career goals to decide if studying for a degree is right for you and, if it is, how you can maximise your time at university.

You’ll also explore the practical ways a degree can influence your personal development, without subscribing to the need for a predetermined life or career goal.

Discover the benefits of gaining professional experience through placements

The course also examines the value of gaining professional experience as a means of developing your knowledge and deciding which career trajectory to pursue.

You’ll explore the options of placements and other employability activities that may help you reach your career goals faster and feel inspired to maximise any opportunities that come your way whilst at university.

Syllabus

Week 1
Career theories, your strengths and you
- Getting started
  This activity will introduce you to the course and its approach.
- Understanding strengths
  In this activity you will learn how to identify your strengths using the theory of 'visible and invisible strengths'.
- Understanding career theories
  In this activity you will be introduced to different career theories and how they can help you.
- Career theory in action
  In this activity, you will learn how the broad theoretical frameworks of career theory that we have discussed can be applied to real-life situations.
- Week 1 review
  In this activity you will review the week's learning.
Week 2
Making the most of university
- What can I do at university?
  This activity will introduce you to the kinds of things you can do at university to create your own future.
- Networking
  This activity will demystify networking and help you get started.
- Creating an action plan
  This activity will take you through the steps in creating an action plan.
- Course review
  In this activity you will review what you've learned.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Reflect on your own strengths
Apply some common career theories to your own context
Evaluate ways to maximise your time before and during university to achieve your career goals
Describe how a placement year and/or other employability activities can support your career success
Develop your own portfolio of activities to investigate your options for future decisions
Create an action plan for personal and professional development

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone applying (or considering applying) to university as an undergraduate or postgraduate who would like to reflect on their options and identify how studying for a degree could provide a solid foundation for career planning and thinking, through engaging with a wide variety of activities.

The course will help anyone unsure whether university is right for them to identify how to make the most of a degree to better their employability after graduation.

It will be useful for applicants to undergraduate courses as well as those considering postgraduate study, particularly international students, where engagement in career thinking before they arrive in the UK is key to future career success.

Who will you learn with?

Janie Angell

I am a Careers Consultant in higher education, and a lifelong learner. I work at the University of Surrey. I believe in encouraging potential and possibility, and sustainable futures.

Emma Baker

Emma has been a university Careers Adviser for 14 years. She’s passionate about helping people to find fulfilling work that allow them to live the lives they want

Who developed the course?

University of Surrey

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research. Surrey empowers students for personal and professional success by providing exceptional teaching and practical learning.


Ways to learn	Buy this course	Subscribe & save	Limited access
Choose the best way to learn for you!	$109/one-off payment	$244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews	Free
	Fulfill your current learning need	Develop skills to further your career	Sample the course materials
Access to this course	tick	tick	Access expires 20 Oct 2024
Access to 1,000+ courses	cross	tick	cross
Learn at your own pace	tick	tick	cross
Discuss your learning in comments	tick	tick	tick
Certificate when you're eligible	Printed and digital	Digital only	cross
	Continue & Upgrade
		Cancel for free anytime

Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

Access to this course
Access to 1,000+ courses
Learn at your own pace
Discuss your learning in comments
Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

Access to this course
Learn at your own pace
Discuss your learning in comments
Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Continue & Upgrade

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

Access expires 20 Oct 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 31 October 2024 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 31 October 2024 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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