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How To Choose Your Optional Modules

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In some courses, everyone takes the same required modules. In others, however, after the foundations of the course are laid, students are free to choose from a variety of different options. This can be exciting — after all, it’s fun to study something that piques your interest rather than something you are assigned by default. However, it can also be overwhelming. With lots of options available, how do you determine the best modules for you, and how do you go about ranking them? The process can be difficult, but there are ways to simplify it so it’s not quite as stressful. So, here is how to choose your optional modules.

Eliminate Your Least Favourites

For many degrees, you will be offered a wide variety of module choices while you can only choose a few — usually three. As a result, a good first step is to eliminate any options you know you’re not interested in for whatever reason. This gives you a shorter list of options, which can be less overwhelming to consider.

Think About Your Interests

Consider which aspects of your subject you enjoy most. This might be topics you remember finding interest in from the past, or something you’ve never had the opportunity to study before. Consider the reasons why you chose the subject you’re in, and how the modules might contribute to your future endeavours and any potential careers you are considering. This can help bring clarity to the selection process.

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woman sitting beside opened book holding pencil
Photo by Andrey Zvyagintsev on Unsplash

Give Yourself Variety

Even if you find a topic interesting, you might not want it to dominate your entire year. For example, if you’re studying literature, you might enjoy Shakespeare. Even so, taking multiple Shakespeare modules might prove a bit much. Instead, choose the module you like most in that subject area and rank it next to something different. Making sure that you have variety in each semester is a winning formula to keep you engaged in your work.

Consult With Classmates

Another method for how to choose your optional modules is to consult with classmates. It can be helpful to ask other students on your course what their opinions are. If you’re friends with someone studying the same subject as you, you might be inclined to choose the same modules so that you can study together. In addition, if you know someone in the year above you, they might be able to provide insight into which modules they enjoyed.

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