Changed mind about UCAS, HELP!

I'm in a rough situation, and though I am aware of all the faults I made leading up to applying, I'd seriously appreciate some advice:

So I've always been interested in Politics and Philosophy, and I would say I have a passion for these subjects. I applied to do Politics/Philosophy related courses at Cambridge, LSE, UCL, Kings and Manchester (my A2 predictions are A*A*A). So, I've had an interview at Cambridge and I am quite optimistic (though I know you can never tell how well your interview actually went), I'm in the final stage for my LSE application (8 week email) and I've received offers from UCL and Manchester. The issue is that I've started to realise recently, that though I am passionate about these subjects, I don't think I necessarily enjoy them; they don't make me happy. By this, I mean that I read, debate and watch things to do with PP but they don't necessarily make me happy, for example, when I read new articles to do with Middle Eastern politics I feel disenfranchised, but I can't stop reading because I am still passionate.

I come from a family of architects, and I have recently really considered pursuing Architecture. The reason for this is that I am quite a creative person, I enjoy making music and films, and I also have a thing for aesthetics. I feel like this course would genuinely make me happier, and would provide me with a lot more confidence in doing such a defined course. I feel like its also the perfect mix of academia and creativity, in contrast to PP. The problem is that: I've already applied, I don't do Art at school (and I don't do much drawing at home), and finally I don't have a portfolio. I understand that some universities don't actually require portfolios as some students haven't had the opportunity to Art at A Level. Also, I know many unis at clearing like Manchester, don't require you to send in a portfolio, and accept you if you have the grades during clearing/adjustment. Bath also don't require a portfolio but suggest you take a foundation year of Art.

Ultimately, I know if I got an offer from Cambridge/LSE, I wouldn't just automatically decline it and pursue Architecture, but I am not relying on the possibility of potentially getting an offer from these two. I want to know what my options are at this stage, and what is the most suitable thing for me to do, if I want to pursue it. I know, overall, its quite silly of me to suddenly have a change of heart, but I don't want to get dedicate my life to something that won't make me happy at university. Should I go through Extra or Clearing? I also would prefer not to do a foundation year, because I'm super keen on two things: going to a university in a cosmopolitan city (like London). and finishing university as early as possibly because of responsibilities. I know UCL's Architecture department is amazing and is a long shot, but that would be my dream place to study. Also, if I get an offer to study Architecture somewhere, I would begin comprising my own portfolio and practicing art in preparation for next year. I also know they offer an Architecture course with interdisciplinary studies, so I can do other modules which would be perfect. There are so many factors, so I would really appreciate sensible answers as I do feel a bit lost. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Thank you.

It sounds to me like you've chosen architecture on a whim without doing enough research about it. Do you want to actually be an architect or do you just want to study the first degree in it? Becoming an architect is a very long drawn out process that tends to take about 7 years. You would need to do your degree and then two further extended qualifications after having done some experience. If I were you I would wait and see how your offers pan out and then if you still don't want to study that course, take a gap year and think about what you actually want to do. I would personally think you are mad to turn down offers from those universities for subjects which, by your own admission, you are passionate about and from the looks of your grades are extremely good at, to attend a lower down university for a subject which you have randomly chosen, that doesn't fit in with your qualifications at all...if you haven't taken art, physics and maths, what makes you think you would be any good at architecture anyway?

I agree with everything you've said. It's also why I find it hard to talk about. I think if I do get an offer from LSE/Cambridge I will take it regardless, but otherwise I don't necessarily think I'd be happy anywhere else for this subject. I think you've made a lot of points, which I will consider. Thanks for your response

I get what you mean. When I picked my degree I found it quite daunting that you've chosen this subject for 3 years and you can't just drop it like you can with an A level or GCSE that you really hate. I picked law initially and then I started clutching at straws at any random subject and how I could change my qualifications to suit it...I thought about english lit, philosophy, nutrition, starting A levels again to be a doctor...in the end I came back to law. You could just be having a wobble about your choice which is completely normal. With a politics and philosophy degree or equivalent you do have a lot of choice because you can choose your modules and tailor your degree to your interests, if you find you would rather read about the Middle East and not necessarily study it then on a flexible course you probably wouldn't have to anyway