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Why do so many people study law/psychology when the career prospects are low?

I'm wondering what attracts people to these courses knowing its going to cost them close to £50,000 (plus maybe £10,000 accumulated debt). If you look at the career prospects and starting salaries for these courses they're surprisingly low eg

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006842FT-LLB_LW/ReturnTo/Search

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006840FT-K0013/ReturnTo/Search

and those examples include decent Russel group universities. With starting salaries that low they'll struggle to pay the student debt at which point you question the logic behind doing the course in the first place.

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Reply 1
Neither are vocational or semi vocational degrees. The prospects are not that bad compared to other humanities subjects, I wouldn't classify psychology as a science at first degree level.

Most law graduates don't work in law.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Maker
Neither are vocational or semi vocational degrees. The prospects are not that bad compared to other humanities subjects, I wouldn't classify psychology as a science at first degree level.

Most law graduates don't work in law.


Is that don't or can't?
Original post by physicsphysics91
Is that don't or can't?


What does it matter? At least they'll have a job, which shows that employment prospects are good. Law is a really versatile degree which opens loads of doors
Original post by physicsphysics91
Is that don't or can't?


If they are going to work in law then in the graduate destinations statistics they'll be listed in further study 6 months after graduating.

The course you linked to had 42% if graduates in further study (almost certainly all working towards their legal professional qualifications).

With nearly half the graduating class studying looking at average salary for the remainder is more than a little misleading.
Original post by physicsphysics91
I'm wondering what attracts people to these courses knowing its going to cost them close to £50,000 (plus maybe £10,000 accumulated debt). If you look at the career prospects and starting salaries for these courses they're surprisingly low eg

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006842FT-LLB_LW/ReturnTo/Search

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006840FT-K0013/ReturnTo/Search

and those examples include decent Russel group universities. With starting salaries that low they'll struggle to pay the student debt at which point you question the logic behind doing the course in the first place.


As PQ points out the stats are misleading if you dont understand them.
Im surprised so many choose not to continue studying.

Of the 42% that go into further study then a significant proportion of those will have training contracts and if they qualify, then they can have a stable to very well paid interesting career. People fancy their chances and ability. They should be in a group that can pay the student debt with ease.

Obviously some dont make it. Your link is just for Liverpool, it will be a lot different for other unis.
Original post by physicsphysics91
I'm wondering what attracts people to these courses knowing its going to cost them close to £50,000 (plus maybe £10,000 accumulated debt). If you look at the career prospects and starting salaries for these courses they're surprisingly low eg

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006842FT-LLB_LW/ReturnTo/Search

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006840FT-K0013/ReturnTo/Search

and those examples include decent Russel group universities. With starting salaries that low they'll struggle to pay the student debt at which point you question the logic behind doing the course in the first place.


Because, they want to study it?

Career prospects and degree have very tenuous links. Law grads and Psych grads can go into a myriad of grad jobs, it's a question of if the individuals themselves are good enough or interested enough, not their degree.

The Training Contract issue has been covered above.

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(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by physicsphysics91
I'm wondering what attracts people to these courses knowing its going to cost them close to £50,000 (plus maybe £10,000 accumulated debt). If you look at the career prospects and starting salaries for these courses they're surprisingly low eg

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006842FT-LLB_LW/ReturnTo/Search

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006840FT-K0013/ReturnTo/Search

and those examples include decent Russel group universities. With starting salaries that low they'll struggle to pay the student debt at which point you question the logic behind doing the course in the first place.


Not everyone views university just as a means to get a high paying job. Many who study non-vocational degrees will be doing so to gain a broader education and personal development which will enhance their life. Or they are more motivated by the interest in their subject than earning potential. Some low earners will never even earn enough to repay their student loans, as they are dischargable after a certain time, so they may feel they have little to lose.

Others may be on a path where starting salaries are low, but future salaries can be higher. In my field, (Psychology) starting salaries are very low after your BSc (approx £18k on average), but get better once you have your doctorate/chartership (£30k-50k). Of course not everyone gets that far, but many people have that in mind when starting out.

Then there are those students who aren't thinking that far ahead. Even in 2016 there is still a prevailing mentality that any degree will be a pathway to getting a good job, especially in families where that person is the first person to attend university. While the graduate premium has dropped in the last 30 years, it's not entirely eliminated.
Original post by Princepieman
Because, they want to study it?

Career prospects and degree have very tenuous links. Law grads and Psych grads can go into a myriad of grad jobs, it's a question of if the individuals themselves are good enough or interested enough, not their degree.

The Training Contract issue has been covered above.

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Outside of psychology is different. If you're wanting to do clinical psychology you'll need a PhD, at which you will probably need a first for. I've heard of many law students ending up in retail.
Original post by physicsphysics91
Outside of psychology is different. If you're wanting to do clinical psychology you'll need a PhD, at which you will probably need a first for. I've heard of many law students ending up in retail.


I've heard of engineers and physics grads ending up as servers.. Your point is?

What I'm trying to get across to you is that the graduate market is generally degree agnostic and grad prospects are much more to do with individual experience and qualities than any degree.

Maths, Physics, Chemistry etc don't generally lead on to a specific career. Just like Law (without further study), Psychology, History, English don't - but yet the former is touted as being somehow better.

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Original post by Princepieman
I've heard of engineers and physics grads ending up as servers.. Your point is?

What I'm trying to get across to you is that the graduate market is generally degree agnostic and grad prospects are much more to do with individual experience and qualities than any degree.

Maths, Physics, Chemistry etc don't generally lead on to a specific career. Just like Law (without further study), Psychology, History, English don't - but yet the former is touted as being somehow better.

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Why not just do an easy degree if it doesnt matter.
Original post by physicsphysics91
Why not just do an easy degree if it doesnt matter.


Because you can't BS interest in a subject for 3+ years
Original post by physicsphysics91
I'm wondering what attracts people to these courses knowing its going to cost them close to £50,000 (plus maybe £10,000 accumulated debt). If you look at the career prospects and starting salaries for these courses they're surprisingly low eg

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006842FT-LLB_LW/ReturnTo/Search

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10006840FT-K0013/ReturnTo/Search

and those examples include decent Russel group universities. With starting salaries that low they'll struggle to pay the student debt at which point you question the logic behind doing the course in the first place.


Some people would rather study a subject they are interested in rather than one with high job prospects? If you find a degree with both, that's great, but there is no point forcing oneself into a degree because you have a higher possibility of getting a job afterwards.
I dunno its largely part and parcel of a society drowning in cultural marxism/zionism. Men doing liberal arts degrees and women working in finance before firing out their kids at 40 etc...
Original post by george_c00per
Some people would rather study a subject they are interested in rather than one with high job prospects? If you find a degree with both, that's great, but there is no point forcing oneself into a degree because you have a higher possibility of getting a job afterwards.


Why cant you just read books to cover it all if you're purely interested? Theres very little (other than the practical aspects) I couldnt of learnt myself with the books.
Original post by physicsphysics91
Why cant you just read books to cover it all if you're purely interested? Theres very little (other than the practical aspects) I couldnt of learnt myself with the books.


Because taking a degree in a subject you are passionate about means that you are surrounded by experts in that field, as well as students who love it as much as you do. Reading really doesn't give you the same knowledge as a degree. In your logic, there is no point in higher education as we could just study it from books.

I want to do languages at uni, and yes, I could just learn them from books, CDs, etc. but I want to explore the languages much more deeply than what you'd get from a Rosetta Stone CD. This applies to Law students, Psychology students, and more.
because it's easy spending 3 years writing a bunch of ******** essays.
degrees with employment prospects have math and science.
What makes you say this?

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Original post by Princepieman
What makes you say this?

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%in professional occupation and salary info from unistats.
That doesn't really explain it. What is the reason behind these stats?

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