Doubts regarding your choice of section / of studies

I have doubts regarding my choice of section / of studies – what can I do to see more clearly?


Sources of information

If you hesitate between sections, but still intend to stay at EPFL:

  • The Bachelor Programs’ site gives you a detailed overview of all undergraduate programs proposed at EPFL, with details regarding the relative importance of all subjects taught.
  • Study plans will give you an even more precise idea about what you’ll be learning in each program. Don’t limit yourself to looking at Bachelor curricula, though. It is worth having a look at Masters’ study plans too, as you will likely end up picking one in the wake of your Bachelor degree.
  • Many EPFL labs publish online lists of Master thesis projects available to graduating students. Checking them out will help you gauge your interest in the field towards which you consider reorienting.

If you are contemplating education outside of EPFL:

  • www.orientation.ch is the most comprehensive source for academic and vocational guidance in Switzerland (it is unfortunately not available in English).

Individual counseling

If you hesitate between sections, but still intend to stay at EPFL:

  • Students in higher years are a valuable source of information, as they have first-hand experience of both the curriculum and the culture of their section. If you do not know anyone studying in the Bachelor you are interested in, you may want to turn to our friendly and helpful student coaches.
  • You may also want to turn to the study advisors of both your section and the one you are considering. They are professors either attached to a particular cohort or to a particular year, whose role is to advise students about their studies at large. Unfortunately there is no central list of all study advisors, you have to ask each section’s secretariat.

If you are contemplating education outside of EPFL:

  • If you are interested in study fields taught outside of EPFL, you should contact those schools or universities which propose them. Most have a student guidance service able to help you make your decision through online information, a documentation center and sometimes individual counseling.
  • For vocational guidance in non academic fields, we advise you to turn to cantonal guidance services, who can provide assistance and individual counseling.

Skills assessment

If your research did not help you with your choice, and especially if you are still hesitating between completely different fields, it could be worth doing a skills and motivation assessment. Many coaches propose personal assessments of all kinds, but they are usually expensive. The University of Lausanne’s Faculty of Psychology advisory service is an interesting, open-to-all alternative for a nominal fee.