The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

If you were given the choice...

Would you choose an Apprenticeship or A-levels? I'm in the situation where I should decide and I would welcome any advice or opinions :smile:

Scroll to see replies

If I could go back, I'd pick an Apprenticeship over A-levels, simply because of how things are going these days in terms og getting a job. A lot of employers need people with experience. While going onto university after A-levels and getting a degree is good, people still want experience over academia, and I feel like an apprenticeship can do that.
Original post by Novascope
If I could go back, I'd pick an Apprenticeship over A-levels, simply because of how things are going these days in terms og getting a job. A lot of employers need people with experience. While going onto university after A-levels and getting a degree is good, people still want experience over academia, and I feel like an apprenticeship can do that.


I see. If you don't mind me asking, what route did you take and where has it got you? (You don't have to tell me if you don' want :smile:)
Original post by brainzistheword
I see. If you don't mind me asking, what route did you take and where has it got you? (You don't have to tell me if you don' want :smile:)


I did A-levels and now I've finished my second year at uni studying Journalism & Creative Writing. An apprenticeship in Journalism at 16 would have been amazing because I probably would have had all the experience I'm only just getting know, but 3 years earlier, so I would have probably been able to launch myself into that career a bit earlier.
I appeared for A Levels this year! Didn't go for Apprenticeship though. It's quite harsh an experience though...when you go through the work load etc but quite interesting if you enjoy the work that you are doing! :smile:
Original post by Novascope
I did A-levels and now I've finished my second year at uni studying Journalism & Creative Writing. An apprenticeship in Journalism at 16 would have been amazing because I probably would have had all the experience I'm only just getting know, but 3 years earlier, so I would have probably been able to launch myself into that career a bit earlier.


Oooh Journalism and Creative Writing sounds interesting. And I get what you mean with the experience side of things. Do you know of anyone at Uni who has done an apprenticeship and gotten onto a course?

Original post by sabahshahed294
I appeared for A Levels this year! Didn't go for Apprenticeship though. It's quite harsh an experience though...when you go through the work load etc but quite interesting if you enjoy the work that you are doing! :smile:


What career are you looking into, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Oooh Journalism and Creative Writing sounds interesting. And I get what you mean with the experience side of things. Do you know of anyone at Uni who has done an apprenticeship and gotten onto a course?



What career are you looking into, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:


I personally have an interest towards Chemistry and Maths but I haven't really decided what I wanna do though :tongue: Wbu? What kind of career are you looking forward to?
Original post by brainzistheword
Would you choose an Apprenticeship or A-levels? I'm in the situation where I should decide and I would welcome any advice or opinions :smile:

I did A-levels. Some apprenticeships do require applicants to have A-levels, so consider that. I've always liked the idea of doing an apprenticeship but I don't think I'm ready to go into work yet. I'm remarkably dumb when it comes to real life scenarios and practical matters. I'd probably be fired on the first day.
Original post by brainzistheword
Oooh Journalism and Creative Writing sounds interesting. And I get what you mean with the experience side of things. Do you know of anyone at Uni who has done an apprenticeship and gotten onto a course?



What career are you looking into, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:


No I don't know of anyone sorry. But I'm pretty sure there are loads of people who do go onto uni after taking an apprenticeship, but I think what you find most of the time is that those who take it tend to go onto work after instead of uni.
Original post by sabahshahed294
I personally have an interest towards Chemistry and Maths but I haven't really decided what I wanna do though :tongue: Wbu? What kind of career are you looking forward to?


I love those subjects too - I'm looking at Engineering (that is where I have been offered an Apprenticeship) although I'm still also looking at keeping my options open :smile:

Original post by Platopus
I did A-levels. Some apprenticeships do require applicants to have A-levels, so consider that. I've always liked the idea of doing an apprenticeship but I don't think I'm ready to go into work yet. I'm remarkably dumb when it comes to real life scenarios and practical matters. I'd probably be fired on the first day.


Yes some do, though luckily the one I have been offered goes as far back as GCSE entry so I have been offered it based on that. What careers are you looking at and I bet you wouldn't be fired on the first day (maybe the second :tongue:) jk

Original post by Novascope
No I don't know of anyone sorry. But I'm pretty sure there are loads of people who do go onto uni after taking an apprenticeship, but I think what you find most of the time is that those who take it tend to go onto work after instead of uni.


Ah it's ok, just curious. Yeah I guess most do, as it is probably because they didn't want to study that most chose an Apprenticeship in the first place.
Original post by brainzistheword

Yes some do, though luckily the one I have been offered goes as far back as GCSE entry so I have been offered it based on that. What careers are you looking at and I bet you wouldn't be fired on the first day (maybe the second :tongue:) jk

I wasn't sure. Something in HR looked interesting but I severely doubt my competency. I think I need some time to figure out what I actually want to do for a job rather than rushing into an apprenticeship, then getting stuck in a specific industry/job. Also, I want to move out of my mum's and if I did an apprenticeship I wouldn't be earning enough to get my own place. So, overall I think uni is better for me.
Original post by Platopus
I wasn't sure. Something in HR looked interesting but I severely doubt my competency. I think I need some time to figure out what I actually want to do for a job rather than rushing into an apprenticeship, then getting stuck in a specific industry/job. Also, I want to move out of my mum's and if I did an apprenticeship I wouldn't be earning enough to get my own place. So, overall I think uni is better for me.


That's interesting. I'm keen to keep my options open but I want to do it in such a way that I have the money to support myself (as I can definitely not rely on my parents for any money at all) and student loans don't seem the most appealing thing at the moment, but the opportunities Uni provides do. So I guess I'm stuck with a decision to make :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
That's interesting. I'm keen to keep my options open but I want to do it in such a way that I have the money to support myself (as I can definitely not rely on my parents for any money at all) and student loans don't seem the most appealing thing at the moment, but the opportunities Uni provides do. So I guess I'm stuck with a decision to make :smile:

For me, student loans are a godsend. You will never get a loan on such good terms again in your life! But, I know not everyone is keen on them.

An apprenticeship isn't going to pay enough for you to support yourself but if you stay at your parents while you're doing it, you can save and if you get a job after it ends, you will hopefully have enough saved up to rent a flat.
Original post by Platopus
For me, student loans are a godsend. You will never get a loan on such good terms again in your life! But, I know not everyone is keen on them.

An apprenticeship isn't going to pay enough for you to support yourself but if you stay at your parents while you're doing it, you can save and if you get a job after it ends, you will hopefully have enough saved up to rent a flat.


Yeah I know where you are coming from, especially as they don't need to be paid back straight away and all that.

And I would be staying with my parents and hopefully saving as much as possible. The money I've been offered is quite good so it should be a good help but compared to what I could probably earn as a graduate it might not seem worth it.
I wish i did an apprenticeship. I wasted my lire doing a levels :frown:
Original post by loveleest
I wish i did an apprenticeship. I wasted my lire doing a levels :frown:


What job are you looking at doing? And what A-levels have you done, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:
wish id done an apprenticeship over a degree
already into my second year now so not gonna waste it although iv been incredibly tempted
Original post by brainzistheword
Yeah I know where you are coming from, especially as they don't need to be paid back straight away and all that.

And I would be staying with my parents and hopefully saving as much as possible. The money I've been offered is quite good so it should be a good help but compared to what I could probably earn as a graduate it might not seem worth it.

Do what feels right to you. Doing an apprenticeship has the advantage that your employers may well offer you a job afterwards. Over the course of their whole career, I believe I read somewhere that people who do apprenticeships earn as much as graduates.
Original post by Platopus
Do what feels right to you. Doing an apprenticeship has the advantage that your employers may well offer you a job afterwards. Over the course of their whole career, I believe I read somewhere that people who do apprenticeships earn as much as graduates.


Yeah I need to write everything down and look at it carefully. That is promising so I will definitely do more research into it - thank you for all your responses :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
What job are you looking at doing? And what A-levels have you done, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:


Filmmaking...
I did media studies, psychology and ict.
Extremely pointless. Wish I did an apprenticeship.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you