📚 Most Regretted Majors by International Students: Reasons and Insights | 留学生后悔选择的专业方向与原因分析
Every year, thousands of international students commit to degree programmes hoping for bright futures. However, a significant number later regret their choice. Factors such as mismatched career expectations, limited job markets, and underestimated academic demands frequently surface. This article examines the most commonly regretted majors among international students, unpacks the underlying reasons, and offers guidance to help future applicants make more informed decisions.
每年，成千上万的留学生满怀憧憬地选择了某个学位课程，但事后不少人感到后悔。期望与现实的错位、就业市场的局限以及被低估的学业压力是常见原因。本文深入分析留学生最常后悔的专业方向，剖析背后的原因，旨在帮助后来者更明智地规划学业与职业。
1. Hospitality Management: Glamorous but Underpaid | 1. 酒店管理：光鲜却低薪
Hospitality management attracts students with its promise of global experience and luxury environments. Yet, graduates often find that starting salaries fail to match the prestige. Entry-level roles in hotels, events, or tourism frequently demand long hours, shift work, and emotional labour, with slow wage growth. Moreover, many positions do not require a degree, meaning graduates compete with non-graduates for the same jobs.
酒店管理以其全球工作机会和奢华的行业氛围吸引着学生。然而，毕业生常发现起薪与专业的声誉并不相称。酒店、会展或旅游业的入门职位通常需要长时间站立、轮班和高情绪投入，且薪资增长缓慢。此外，许多岗位并不强制要求学士学位，导致毕业生不得不与没有学位的人竞争同一职位。
The perceived glamour often overshadows the reality of high turnover and limited vertical mobility unless one secures a management training programme at a top chain. International students also face visa sponsorship challenges since many hospitality roles do not meet salary thresholds for work permits in countries like the UK or US.
表面的光鲜往往掩盖了高流动率和有限的纵向晋升空间，除非能进入顶级连锁集团的管理培训项目。留学生还面临签证担保的难题，因为许多酒店业岗位难以达到英国或美国等工作签证的薪资门槛。
Another regret stems from the generic nature of the curriculum. Core modules in food and beverage management, front office operations, and marketing provide broad but shallow business knowledge. Graduates wishing to pivot to other sectors often find they lack the quantitative and analytical skills employers in finance or consulting demand.
另一个后悔的原因在于课程内容的泛化。餐饮管理、前厅运营和市场营销等核心模块提供了广泛却肤浅的商业知识。想要转向其他行业的毕业生往往发现自己欠缺金融、咨询领域所要求的量化分析能力。
2. Marketing: Theory Heavy, Skill Light | 2. 市场营销：理论繁重，硬技能缺失
Marketing degrees are consistently popular among international students drawn by the promise of creativity and strategic thinking. However, many graduates repent when they encounter the realities of the job market. Undergraduate marketing curricula often lean heavily on consumer behaviour theories, branding models, and case studies, but offer insufficient training in data analytics, digital marketing tools, or coding.
市场营销学位对留学生极具吸引力，因为人们期待其充满创意和策略性。然而，许多毕业生在踏入职场后却感到后悔。本科营销课程往往偏重消费者行为理论、品牌模型和案例研究，而在数据分析、数字营销工具或编程方面训练不足。
Entry-level marketing roles, especially for international students, are frequently sales-oriented or administrative. A graduate may expect to craft campaigns but instead spends months cold-calling or managing social media calendars. Career progression often depends more on proven results and soft skills than on academic credentials, which can feel frustrating after three or four years of study.
尤其对于留学生，入门级营销岗位多偏向销售或行政支持。毕业生可能期待策划营销活动，但实际工作中却要花几个月的时间进行电话推销或管理社交媒体排期。职业发展往往更依赖实际业绩和软技能，而非学历，这让数年苦读的学生感到挫败。
Moreover, marketing is a field saturated with candidates from diverse academic backgrounds. Graduates with degrees in psychology, communications, or even English can compete for the same roles, diluting the degree's value. International students whose native language is not English may find it especially tough to secure copywriting or content-heavy positions.
此外，市场营销领域汇聚了来自各种学科背景的求职者。心理学、传播学甚至英文系的毕业生都能竞争相同的岗位，稀释了该学位的含金量。母语非英语的留学生要争取文案写作或内容密集的职位，更是难上加难。
3. Fine Arts & Art History: Passion vs. Paycheck | 3. 纯艺与艺术史：热情难抵现实账单
Fine arts and art history degrees appeal to creatively driven students who envision careers in galleries, museums, or as practising artists. Sadly, the graduate employment statistics paint a sobering picture. Very few bachelor's-level graduates secure full-time, permanent roles directly related to their discipline; instead, many end up in retail, administration, or freelance work with uncertain income.
纯艺和艺术史学位吸引着富有创造力的学生，他们憧憬在画廊、博物馆工作或成为职业艺术家。然而，毕业生的就业数据却令人清醒：极少数本科毕业生能获得与本专业直接相关的全职固定岗位，更多人最终进入零售、行政或收入不稳定的自由职业领域。
The art world relies heavily on networking, internships, and metropolitan connections. International students without an existing professional network in the host country face additional barriers. Furthermore, fine arts programmes are expensive in terms of studio fees and materials, yet the return on investment frequently disappoints.
艺术界极度依赖人脉、实习经历和大都市的资源网络。在留学国缺乏现成人际网络的国际学生面临重重阻碍。而且，纯艺专业因工作室费用和材料开支吞噬了大量金钱，投资回报率却常常令人失望。
Art history students face similar woes. Curatorial and research roles typically demand at least a master's degree and sometimes a PhD, alongside language requirements. International students who complete an art history bachelor's and then struggle to fund further study may find themselves stranded without a clear career pathway.
艺术史专业的学生也面临类似困境。策展和研究岗位通常要求至少硕士学历，有时还需博士学位，同时附带语言要求。完成艺术史本科却无力负担后续深造费用的留学生，往往发现自己进退维谷，缺乏清晰的职业道路。
4. Psychology (Bachelor's): Incomplete without Graduate Study | 4. 心理学本科：不读研就缺了半壁江山
Psychology is a perennially favourite major among international students captivated by the study of the human mind. The regret emerges when they learn that a bachelor's degree alone rarely qualifies them for professional practice. To become a licensed psychologist or therapist, a master's or doctoral degree, supervised hours, and licensing exams are mandatory in most countries. Many undergraduates fail to anticipate this lengthy path.
心理学一直深受国际学生青睐，因为人类心灵研究充满魅力。然而，当他们意识到仅有本科学位几乎无法胜任专业实践时，后悔便油然而生。在大多数国家，要成为持证心理学家或治疗师，必须取得硕士或博士学位，完成受督导的实务小时数并通过执照考试，而许多本科生并未预见到这条漫长的道路。
Bachelor's-level jobs for psychology graduates often lie in human resources, marketing, social services, or administrative support. These roles do not always require a psychology degree, and the pay may be mediocre. International students hoping to secure work visas quickly realise that a generic BA in Psychology lacks the competitive edge of more vocational programmes.
心理学本科毕业生能从事的工作多集中在人力资源、市场营销、社会服务或行政支持等领域。这些岗位未必需要心理学学位，薪资也往往平平。希望拿到工作签证的留学生很快会发现，一个普适的心理学文学士学位缺乏职业型课程那种竞争优势。
Additionally, the statistical and research methods taught in psychology programmes can be valuable, but unless students actively supplement them with internships or data analysis certifications, they struggle to articulate these skills to employers. The result is a degree that feels neither fully professional nor clearly academic, leaving graduates in limbo.
此外，心理学课程教授的统计和研究方法虽然有其价值，但除非学生主动通过实习或数据分析证书加以强化，否则很难向雇主清晰展示这些技能。最终的结局是，这个学位既不完全是专业性的，也不够学术化，使毕业生陷入两难境地。
5. Media & Journalism: The Collapsing Old Guard | 5. 传媒与新闻：传统行业的式微
Media and journalism degrees were once passports to respected newsrooms. The digital revolution has upended that reality. Many international students now regret choosing this major when they see shrinking newsroom budgets, the rise of precarious gig work, and the demand for multimedia skills that their programmes barely covered.
传媒与新闻学位曾是通往受人尊敬的新闻编辑部的通行证。但数字革命已经颠覆了这一现实。如今，许多留学生后悔选择了这个专业，因为他们目睹了新闻编辑室预算不断缩减、不稳定的零工经济兴起，以及对他们的课程几乎未曾覆盖的多媒体技能的需求。
Traditional journalism values—investigative reporting, ethical storytelling, and editorial rigour—are still taught, yet hiring managers increasingly seek candidates with expertise in SEO, video production, data journalism, and social media algorithms. A degree that focuses on print or broadcast formats can feel outdated within a few years of graduation.
调查报道、伦理性讲故事和编辑严谨性等传统新闻价值依然在教授，但招聘经理越来越需要拥有SEO优化、视频制作、数据新闻和社交媒体算法等专长的候选人。一个专注于纸媒或广播形式的学位，毕业几年后就会显得过时。
International students face an extra hurdle: language fluency and cultural context are paramount in storytelling and reporting. Even those with strong English may lack the nuanced local knowledge required to report critically. Without a robust portfolio and internship experience, breaking into the field becomes daunting, leading many to regret not choosing a more transferable major.
留学生还面临额外障碍：在叙事和报道中，语言流利度和文化背景至关重要。即使英语水平较强的学生，也可能缺少批判性报道所需的微妙本地知识。若没有过硬的作品集和实习经验，要想进入这一领域极其困难，导致许多人后悔没有选择一个更易转换跑道的主修专业。
6. International Relations: Idealistic but Niche | 6. 国际关系：理想高远，出路狭窄
Enrolment in international relations (IR) surges whenever global events capture public attention. Students dream of becoming diplomats, policy analysts, or working for the United Nations. In practice, opportunities in these fields are extremely limited and highly competitive, with preference often given to citizens of the hiring government or organisation.
每当全球热点事件引发公众关注，国际关系专业的入学人数便会增加。学生们梦想成为外交官、政策分析人士或进入联合国工作。但现实中，相关领域的机会极为有限且竞争异常激烈，且往往优先录用招聘国政府或组织所在国的公民。
An IR curriculum typically emphasises political theory, history, and security studies. While intellectually stimulating, the practical skill set is narrow. Graduates who fail to enter government or think tanks may find themselves ill-prepared for corporate roles, where employers value concrete analytical, financial, or technical competencies. International students without the right to work in sensitive public sector jobs are particularly disadvantaged.
国际关系课程通常强调政治理论、历史和安全研究。尽管在智力上启发人心，但实践技能极为狭窄。若毕业生无法进入政府机构或智库，往往会发现自己对商业岗位准备不足，因为雇主看重具体的分析、财务或技术能力。无权从事敏感公共部门工作的留学生，劣势尤为明显。
Language barriers can also frustrate IR graduates. Many desirable positions require professional proficiency in at least two languages, and even then networking inside diplomatic circles heavily depends on social capital. Without substantial pre-university planning and internships, the degree can feel like a dead end, prompting regret over the lack of marketable skills.
语言障碍也困扰着国际关系专业的毕业生。许多理想职位要求至少精通两门语言，且即便如此，外交圈内的人脉积累极大依赖社会资本。如果缺乏充分的大学前规划和实习铺垫，这个学位很可能成为死胡同，使人为其缺乏市场竞争力感到懊悔。
7. Sociology & Anthropology: Deep Insight, Few Direct Jobs | 7. 社会学与人类学：洞见深刻，对口工作寥寥
Sociology and anthropology offer powerful lenses to understand inequality, culture, and human behaviour. Despite their intellectual richness, these majors often lead to a painful gap between academic passion and employment reality. Directly related roles—such as community worker, researcher, or cultural consultant—are scarce and usually require postgraduate qualifications.
社会学和人类学为理解不平等、文化和人类行为提供了强大视角。尽管其学术内涵丰富，这类专业却常常面临学术热情与就业现实之间的痛苦落差。直接对口的岗位，如社区工作者、研究员或文化顾问，不仅稀少，且通常需要研究生学历。
Too often, graduates find themselves competing for generic graduate programmes in HR, marketing, or administration. While sociology hones critical thinking and qualitative research skills, these are not always explicitly sought by employers. International students, who may already face cultural and linguistic hurdles, find it especially challenging to translate anthropological knowledge into corporate value.
过于常见的情况是，毕业生只得去竞争人力资源、市场营销或行政等通用管培生岗位。尽管社会学能磨砺批判性思维和质性研究技能，但这些并非雇主明确追求的特质。留学生本已面临文化和语言障碍，要将人类学知识转化为企业价值更是格外困难。
A frequent source of regret is the underestimation of research dependency. To truly use the degree, one must often follow an academic track that demands a PhD and a university career, a path with notoriously low success rates. Those who envisioned using sociology to 'change the world' quickly realise that impact requires longer, less direct routes.
后悔的一个常见根源是低估了对研究的依赖。要想真正学以致用，通常需要走学术道路，读博并谋求教职，而这条路的成功率众所周知地低。那些幻想利用社会学“改变世界”的人很快意识到，实现影响力需要更长、更迂回的路径。
8. English Literature: The Non-Native Disadvantage | 8. 英语文学：非母语者的先天劣势
English literature exerts a timeless appeal, especially for international students seeking to immerse themselves in canonical texts. The reality of studying literature at a degree level, however, quickly distinguishes it from the pleasure of casual reading. Intense workloads of critical theory, essay writing, and archival work can overwhelm students who expected a more creative or language-focused experience.
英语文学散发着永恒的魅力，尤其吸引那些希望沉浸于经典文本的留学生。然而，学位层面的文学研究很快显现出其与轻松阅读截然不同的面貌。批判理论、论文写作和档案研究等高强度任务，可能让期待体验更多创意或语言学习的学生措手不及。
The employment landscape for literature graduates presents another sharp regret. Teaching is the most obvious path, yet positions often require additional certification. Outside education, employers may respect the analytical and writing abilities of literature graduates, but rarely offer direct pathways. International students, for whom English is a second language, face the assumption that their writing cannot match native-level sophistication, creating a persistent barrier in publishing, journalism, or content creation.
文学毕业生的就业前景带来另一重强烈悔意。教学是最明显的出路，但岗位常要求额外教师资格证。教育领域之外，雇主纵然尊重文学毕业生的分析和写作能力，但很少提供直接对口的职业路径。英语为第二语言的留学生更要面对一种预设——认为其写作无法达到母语者的精妙程度，这在出版、新闻或内容创作领域构成持续障碍。
Furthermore, many international students admitted to literature degrees based on strong IELTS scores later find that the level of academic English required is far beyond exam-oriented training. The need to produce long analytical essays under time pressure, coupled with the cultural distance from Western literary traditions, can make the degree an isolating, regrettable choice if not grounded in authentic interest and preparation.
此外，许多凭借高分雅思成绩入读文学学位的留学生后来发现，学术英语的要求远超应试训练的范畴。需要在时间压力下撰写长篇分析性论文，又缺少对西方文学传统的文化亲近感，如果没有真实的兴趣和充分准备，这个学位就会成为孤立无援且令人后悔的选择。
9. Common Patterns and How to Choose Wisely | 9. 后悔的共同模式与如何明智选择
Looking across these regrettable majors, several patterns emerge. First, overestimation of passion and underestimation of market reality drive many choices. Students often select a degree based on high school subjects they enjoyed or idealised career images without researching day-to-day job responsibilities or salary progression.
审视这些令人后悔的专业，可以发现几大共性。首先，高估热情而低估市场现实是驱动许多选择的关键。学生常因喜欢某门高中课程或怀揣理想化的职业形象而选定学位，却没有调研日常的工作职责或薪资成长曲线。
Second, degrees that lack concrete, transferable hard skills tend to cause more regret. Employers in the modern economy prize digital literacy, data analysis, and problem-solving capabilities. Fields that deliver theory-heavy but application-light education leave graduates ill-equipped to compete, especially when they need visa sponsorship.
第二，缺乏具体、可转移硬技能的学位更易引发后悔。现代经济中的雇主偏爱数字素养、数据分析和解决问题的能力。那些理论繁重但应用薄弱的教育，会让毕业生在竞争中装备不足，尤其当他们需要签证担保时。
Third, international students must factor in visa and work authorisation realities from day one. Majors that lead to roles on skilled occupation lists, such as STEM, accounting, or nursing, provide clearer immigration pathways. In contrast, humanities and social science graduates often need to pivot early through internships, double majors, or postgraduate conversion courses, incurring extra time and cost.
第三，留学生必须从一开始就将签证和工作许可的现实纳入考量。能通往技能职业清单岗位的专业，如STEM、会计或护理，提供更清晰的移民路径。相反，人文社科毕业生往往需要早早转向，通过实习、双学位或研究生转换课程另辟蹊径，平添时间和经济成本。
To avoid regret, prospective students should conduct informational interviews with recent graduates, scrutinise employment statistics by major, and honestly assess their own career priorities. Choosing a major should be a pragmatic blend of passion, aptitude, and labour market intelligence, rather than a romantic leap.
要避免后悔，准留学生应联系新近毕业生进行信息访谈，仔细审视按专业划分的就业统计数据，并诚实评估自身的职业优先事项。选择专业应该是热情、天赋与劳动力市场情报的务实融合，而非浪漫的纵身一跃。
Published by TutorHao | University Major Selection Series | aleveler.com
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