Hi, I’m currently in a stage of my life where I have to pick out university courses. Following my family and friend’s advice, I picked out quite a diverse range of uni courses (both local and overseas Unis), and got accepted to majority of them. Yet, I am extremely unsure of what I want for my future and this is giving me really bad anxiety. Theres 2 courses in particular I am gravitating towards, one is more for future prospects (as it does lead to higher paying jobs), while the other course is more ‘prestigious’ per-se but at a lower ranked university (and I’m worried that will cause me to be unable to take a masters overseas as the university may not be recognised overseas). I’ve always wanted to do the second ‘more prestigious’ course, but only had a change of mind after an internship experience that made me think twice, and I sort of realised that it wasn’t what I wanted– but more so what my parents wanted for me. I hope someone could advise me on this matter and help me clear up some doubts… thank you
I’m not really sure which subtopic this is under as this is my first time using this platform.
Dear @fairturtle5374
Thank you for writing in. Understandably this is a very important decision crossroad in your life, to figure out which one of the two courses you should take.
I recommend to do more research into the two courses. If possible, speak to friends who are already enrolled in these two courses to find out their first hand experiences in terms of lecturer quality, support, content and how they prepare you for industry.
Many universities also have course advisors you can speak to who addresses your specific questions on future educational pathways. For example, you can find out more about the course ranking, proven higher education pathways, future job prospects and levels of courses you can articulate to from these two degrees.
I encourage you to choose the course which is most aligned to your values and aspirations. Review learnings from your accumulated life experiences to better understand yourself. With greater self awareness and clarity on what you want, I am confident you will make the best decision for yourself. 
Hey OP!
I’ve graduated university 2 years ago (coming up to 3). I took a degree that’s within my passion which was the Arts, despite my mum’s apprehensiveness towards it. I’m not working in a job that’s related to the Arts, but I will say that I am grateful for the learning opportunities I got from the profs, and I was surrounded by like-minded peers who are as passionate about Arts as I am.
I would say if the “prestigious course” is something that only your parents wanted from you, then perhaps you should think about it again if you really want to take the course. I will say, even with my love for the Arts, university was very, very tiring for me. I was lucky I took a degree I actually enjoy instead of taking ones that I felt my mum would want me to take. Despite my many struggles, I wouldn’t have picked any other majors.
At the end of the day, I believe you should decide on a course that is beneficial for you, whether you’ll be able to get something out of it. It’s not easy, but I always believe in choosing your own passions and desires over what society wants from you.