In the times of rapid socioeconomic changes, the things that are also changing are life courses and transitions. People are faced with choices and decisions on every step of the way, especially young people whose decisions could have a long-term effect. A decision of where to continue one's education after high school would be such an example. In Slovenia, most reaserches on education focus either on transitioning from elementary school to high school, or from school to labour market. But since so many young people continue their education in an undergraduate program, they have to choose their desired Faculty as well. Based on half-structured interviews with ten students from Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, I investigate the factors that influenced their decision-making process of choosing a Faculty. It turns out that continuing to a higher education is a decision based upon graduating from a non-vocational high school. People also make their decision focusing on their interest in a general field of studies rather than having a specific career in mind. My interviewees claim that their friends and family did not significantly affect their final decision of choosing their Faculty, but were instead seen more as supporters of the whole process. In the context of growing individualization, I am realizing young people feel the need to be self-initiative during college, which will later on serve them as they are looking for a job.
|