Parents won't let me study Photography at uni

I changed it before I saw your correction

You don't win.

So, basically, studying Economics wouldn't hurt my chances of becoming a photographer?

It's not like I hate Economics or anything, I really do find it interesting and I wouldn't mind studying it that much, but I just like photography more.
I do see why everybody says I'm better off studying Economics than Photography, though. Oh well, Economics it is then, I guess.

Noble though your aspirations are, I doubt that a formal qualification in photography would be worth £15,000 more – in 'real' terms – than three years spent actually practising photography. Conversely, a degree in Economics will at least keep you solvent enough that you can afford to pursue such endeavours recreationally.

tbh i wouldnt support a child of mine doing this because it wouldnt be in their interests. It is a foolish thing to do...what use is a photography degree going to be to you in the future? It's so very limiting to the possibile things u could do with your future. do you really even need the degree to be a photographer? let alone any thing else?

i wouldnt stop my child doing it...but i think it would be irresponsible to support it...it's their job to persuade you to do what's in your best interests....and i'm sure, especially if you really are capable of oxford, a photogrpahy degree is not

A degree isn't just about getting a job in that particular field at the end of it.

For starters it should be something you enjoy and want to study in depth

At the end of a degree you still have so many options available to you, in terms of career and everything else.

I'm sure..but more opportunities will be available with a traditional degree from a redbrick uni, just an example, than for photography. if this guy is being genuine he could get into most redbricks or even oxbridge and go a decent degree...so by doing photogrpahy he is forgoing opportunities he already could p;otentially have.

I'm new here and I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, if it isn't, sorry.
So yeah, I'm in year 12 at the moment, and I've set my heart on studying Photography at university as it's something I love and I'm good at.
I spoke to my parents about it, but they just looked at me as if I was crazy or something. Most of my family have gone to Oxbridge and expect me to do so as well. In their opinion Photography isn't a real subject at all and I should study something respectable like Economics or History or whatever. My dad actually told me they won't pay for university if I study Photography..

It doesn't help, either, that my school is a very academic one and nearly everyone goes on to top universities. They put huge pressure on me to apply to Oxbridge as I got really good GCSE's and won't hear of me applying for something non-academic like Photography. I can imagine myself studying Economics as well, I but I'm not really all that passionate about it like I am about Photography, which I suppose you would have to be if you're aiming for Oxbridge. Otherwise, I think I stand a pretty good chance of getting in.

I know it's my life and I should make the decision myself, but it's not exactly easy when everybody expects me to do something I don't want to do.

So what do you think about this? What should I say to my parents? Or should I just apply for Economics and forget everything about a degree in Photography and just have it as a hobby?

Thanks

Photography is a waste of money for a degree.

Most people in thhis thread aren't even at uni, you're really not going to get any useful advice at all. Ask a teacher, go to an open day at a uni or something, but if you want advice that's pertinent, even handed and thought through then TSR really isn't the place to go.

At any rate, you do more than just take photos on a photography degree, the same goes for any and all arts degrees, quite a bit of the work is theory based as well as practical, especially at some of the more prestigious art unis/colleges.

No one here has even studied whatever it is they're planning to study to degree level, let alone photography so taken their advice to heart would be more detrimental than anything else.

And would people quit saying ******** like "just join the photography society", as if you'd be able to learn about photography to the same level just being part of some ****** society. None of you know what you're talking about

Point taken.I am one of the exec members of the PhotoSoc at the University of Nottingham and I will say that perhaps we've not been able to give the same level of tuition as you'd get in a full time degree course.But you seem to overlook the fact that being in a Society you get to meet plenty of other interested snappers and you can learn off them also - it's not just about being "taught" as such how to do photography.

My Dad wanted me to take chemistry at A-Level, I took Drama. Now he activly encourages my sister to do the same because he saw it was academic and hard work.

Just do it, afterll, you're the one doing the degree. No-one can control what you put on your UCAS except you, and if your finger just happens to slip onto that 'Photography' option, then... whoops?

Have you got another way of funding youself? If you have, go for Photography and never look back.
If you haven't would it be possible for you to get a loan or something?
Don't do something you don't like, it would be a waste of energy, time and basically life.
Good luck