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Higher education environment has become increasingly competitive, and institutions have to compete for students in the recruitment markets (Maringe, 2006). The transition from college to the world of work is a major life change for many college seniors, during which they face the complex demands of the economy; of a challenging, highly competitive job market; and of an increasingly diverse population and workforce. The transition from higher education to employment warrants particular attention because it represents a critical threshold between adolescence and adulthood. Students invest a great deal of their time, energy, and resources in obtaining a higher education degree; hence, they have high expectations regarding their future careers and employment status (Wood, 2004). It is common for graduates to have negative reactions to their initial post-college employment, partly due to inflated expectations (often fostered during recruitment) (Keenan and Newton, 1984).
To bridge the transition gap, it is important to gain a clear understanding of student career expectations and perceptions, and the influence they have on career choice. Faculties bear some responsibility for these patterns of students’ choice which they bemoan. Students make their course choice in response to a powerful set of incentives, but at the same time, expectation of grades is also likely to influence course choice. There are two aspects of course choice as they pertain to utility maximization; one involves the intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction derived from the course and grade received, and the other involves student’s knowledge and their learning abilities (Sabot and Linn, 1991).
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