CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,

Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

I. INTRODUCTION

Every year there is millions of senior high school students will graduate and will
enter college. It is an exciting time from them, among all this excitements is the daunting
decisions of an academic major. This is one of the most important decisions a college or
incoming college students must make. Students view college as a serious undertaking,
so their mind are up to achieving good performance d they really want to attain or the
fields that they want to focus on. At the start of the semester, it can be observe that the
number of students enrolled in that course is high but it will start to diminish on the later
part. Misfit graduates are one of the considered reasons why our country has a high
unemployment and underemployment rate. The reason could be either that the course
of graduates‟ misfit the present economy or the graduates do not pass the characteristic
that the industry need. This could be due to the wrong choice of course taken by most
of the college students (Pascual, 2013) Some possible reasons why students try to shift
to another course were the course itself, the student’s choice course and lot more. This
study wants to achieve is to help college students that are still unsure, know their
problem so that a solution can be given. In addition, to determine the main factors that
currently influence a college students‟ choice of an academic major or minor for their
course During senior high school years, students choose a course confidently believe
that, that course are really make from them. Perhaps it is really, what students want to
achieve in when there were a child or it is a decision by their parents that students
should follow. Students may come to know, college is a place where students doubts
themselves. Like there was a faint voice speaking over their heads at the point of their
college life, asking how their life could be if they could shift another course or path.
However if this situation tend to happen repeatedly, students still shift course until they
found their comfortable place.
 CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,
Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

Background of the study

Courses are the route or direction for college students to their desired career path.
According to study.com, college and university courses are the fundamental building
blocks of higher education. Students should be able to choose their own classes
because it would prepare them better for the real world. Students would have more
motivation to learn and come to school if they give the opportunity to choose their own
classes instead of being required to take certain classes in order to graduate (Knight,
2016). It was cited that the students must have free will to identify their capabilities to
choose an appropriate course that suits their desired career path. Factors such as field
interest, academic capacity, familiarity, economic stability, and powerful people may all
play a role in decision-making. (Students who pursue their dreams). Many students
select their major based on their academic abilities (Fizer, 2013). This study will
discipline the early decision-making in taking a career path According to Socioeconomic
theory that social conditions such as parent influence, teachers influences, friends,
social status and economic conditions including job opportunity, amount of the salary,
have an impact on students‟ career choice. (Venable, 2011). In general, it is important
to understand that choosing a course for college is not based on any one factor. The
choices are subjects to many influence it maybe individual, cultural, social and
environmental. Furthermore, course once chosen will probably affects an individual
throughout their lives. It is a connection therefore; Sharf (2010) said that the meaning of
life is expresses in one‟s course or career path. Consequently, students need a better
information and proper guidance that students are able to make a good decision for the
course they need to take.
 CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,
Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

Significant of the study

This study provided an opportunity for students or even parents and other staff in
university to gather information regarding a wide variety of factors that may influence
the students‟ decision to college course. The result of this study provide current
information how much students rely on the factors and also to identify which factors
seem to have the most influence for choosing college course. Additionally, the
qualitative portion of the study allowed the students to share their thoughts and feelings
regarding the factors that will affect their college course. The people who are most likely
to be interested in the results are enrollment management staff and administrators in
college. This research also allows students to evaluate whether their chosen course
suits them, to know the outcome of choosing wrong courses and shifting course. Course
election will help students concentrate their passion and learn more about a field that
they are interested in studying in college. Choosing a course is one of the big decisions
we can make, it is important to determine our capabilities before pursuing it. Several
college students lead to misconception about their skills that outrun them to shifting
courses. Conducting this research aims to approach the experiences of various
students about their decision making taking college courses. This study may help
enlighten future college students about the importance of decision making in taking
course.

II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study is an anchor on the methods of Benjamin Franklin, mentioned in his

letter on September 19, 1772 (Belludi, 2015), and stated that when experiencing a
dilemma, it is difficult because not all the considered reason for pro and con are
possible to think at the same time. Franklin stated his way to measure the pros and
cons is to draw a line in half of the sheet of paper, then to write over one pro and
 CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,
Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

another con. He analyzes the weight of reason, and if he finds that two are equal to the
weight, he crosses them. (Belludi, 2015). According to Wood (2012), Scott and Bruce's
General Decision Making Style measures as the focus of study for several reasons.
This method was used to assess how students react to various situations and make
decisions. Observing at how high school and college students make an important real-
life decision: to pursue what courses they will take in the coming academic year. They
replied with a revised version of the decision-making method reactions, which evaluated
their affective responses to the decision-making process (Galotti, Tandler, & Weiner,
2014). Hoai, Thi and Thanh (2016) in their analysis of factors affecting students‟ choice
as the mainstay shows that social norms have a great impact on students‟ choice of
majors, including guidance and orientation of associates, peers, teachers, parents who
have had a significant influence on their decision-making in the selection of a particular
discipline. Malubay, Mercado and Macasaet (2015) noted that the key factor influencing
the decision of freshmen students to take specified courses or programs is the
economic factors that include secure economic salaries and on-demand jobs. Usual
practical students tend to take the course that will suit their financial needs in the
upcoming future. According to Ming (2010), one of the major factors that affect decision
making in taking courses is the location of the University because some students prefer
universities that are near to their hometown or the factor of financial stability of
university they can afford to enter. Sabir, Ahmad, Sharif and Ahmad (2013) have shown
that student’s rate university credibility, interest in the subject and prospectus of jobs as
the most important determinants, while, of course, easy career guidance and school
career guidance are the least important factors in the choice of course. Okiror and
Otabong (2015) found that the choice of students was based on their perceived
availability of career and scholarship opportunities in the department and the grade
point average scores received by the student at the time of choice of options.
Jhonson(2018) stated that, decisionmaking should be taught for students as it plays a
major part in career path. Framing a whole course around a far-sighted decision actually
 CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,
Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

has the power to illuminate curiosity in other areas that can often appear dry when
quarantined in their conventional disciplinary silos.

III. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

IV. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

a. To find the reason why other student need to shift course which is not related to
their wants;
 CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,
Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

b. To help understand the problems they will encounter in the future by choosing
that career; and
c. To determine the pros and cons in considering of the chosen career

V. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In this analysis, the goal of the researcher is to determine the pros and cons in
shifting course, considering of the chosen career. To help understand the problem they
will encounter in the future by choosing that career, and to find the reason why other
student need to shift course, which is not related to their wants. The research comes up
with the following problems: General problem: The Different Factors in Choosing and
Shifting Their Course: An Assessment on College Student‟s Standpoint The general
problems are specified below: 1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in
terms of : 1.1. Gender; and 1.2. Age? 2. What are the factors that can affect to shifting
and choosing courses in term of: 2.1. Passion; 2.2. Future Job; and 2.3. Personal
Issue? 3. Based on the findings, how having there different factors affects: 3.1. The
course they have chosen 3.2. Problems that they may encounter in the future; and 3.3.
Shifting course?

VI. SCOPE

The general scope of this study is the numerous reasons why Laguna college students
want to change their course to another.

Delimitations

More specified scope is to assess the factor in the selection and transition of courses in
order to improve the standards of professional sector by unveiling some findings on the
choice of the best career for college students.

Limitations
 CABUYAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Enterprise Park., Brgy. Banay-banay,
Cabuyao, Laguna 4025

This research is restricted only to college students who are going through changing
courses. All knowledge and conclusions drawn from this study were obtained only from
this particular group of students.

VII. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

Local Students - Local students will give the researchers the answers they wanted
using survey papers or interview as the research project of these researchers will have
many of the personal reasons of the local students in CITech.

Factors that affect students to shift and choose courses in the province of
Laguna - The factors are tabulated using survey papers that are given to the local
students by the researchers in a single file.

Negative effects of the factors that affects a student’s will to choose and shift
courses- The negative effects will be listed down in a separate sheet of paper along
with its definition and personal reasons of students.

Positive Effects of the factors- The positive effects will also be listed along with its
definition.

Environmental Factors- Environments that affects a student’s decision-making.

Researchers will identify the different kinds of environment and how it affects a student.

Researchers - the one who conducted this research

Senior High School - this is where we choose the strand that we will take for college
or steps before taking college

Personal Issue - this is how you cope up you own problems in taking course and
shifting courses