Should I choose a degree I will get a job with or one I will enjoy

I'm feeling really conflicted over which degree to go for. I am applying for audiology which has good job prospects and I enjoyed shadowing an audiologist although it was somewhat monotonous. I have my personal statement ready to send off to UCAS. However, I really enjoy art and I am predicted to get an A. I don't find it boring at all and I like how diverse the subject is. I would love to work in a studio or even film and media but I don't find it realistic. I wouldn't want to be a teacher or work in a museum. I guess I like the lack of routine and creative freedom. I do like audiology, I'm just not sure whether I should go into a career I like but get bored with, or one I really enjoy but have insecurities about my future with. I am still applying for audiology but what do you think is the better decision?

Reply 1

TimeWalker

18

It can be difficult to decide what you're going to do, I'd probably be confident with sticking to audiology though. Personally I'm also good at art but didn't take it to degree level for many reasons, one is that it can be produced in your free time. Also, ~9k a year is a lot to invest in something like an art degree esp. if you don't wish to teach, you're really only paying for studio time and the chance to get your undergraduate work exposed rather than to be taught anything valuable (many art teachers can't paint, they act more as friendly supervisors).

Audiology is probably the best choice.

Reply 2

Minerva

17

Original post by zoelizabeth

I'm feeling really conflicted over which degree to go for. I am applying for audiology which has good job prospects and I enjoyed shadowing an audiologist although it was somewhat monotonous. I have my personal statement ready to send off to UCAS. However, I really enjoy art and I am predicted to get an A. I don't find it boring at all and I like how diverse the subject is. I would love to work in a studio or even film and media but I don't find it realistic. I wouldn't want to be a teacher or work in a museum. I guess I like the lack of routine and creative freedom. I do like audiology, I'm just not sure whether I should go into a career I like but get bored with, or one I really enjoy but have insecurities about my future with. I am still applying for audiology but what do you think is the better decision?

Then why apply for the course?

If you want to do art, do that instead and see where it takes you. There is no such thing as bomb-proof job security any more, even in healthcare. In any case, the chances are that you will have quite different ideas about what kind of job you'd like by the time you've finished your degree.

Reply 3

plasmaman

18

Original post by zoelizabeth

I'm feeling really conflicted over which degree to go for. I am applying for audiology which has good job prospects and I enjoyed shadowing an audiologist although it was somewhat monotonous. I have my personal statement ready to send off to UCAS. However, I really enjoy art and I am predicted to get an A. I don't find it boring at all and I like how diverse the subject is. I would love to work in a studio or even film and media but I don't find it realistic. I wouldn't want to be a teacher or work in a museum. I guess I like the lack of routine and creative freedom. I do like audiology, I'm just not sure whether I should go into a career I like but get bored with, or one I really enjoy but have insecurities about my future with. I am still applying for audiology but what do you think is the better decision?

Stick with Audiology 100%

Reply 4

Lord Jon

21

Most likely the one you enjoy IS the one that will get you a job. Getting a 2.1 or first in a degree because you enjoy it will get you more jobs than a random degree you don't like which is vocational.

It's like people doing law to get a job as a lawyer because they want a job. Over doing English Lit which they actually enjoy.

You're just setting yourself up for trouble as you won't walk into X job and if you do ...you won't stick in it for long.

Reply 5

TroyAndAbed

14

You should like it to an extent as it will give you much more motivation to work but obviously job prospects should play a part in your decision. University is a great place for pursuing hobbies & such with a plethora of societies available that allow you to try new things for fairly affordable prices so the degree is not the be all and end all of your experience. :smile:

Reply 6

SophiaLDN

13

Original post by plasmaman

Stick with Audiology 100%

^^

Reply 7

Budz1

14

A lecturer told me that you should study something you are interested in and live as you will pursue your career better after qualifying as you enjoy studying in your interests better than a safe choice for a job

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 8

RAV 123

2

Do what you enjoy. It's not like you aren't going to get a job with art if you do graphic design or something.

Reply 9

ilandboi

10

maybe, you can look at degrees that could utilize your artistic abilities ... e.g.. something in designing.... I dont know.. I suck at art. lol

Reply 10

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

21

Why not do art now and audiology later? I believe audiology is an NHS-funded degree so the ELQ rule wouldn't apply to you. If you did a second degree in audiology after having studied art, you'd have your fees paid by the NHS and you'd receive a bursary. Best of both worlds.

Reply 11

BobbieShamrock

8

Original post by zoelizabeth

I'm feeling really conflicted over which degree to go for. I am applying for audiology which has good job prospects and I enjoyed shadowing an audiologist although it was somewhat monotonous. I have my personal statement ready to send off to UCAS. However, I really enjoy art and I am predicted to get an A. I don't find it boring at all and I like how diverse the subject is. I would love to work in a studio or even film and media but I don't find it realistic. I wouldn't want to be a teacher or work in a museum. I guess I like the lack of routine and creative freedom. I do like audiology, I'm just not sure whether I should go into a career I like but get bored with, or one I really enjoy but have insecurities about my future with. I am still applying for audiology but what do you think is the better decision?

Do something you really enjoy, you'll be doing in for 3/4 years after all! There are job opportunities with Arts degrees, even if they're less job specific than something like audiology.
I don't know much about audiology but I'd guess that once you get the degree, your only option would be to go into audiology (or something similar) so if you ended up not liking it, you'd be a bit stuck...

Reply 12

insert-username

14

Don't listen to what some ignorant people are saying about doing one you purely enjoy.
You're not paying £9000 + per year to have fun.
I'm going to be blunt here. Don't get it twisted. University is not about having a laugh and doing what you 'enjoy'. University is about getting a degree and acquiring the skills you need to get a ****ing job afterwards.
Some people make the mistake of thinking they're still 13 year olds when they apply to university. You dont pick university choices based on how much fun you're going to have or how many nap times or playdo you get to play with.
You need to grow up and make a mature decision based on forethought and intelligence.
You're only going to be in university for 3/4 years. Then what? Where will you live? What will you be doing to make money? Will you have a job?

There's a difference between a hobby and an occupation. What do you want to be after you graduate. An artist?
Even so, you dont need a degree in art to do that. With a degree in audiology you can still become an artist, you'll have access to a wider range of career options. But with a degree in art, well...it wont get you much.
You dont need an art degree to be an artist. just like how a degree in journalism is irrelevant because most journalists have degrees in subjects like history, english, law etc. There will always be art societies and opportunities to further your love and study of art. There's nothing you could learn in an art degree that you cant learn with other resources, online, short courses.
I myself attend regular life-drawing sessions, am a member of many art societies, philosophy societies, poetry societies, i'm a grade 8 pianist and attend a chess club once a week. That doesn't mean i'd waste 3 or 4 years of my life getting a degree in poetry, piano playing or chess. I'll be studying medicine because i genuinely enjoy the prospect of it, i love the vocation and though i know its a lot of hard work and wont be as 'enjoyable' as studying piano at a music conservatoire, i'll have a secure future.
most importantly i'll make a useful contribution to society with my vocation. being a doctor, surgeon will mean changing lives, having such an impact.
the most useful career a degree in art will get you is an art teacher in a secondary school.
even if you did become a famous artist, your art degree will be irrelevant as most of the world's famous artists did not need to study art at university.

You're going to have over £27000 worth of university dept, not including student loans.
What kind of lifestyle do you want to have after you graduate? You need a job that's going to support your plans.
You need a place to live and you're going to need a job to pay rent and support yourself. Unless you're going to be one of those 30 year olds that still live with their parents because they couldnt be bothered to get a useful degree and make a good living.

Don't "do what you enjoy", do what is going to get you a ****ing job so you're not living off welfare for the rest of your life.
For a lot of people, what they enjoy and what is going to give them a secure future are the same thing, however unfortunately thats not always the case and you need to be a foreward thinker.
University isn't about making short term decisions, its about long term goals. what you do now may literally determine what course your life will take.

^^^ what he/she said

Original post by zoelizabeth

I'm feeling really conflicted over which degree to go for. I am applying for audiology which has good job prospects and I enjoyed shadowing an audiologist although it was somewhat monotonous. I have my personal statement ready to send off to UCAS. However, I really enjoy art and I am predicted to get an A. I don't find it boring at all and I like how diverse the subject is. I would love to work in a studio or even film and media but I don't find it realistic. I wouldn't want to be a teacher or work in a museum. I guess I like the lack of routine and creative freedom. I do like audiology, I'm just not sure whether I should go into a career I like but get bored with, or one I really enjoy but have insecurities about my future with. I am still applying for audiology but what do you think is the better decision?

I have a friend who finished an art foundation year at Kingston and now is a first year at Bristol for History. It might be an idea to mimic this then, a year for the soul as it were.

Reply 15

chazwomaq

18

Original post by zoelizabeth

I enjoyed shadowing an audiologist although it was somewhat monotonous.

All jobs are monotonous. Not as monotonous as being unemployed though.

If you love art, then keep doing art - paint, or sculpt or illustrate or whatever it is you love to do. But these things are easy to do as a hobby: join the societies at university, produce your art, exhibit it. University is very well set up for this kind of thing.

Meanwhile, study your audiology degree. If you are super talented at art, then maybe you will get a job doing it. But if not, you've got a great alternative in audiology.

Reply 16

sliceofcake

15

Original post by chazwomaq

If you are super talented at art, then maybe you will get a job doing it. But if not, you've got a great alternative in audiology.

I don't think anyone can really tell you what to do, we can only throw out pros and cons for both decisions. Will point out though, that while most people think art is crap and a waste of time (in general, to study, for work, whatever), it's not that easy. It's not easy to do, and it's even harder to get a job in. It doesn't really just depend on you being "super talented" because that means nothing if you haven't been taught how to appropriately market yourself, how to form contracts if you're freelance, you aren't likely to have established any connections and the strength of your portfolio probably won't be much. At least, not compared to someone who has been to university for art/design/illustration etc. Yes you're essentially paying for studio time, but you're also given a lot of constructive criticism, you learn to work to deadlines, following specific briefs (that can suddenly be changed 3 days before deadline), you get the experience of exhibiting and networking with people that will be able to hire you or recommend you.

I don't think audiology is something just anyone can walk into, either. I believe you need a degree for that too... so my point is, it's not likely that you'll get a job in one of your choices while having a degree in the other, so I wouldn't look at it like that if I were you. I definitely think the idea of you doing a foundation year in art is excellent. That way you'll know if you want to dedicate your life and time to art, or if you've 'gotten it out of your system' and can move on to audiology, or whatever else you may take interest in.

Reply 17

opalescent

7

I took a gamble on a Master's degree that seemed to lead to no specific job just because I loved the subject. It was a risk, but I'd worked for two years since my undergrad and I was confident that I could re-enter that field if I chose to. In your case I would probably do the audiology degree, keep art as a hobby, and then look for postgrad courses in art that I could take once I had a salary and was secure enough in my career to be able to experiment a bit. (Art therapy, for example.) You might also find audiology a lot more interesting than it looks - actually doing the job is different from just sitting there watching someone else do it.

That said, don't do audiology if you're absolutely going to hate it, because healthcare roles are demanding and you can always tell who wants to be there from who doesn't. I worked in a hospital and I used to get really frustrated with the staff who evidently wanted to be anywhere but there. That is not fair on your patients.

Reply 18

Minerva

17

Original post by insert-username

Don't listen to what some ignorant people are saying about doing one you purely enjoy.
You're not paying £9000 + per year to have fun.
I'm going to be blunt here. Don't get it twisted. University is not about having a laugh and doing what you 'enjoy'. University is about getting a degree and acquiring the skills you need to get a ****ing job afterwards.

It certainly is about doing what you enjoy - that's the way you get a degree that is good enough to open doors to graduate schemes and jobs. The subject of the degree does not matter.

I'll be studying medicine because i genuinely enjoy the prospect of it, i love the vocation and though i know its a lot of hard work and wont be as 'enjoyable' as studying piano at a music conservatoire, i'll have a secure future.
most importantly i'll make a useful contribution to society with my vocation. being a doctor, surgeon will mean changing lives, having such an impact.

That's great for you - it is clear that the OP is not so sure of her choice, which is why she posted about her dilemma in the first place.

the most useful career a degree in art will get you is an art teacher in a secondary school.

Nonsense. Just... nonsense.

Don't "do what you enjoy", do what is going to get you a ****ing job so you're not living off welfare for the rest of your life.

I really don't see why doing a degree you enjoy is necessarily incompatible with decent job prospects - and indeed I know (as you clearly do not) from experience that this is not the case. If you are saying this simply because the alternative to audiology for this OP is a degree in art, again I say, Nonsense.

Original post by opalescent

I took a gamble on a Master's degree that seemed to lead to no specific job just because I loved the subject. It was a risk, but I'd worked for two years since my undergrad and I was confident that I could re-enter that field if I chose to. In your case I would probably do the audiology degree, keep art as a hobby, and then look for postgrad courses in art that I could take once I had a salary and was secure enough in my career to be able to experiment a bit. (Art therapy, for example.) You might also find audiology a lot more interesting than it looks - actually doing the job is different from just sitting there watching someone else do it.

That said, don't do audiology if you're absolutely going to hate it, because healthcare roles are demanding and you can always tell who wants to be there from who doesn't. I worked in a hospital and I used to get really frustrated with the staff who evidently wanted to be anywhere but there. That is not fair on your patients.

Totally agree with this.