Original scientific paper
Going to University: Motivation Structure and Expectations for Finding a Desired Job
Dunja Potočnik
orcid.org/0000-0003-1256-2660
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
High education of the young population and their later employment are key resources of economic and social prosperity of a community. Numerous researches show that the starting point of this assumption, motivation for going to university, goes back to adolescence. The
goal of our research is to find out what motivates students from the University of Zagreb to do their studies. According to our results, most students choose to study subjects they are interested in, they choose professions they love and where employment is high. Students are well aware of the situation on the job market and quite accurately assess their chances of employment. The following reasons cause problems with employment: low ranking of
some professions and high unemployment, personal drawbacks (such as bad marks during studies), bad political situation, administrative problems and corruption. According to their
expressed attitudes, students prove to be quite a homogeneous group; statistically relevant differences among students – regarding motivation for going to university and expected success in finding a job – are only related to their different fields of study.
Keywords
students; motivation for going to university; professional goals; faculty; getting a job; chances of employment
Hrčak ID:
31808
URI
Publication date:
2.2.2009.
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