I&#x27;m scared I made the wrong choice!

Original post by Dejomony

My dream job is to be a police officer. But my eye sight is the only thing stopping me until I get laser eye surgery.

Now I am freaking out, I have just accepted my offer to go to Staffordshire University to do Policing and Criminal Investigation. I am doing this degree and hopefully doing a 1 year MSc top up. Now I am scared as I am scared if my laser eye surgery will not work or I will not be able to have it for a while and that all my education would be only based on the police officer job. I have everything planned out if my surgery is successful because I will be able to apply for Specials and PCSO before Police officer. But if the surgery fails i will never be able to get into the police because of my eye sight. Now this is making me more worried because the degree is good for becoming police, or other enforcement or a forensic scientist (which I found out you are more likely to be employed as a brain surgeon in the UK than a CSI guy because of all the cuts etc).

I have already "waisted" 1/2 of my academic life because I failed my GCSEs

The key issue appears to be the date of your surgery. Why can you not have it this summer before you start at Staffs?

Reply 3

OP

Original post by ageshallnot

The key issue appears to be the date of your surgery. Why can you not have it this summer before you start at Staffs?

Because they are all asking for a stable prescription which I do not have

Reply 4

Original post by Dejomony

Because they are all asking for a stable prescription which I do not have

When is that likely to be the situation?

Reply 5

OP

Original post by ageshallnot

When is that likely to be the situation?

people keep saying your eyes can become stable 18- mid 20s. So i could have to wait till I am 28 to get the surgery, this will hold me back so many years which is rather depressing.

Reply 6

Original post by Dejomony

people keep saying your eyes can become stable 18- mid 20s. So i could have to wait till I am 28 to get the surgery, this will hold me back so many years which is rather depressing.

So taking a degree with the sole purpose of becoming a police officer is therefore a huge (c.£45k) gamble?

Reply 7

Juno

20

Some people are never suitable for laser eye surgery, so it's not that you're waiting for a date - you're waiting to find out if it will ever be appropriate! I'm 29 and still haven't had a stable prescription, so even if you do find you can have the surgery you might have to wait longer than you think.

It's a huge risk, so you'd be better finding a different degree choice.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Juno

Some people are never suitable for laser eye surgery, so it's not that you're waiting for a date - you're waiting to find out if it will ever be appropriate! I'm 29 and still haven't had a stable prescription, so even if you do find you can have the surgery you might have to wait longer than you think.

It's a huge risk, so you'd be better finding a different degree choice.

Is your prescription still changing a lot? They allow you to have a little change like .5 a year I think

But there are very few degrees I can do. For example I am uninterested in business or law because I want a more active job like the police. I would hate my life if i was stuck in an office. I have only 3 GCSEs English C Science Double Award C/D and Maths B and am currently on a Business BTEC level 3 diploma on my last year.

There are other roles I could get into with that degree like customs officer immigration officer but I really have no clue. I already have accepted them as my firm choice

Reply 9

Original post by Dejomony

Is your prescription still changing a lot? They allow you to have a little change like .5 a year I think

But there are very few degrees I can do. For example I am uninterested in business or law because I want a more active job like the police. I would hate my life if i was stuck in an office. I have only 3 GCSEs English C Science Double Award C/D and Maths B and am currently on a Business BTEC level 3 diploma on my last year.

There are other roles I could get into with that degree like customs officer immigration officer but I really have no clue. I already have accepted them as my firm choice

Then you need to do some research very quickly and possibly rethink your degree.

One thing I would add is that you can join the police in your 30s, if and when your sight stabilises.

Reply 10

OP

Original post by ageshallnot

Then you need to do some research very quickly and possibly rethink your degree.

One thing I would add is that you can join the police in your 30s, if and when your sight stabilises.

There are very few things I think I cam capable of tough.

Reply 11

Original post by Dejomony

There are very few things I think I cam capable of tough.

What qualities do you possess that make you think you would be a good police officer? What other jobs can utilise those qualities?

(I don't know the answer. You might need to find out.)

Reply 12

Juno

20

Original post by Dejomony

Is your prescription still changing a lot? They allow you to have a little change like .5 a year I think

But there are very few degrees I can do. For example I am uninterested in business or law because I want a more active job like the police. I would hate my life if i was stuck in an office. I have only 3 GCSEs English C Science Double Award C/D and Maths B and am currently on a Business BTEC level 3 diploma on my last year.

There are other roles I could get into with that degree like customs officer immigration officer but I really have no clue. I already have accepted them as my firm choice

The problem is that if you have any changes, it means the laser eye surgery won't stay correcting your vision forever. They'll fix it at whatever, then the next year you're at whatever - 0.5. Then the year after you're at whatever - 1. Then this continues, so after 10 years you're 5 points out and can't see again.

So even if you did manage to get fixed and join the police you might find you can only have a short career there.

Reply 13

Holmstock