Is Geography a respected degree?

Hi,
I’m currently at the end of year 12 and i have to pick what i want to study for uni. I enjoy geography at a level and was thinking about studying it at university however i know a lot of people make fun of it. My other two subjects are economics and biology. I was also thinking about studying law as it does seem interesting however i’ve heard how hard it is and how competitive it is so im not sure what to do.

Original post by student123un

Hi,
I’m currently at the end of year 12 and i have to pick what i want to study for uni. I enjoy geography at a level and was thinking about studying it at university however i know a lot of people make fun of it. My other two subjects are economics and biology. I was also thinking about studying law as it does seem interesting however i’ve heard how hard it is and how competitive it is so im not sure what to do.

Hi @student123un,
In my opinion Geography is an incredibly respected degree that opens the doors for many different careers, particularly if your not quite sure what you want to do, but love the subject. As well as this Geography offers the chance for you to change your career interests in the future, since it covers both the human and natural environment (covering both economic and biological aspects). For example, I've known Geography graduates to go on into roles ranging from working for water boards to becoming a town planner. If your unsure as to what course will best suit you then I'd advise thinking about what you want to do as a job, perhaps by checking out the website 'Indeed', which includes information on what university courses would be required for different roles. Then from here, I would check out different university websites, go onto the courses that interest you, and see what modules they offer and skills they develop, to see if this aligns with you and your career aims. Finally, I'd probably advise reaching out on 'The Student Room' again to see if anyone can offer insights into their experience with applying for a Law course.
All the best for making your choice and good luck :smile:

Megan H (University of Lincoln BSc (Hons) Geography Graduate)

Reply 2

Bigmanballs

1

Original post by student123un

Hi,
I’m currently at the end of year 12 and i have to pick what i want to study for uni. I enjoy geography at a level and was thinking about studying it at university however i know a lot of people make fun of it. My other two subjects are economics and biology. I was also thinking about studying law as it does seem interesting however i’ve heard how hard it is and how competitive it is so im not sure what to do.

I wouldn’t study something based on whether you enjoy it or not. Study something because you want to acquire knowledge and skills so that you can use them in a career. My uncle studied geography and regrets it because he’s never used his degree, because he made that mistake of jumping into it without a clue about what he wanted to do.

I’m sure your teachers and some users on here want to convince you into going to university before you know what you want to do. Take a gap year, work and save up some money, that’s my advice.

Reply 3

Sorcerer's Storm

20

Yes, it's a respected, solid degree.

Reply 4

SecondTasty

7

Original post by student123un

Hi,
I’m currently at the end of year 12 and i have to pick what i want to study for uni. I enjoy geography at a level and was thinking about studying it at university however i know a lot of people make fun of it. My other two subjects are economics and biology. I was also thinking about studying law as it does seem interesting however i’ve heard how hard it is and how competitive it is so im not sure what to do.

Hey there,

I thought I'd write to you since I too found geography an interesting subject at your age and did reasonably well at it. You're also right about how some people talk about geography. There were only four pupils in my class out of a cohort of over 40. Though, popularity for geography has definitely picked up over the years. Credit for this has to be given — in no small amount — to increasing climate awareness, the current geopolitical tensions, and importance of international relations.

The bachelors I completed, which dealt with a more social science focused approach, now is one of the university's most popular and in-demand geography courses; when I joined it was still considered an experimental course — we were virtually treated as guinea pigs.

I think you've gotten a solid response there from Megan already. To not repeat anything, I can add that you definitely shouldn't be letting others' views of the subject you're interested in affect your decision (you probably already know this, but it's worth reminding ourselves). Most likely, they don't know anything about geography: nor it's vast content, important applications, and where pursuit of a degree in geography can lead you.

Having said that, it is quite an expansive field with many themes and topics, as well as many intersections with other disciplines. You'd definitely be spending your time wisely if you sat down to decide which areas interested you most. This could be a matter of figuring out how your personal experiences relate to your subject — the stronger you feel about a particular topic the easier it will be to stick with it for three years and complete a dissertation. Also, this might influence your choice of university and region.

And, maybe law is right for you. Alternatively, you might go on to do a geography degree and convert to law at some point. It's all possible and perhaps your choice now won't be all that consequential in 10 or 20 years time. Just make sure to check that you know what the subject entails. My roommate at university was a law student and stayed up until 2am copying down notes from textbooks that resembled more closely to bibles because of their thickness and lack of illustrations. It felt like they treated them with much the same faith and intent too. That type of study just isn't for me; I'm always bouncing between ideas, authors and texts. Figure where you fall and go for it. Best of luck.

Is Geography a respected degree?

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