Career Confusion of ISPSC Freshmen College Students: A Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

The problem of career choices is constantly alarming on the part of freshmen students with regards to their doubts and uncertainties. In this fashion, this study has answered this main problem of the study: What causes ISPSC freshmen students of Santa Maria Campus is experiencing career confusion to decide on their course? In answering this, the specific problems of the study were generated which are: (a) Who influences freshmen students in choosing their course?; (b) What major impact do these influential people provide to the freshmen students to choose a course that does not align with them?; and (c) What other external factors push freshmen students to be undecided to choose their courses? This research employed a phenomenological research design in the form of semi-structured interview. The participants consist of thirty freshmen students coming from the different departments of Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College-Santa Maria Campus. The results of the study have shown that there is a great influence of their parents as an internal factor in choosing their course over their dream course. Contrariwise, the doubts and uncertainties of the freshmen students' potentialities, influence of the pandemic, and proximity of the school were described to be the reasons for these freshmen students to choose their course externally.