Many students experience doubts during their studies. In fact, 35% according to a study at Aarhus University. Doubts can arise at different times during the semester or during the programme. A meeting or an event can also arouse doubts.
If you’re curious about your doubts, you’ll find out what your 'question' is. Once you have that, you can start looking for your 'answer'. If you work on your doubts, you may well find that you can continue your studies as a more contented person. You may also come to the conclusion that you need something else.
Restlessness, stomach ache, worrying thoughts, social challenges, career doubts or something else entirely. It can all be associated with doubts about your course. In is very normal that students’ attitudes to their programme choices fluctuate. The question is about the source of the doubt, and whether the doubt is just temporary or persistent.
The doubt can come from different places. You can deal with it in different ways, depending on the source of your doubt. Below is a description about how you can take a good look at your doubts, and there’s tips about what you can do.
Remember you can always seek help from a student counsellor if your discomfort has become unmanageable and you need to talk to someone about your doubts.
It can be really hard if you don't feel comfortable with your study choices. For example, you feel that you’re not part of a community, or that your study group isn’t working. This could mean that you are doubting whether you are in the right place.
| What can you do? | |
|---|---|
Talk to your fellow students
| Try talking to your fellow students about your study environment or group work. Maybe they don't feel that it’s quite working either? Maybe you can do something about it together? |
Become part of the association life in your study programme
| There are many different associations at Aarhus University. Some associations bring together several year groups in your programme, while others stretch across the entire university. |
Seek out other communities | Consider whether you can find a community in other places besides your programme. Perhaps based on your hobby or your home. Or maybe you can revisit previous communities, for example from your high school. |
Feeling lonely?
| Many can feel lonely at times. If loneliness is the root of your doubts, read more here. |
When you apply for a study programme, you have an idea of what it will be about. But it's hard to know exactly what it is until you're in it. If you don’t have an academic interest in your studies, doubts about your choice can start to take over.
| What can you do? | |
|---|---|
Is it a course or your whole programme?
| Sometimes an individual course in your programme won’t exactly catch your interest. This can cause doubt to come knocking. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that your entire programme is uninteresting. You can talk to a student counsellor about this. |
Look at other programmes
| Perhaps there’s another programme that could match your interest? It may be something similar but with a slightly different focus. Perhaps you need to pursue another of your interests and look at a completely different programme. Remember to use all the knowledge you have gained when you started at the university. You know much more about yourself and being a student than when you applied for the first time. |
A university education opens up many career opportunities. But all these opportunities can also cause doubts about what you want to do after university. Some find it hard to imagine what they can and will use their education for. While others find it difficult to see themselves in the usual career path.
| What can you do? | |
|---|---|
Talk to a career counsellor
| It is possible to talk to a career counsellor at various places at Aarhus University. Reach out to them and talk about your considerations. |
Find out about past graduates
| Find out what former students on your programme are working on today. For example, search for your programme on LinkedIn or ask your teachers. |
Look at job advertisements | Perhaps there’s an organisation where you’d like to work. Try looking at their job postings and research the profiles they typically seek. You could also do a completely open search by selecting an industry and looking at the job postings available there. |
Remember your values
| When looking into different job opportunities, remember also to keep an eye on yourself and your values. Maybe you have your own special values or frameworks to take into account when researching what job you would like. |
Consider a student job
| For some students, a student job can provide meaning and motivation. A student job that is relevant to your studies can provide ideas about how you can use your studies in practice. Even if your student job isn’t relevant to your studies, you’ll get to know a workplace and the labour market. This knowledge can also help identify what you want to use your education for. |
It’s completely normal to feel tired or demotivated during your studies. The feeling can come and go. The most important thing is that it doesn't overpower you. Consider whether it is the course you’re not interested in, whether the whole programme demotivates you, or whether it’s actually something else.
| What can you do? | |
|---|---|
Talk to a student counsellor
| Have a chat with your student counsellor about how you feel. Can you create a little breathing space in your study programme? |
Study in a new way
| Can you use a different study technique to make studying easier? Find inspiration for new study habits and techniques for preparation and reading strategies. |
Finding energy elsewhere
| Perhaps it's also perfectly okay that at times you are not top-motivated for your studies. You may be able to find energy in other places in your life. |
Check whether it's the right programme for you
| Although it’s perfectly okay not to be top-motivated all the time, study fatigue may also be a sign that you need to do something else. Try to be curious about whether it’s studying or the programme itself that you has run you down. |
Some periods during a semester will be busier than others. For example, you may feel under pressure up to an exam. Being busy and feeling under pressure can also cause doubts about whether the study programme is right for you. Try to investigate whether the academic content is putting pressure on you, or whether your doubts are because it’s difficult to handle a busy period.
| What can you do? | |
|---|---|
| Structure your time
| If you find it difficult to find motivation and structure your time during a busy period, explore new strategies to read, to go to exams, and to structure your time. Try to talk to the others in your class as well. Perhaps they have a good reading or time hack to help you. |
| React to stress
| If you feel under pressure and maybe even stressed, you need to react and take care of yourself. Reach out to someone who can help you, or start by finding advice on managing stress. |
Do you sometimes feel that everyone else on the programme has complete control and it’s all going perfectly for them? And that you have no idea what you're doing? Many people compare themselves to others and are very critical of themselves. If you don't feel that you can figure it all out, you may start to have doubts about your study choices.
| What can you do? | |
|---|---|
Talk about your doubts
| Talk about your doubts so that you don't walk around alone with them. You can talk to your fellow students. Perhaps you’ll find out that they feel exactly the same way as you. Or you can talk to family, friends or colleagues. |
| Examine what's causing your doubts
| For some, the doubt may be about perfectionism, for others about imposter syndrome, or something completely different. Try to research the root cause. You can get help from your student counsellor or at Student Counselling. |
In the podcast Studiekammeraten student counsellors talk to students or experts about different aspects of life as a university student.
Applying your academic knowledge and skills in a practical setting during your studies can strengthen your motivation. A student job, an internship or voluntary work can make your study programme seem more meaningful and prepare you for the labour market. Read more about:
