Deciding your future: how to know which programs are the right fit for you

I knew that Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) would be the school for me because of its location in the heart of downtown Toronto. Not only that, but also knowing how much they support the wellbeing of their students encouraged me to apply to the university. Although, I didn’t know how to narrow down the programs I wanted to apply to, since I was passionate about so many different fields. Are you feeling the same way? I’ll tell you a bit about how I overcame the uncertainty and narrowed my options down to three programs.

Before applying, it’s integral to see if you meet your desired program’s admission requirements. Different programs have different requirements to apply. If you don’t do this prior to applying, it may result in unexpected outcomes when you receive an admissions decision.

For my whole life, I was set on studying Business Management, but by the time application season came around, I started to doubt my decision. I couldn’t decide if this was just a phase or not. I’ve loved writing my entire life. I first discovered the English program, but I wasn’t 100% sure it was for me. Closer to the application deadline, I came across Journalism at TMU. I liked that the program’s internship opportunities and course partnerships are in one of North America’s largest media and communications markets. 

I began to feel that Journalism may be for me as it combined my interest in writing and video editing, as well as my love for telling unrepresented stories. However, I knew deep down that my interest in all three programs still stood equal.

I didn’t want to act too quickly and only apply to Journalism. I wanted to keep my options open in case my mind changed the next year — I didn’t want to be stuck in a program that I would regret. Rather than battling between which career I wanted to pursue, I applied to all three programs and waited to see how things played out. 

Throughout the application process, I reflected on my goals for the future. Would this program fulfill my goals after graduation? At the time, I believed that all three programs had their own unique traits that could benefit my future career. 

I compared Business Management to its job prospects, English because of my love for writing and Journalism because I wanted to make an active difference in the world. These reasons were enough for me to apply to all three programs.

Being in the Journalism program now, I’m grateful that I applied to all three programs and left my options open. As for all of high school I thought that I’d be pursuing something in the business field, and near the last months before I graduated, I only wanted to pursue Journalism at TMU — my decision changed unexpectedly. To conclude, listen to your gut! If you can’t determine what it’s telling you, reflect if you meet the program’s academic requirements and your goals for the future. Try to see if a program satisfies your interests. When you’re ready to apply, check out our How to Apply page for details on getting your application started!

Bye for now,

Hadiqah