Article – The ConversationPatrick Dodd, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Hanoku Bathula, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauChoosing a university degree has never been straightforward. Students and parents have always asked which courses and majors offer the best returns and lead to secure careers. Instead, universities should reconsider how early students specialise – and whether current programmes provide genuine opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning. Specialisation may come later, once students understand how fields connect and why complex problems require multiple perspectives. These experiences would help students understand what their discipline contributes, where its limits lie and when other expertise is needed.