FOMO Leads To The Wrong Major?! Don't Let It Happen To Us!!

 Fear of Missing Out, or often we call it FOMO, is being viral in Indonesia, especially among teenagers. Quoted from BrainAcademy (2024), FOMO means anxiety if you lose a moment or information. FOMO causes a person to feel left behind and think that other people's lives are more fun than their own. is more fun than their own life. That's why they try to follow trends to look happy and cool. 

A lot of prospective students are confused about finding the right major to continue their education, not recognizing what their interests and talents are. continue their educational studies, do not recognize what their interests and talents are, and finally they follow their friends even though they end up following their friends even though the major does not match their interests. in accordance with their interests. Which is one of the causes of prospective students choosing the wrong major.

According to Irene Guntur, an educational psychologist from Integrity Development Flexibility (IDF), there are 87% of students who choose the wrong major for various reasons ranging from following their friends, choices from parents, receiving scholarships that require them to enter a major that they are not interested in, and other reasons. So how can we avoid FOMO that leads to choosing the wrong major? 

Here are tips and tricks in choosing a major :

1. Take the MBTI test.

 You can start by taking the MBTI, or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. According to Wikipedia, MBTI is a psychological test designed to measure a person's basic, purely psychological preferences in the world and in making decisions. It contains questions about how you would normally feel or act in certain situations. You can take this test to a professional psychologist to get accurate results directly from the experts or use the alternative of taking the MBTI test using the web on your device. That way you can get to know yourself and find a suitable major with the test results you take.

2. Recognize your strengths. 

Before choosing a major, you must first know about your strengths by recognizing your interests and talents. For example, if you have interests and talents in linguistics, you can look for majors related to languages instead of choosing science majors. Choosing a major must be serious because that's where you will hone your skills in the interests and talents you have. You will also be more focused and maximized in living it.

3. Make a list of majors and universities. 

Once you have identified your interests and talents, you can make a list of majors from the universities you want to study at. Make several options to make it easier for you to choose the one that really suits your interests and talents. You have to be careful when choosing a university because you also have to recognize the accreditation of the university. A university's accreditation reflects the quality of education that its lecturers provide to their students.

4. Considering future job opportunities

 Considering how the major you have chosen for future job opportunities after you graduate is quite important because times are changing and technology is getting more sophisticated. It is important to see if the major you have chosen will still contribute in the future. You should have career goals and motivations, as well as the type of company that is relevant to your major.

5. Know the breakdown of tuition fees.

 You should know how much it will cost for you to study. If your tuition fees are self-funded and you are not sure about the availability of fees, you can find out about government or private scholarships available for your university with the tools you have. These scholarships are very useful and help ease your burden. For example, KIP-K, Djarum Scholarship, Indonesia Maju Scholarship, and many more.

6. Consider the location of the campus.

This is very important because if the campus we choose is outside the area where we live, we not only think about tuition fees but also the costs for boarding fees and daily living expenses. 

 7. Consider the choice. 

Now that you have followed these tips, it is time to reflect and rethink the choices you have made by considering the many factors that will occur in the future. If necessary, you can discuss your choices with your family members or friends. It is enough to convince yourself that you can and are confident to move forward with the decision you have chosen. 

That's all the tips and tricks that I provide; hopefully, after you read them, you no longer follow your friends but are confident in what you choose and according to the interests and talents you have. Good Luck!!!