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I'm not sure I want to do history at university anymore

I'll keep this as short as possible.

I've never known what I wanted to do for a career and I've never felt very passionate about any subject, but my favourite has always been history and it is my best subject. I took history, English lit and philosophy at A Level and did very well. However, because I was unsure about what to do at uni during sixth form, I took a gap year and applied post results. I chose to do history and accepted an unconditional offer from KCL and that's the position I'm in now.

But I'm having serious doubts. I admit, I've been scared by threads on here discussing how useless (compared to stem at least) history degrees and so on are and as I still have no career plans, and most of the destinations for history graduates don't interest me except maybe teaching or media (unlikely though), I think I'm going to be wasting my money and time.

I wish I had taken science a levels but when choosing my A levels, some supply chemistry teacher told me that science wasn't my strength and that I shouldn't do them at A Level, and stupidly I didn't even question them.

I have an interest in health care, but I don't know whether I'm cut out to be a nurse or anything like that. I'm a shy and easily stressed person with mental health issues and I have no confidence. I just can't stand the thought of being in some kind of corporate desk job - I want a career that seems worthwhile.

I don't know whether to just go to study history this September or seriously consider doing some kind of access to science course. The thing is, I know I enjoy history and I'm worried I just like the idea of doing science as opposed to the reality.

I'm so stuck and feel like I'm running out of time. I've already taken a gap year so I can't really take another to do an access course (in fact, because I have no work experience or anything it'd be 2 years at least before I started an undergraduate degree) and there's always the chance I wouldn't like it and then where would I be?

Any advice or insight is much appreciated.
Original post by Nats1411
I'll keep this as short as possible.

I've never known what I wanted to do for a career and I've never felt very passionate about any subject, but my favourite has always been history and it is my best subject. I took history, English lit and philosophy at A Level and did very well. However, because I was unsure about what to do at uni during sixth form, I took a gap year and applied post results. I chose to do history and accepted an unconditional offer from KCL and that's the position I'm in now.

But I'm having serious doubts. I admit, I've been scared by threads on here discussing how useless (compared to stem at least) history degrees and so on are and as I still have no career plans, and most of the destinations for history graduates don't interest me except maybe teaching or media (unlikely though), I think I'm going to be wasting my money and time.

I wish I had taken science a levels but when choosing my A levels, some supply chemistry teacher told me that science wasn't my strength and that I shouldn't do them at A Level, and stupidly I didn't even question them.

I have an interest in health care, but I don't know whether I'm cut out to be a nurse or anything like that. I'm a shy and easily stressed person with mental health issues and I have no confidence. I just can't stand the thought of being in some kind of corporate desk job - I want a career that seems worthwhile.

I don't know whether to just go to study history this September or seriously consider doing some kind of access to science course. The thing is, I know I enjoy history and I'm worried I just like the idea of doing science as opposed to the reality.

I'm so stuck and feel like I'm running out of time. I've already taken a gap year so I can't really take another to do an access course (in fact, because I have no work experience or anything it'd be 2 years at least before I started an undergraduate degree) and there's always the chance I wouldn't like it and then where would I be?

Any advice or insight is much appreciated.


I HATE it when people advocate STEM degrees over the Arts. It is the worst thing. The be all and end all of it is this: if you do not have a mathematical or scientific brain, you are not going to succeed in your studies of mathematics and science. There is no point forcing yourself into doing it just because society advocates it.

History graduates are one of the most highly employable graduates out there. It's not just about what you study - it's about the skills you attain as well. After finishing their degrees, they can go into publishing, law, teaching, politics...there are so many opportunities. However, you need to be strong and determined to defend your subject. If you don't love history, don't study it. University is not the only way you can make a lot of money, if that's what you want to do. Most of the richest people in the world are entrepreneurs.

I'm sorry if this seems disjointed, but if I were you I'd have a strong think about what your aims and ideologies are in life. What do you want? To help people? To be rich? To be successful? Once you pinpoint your "big dream", you can break it down into smaller dreams, so on and so forth, until you have a list of steps/tasks/goals to get there. I really would not advise signing up ad-hoc to study a history degree if it's not what you really want to do.

Good luck!

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