Factors that Influence University Students’ Program Choices: The Case of IBSU, Tbilisi, Georgia

Abstract

Certain decisions made by teenagers as they plan their careers can be hard to change or compensate for later. Wrong choices may lead to the waste of time and money as well. The aim of this piece of research is to find out the factors that influence the individual’s choice of major and university, which is an important step in the educational process by which they orient their future. It is essential for universities to know what students are influenced by because the information is useful in determining where the prospective students can be found and improving their overall standards. The sample population was 316 second-, third- and fourth-year students studying at the International Black Sea University (IBSU) in Georgia. The study employed a mixed methodology, which included qualitative and quantitative research methods. The data were collected through a survey and then analyzed with SPSS. In this research, Georgian teenagers prioritized their personal characteristics and ideas when they made decisions. It has also been found out that outgoing students are especially good at making the right decisions and thus do not consider changing their major or university. Teachers and the community have been found ineffective in the preference for the major, yet they ask for family advice.