I don't know what to do at uni

I'm currently about to enter year 13 in September
I'm studying a-level psychology , btec health and social and criminology (a level 3 diploma) my predicted grades for these are B, distinction and A

For years I have had my mind set on becoming a clinical psychologist however I am not enjoying psychology as a lesson and honestly it's my worst one academically as well (I still love the idea of the job but I just don't think I'd be able to do 6+ years of uni to get to the job doing the topics I can't get my head around or enjoy eg. research methods)

I am not interested in any other job and I'm not sure whether that's because I know I couldn't get into them at uni due to not doing a science or because I've just had my head set on psychology for so long

I'm now looking at counselling/with psychology or psychotherapy degrees however I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a job from that and whether or not I'd still have to do post grad courses

Ps. Criminology is my favourite lesson I find it so interesting but I'm not interested in any of the careers that follow on from it

(edited 8 months ago)

Hey @LW1508

It can be really tough when you have a career in mind but don't enjoy the subject required. What I always recommend is choosing the subject at uni you think you will enjoy the most. the more you enjoy your subject the easier you will find it to do your essays etc.

During my time at uni, I've found out about lots of careers I'd never even heard of! There's lots of careers support at uni and opportunities to get experience and do work placements so you'll be able to get some ideas of different careers while you are at uni.

Whatever you decide it will all work out in the end!
Abbie :smile:

Reply 2

greg tony

16

Original post by LW1508

I'm currently about to enter year 13 in September
I'm studying a-level psychology , btec health and social and criminology (a level 3 diploma) my predicted grades for these are B, distinction and A

For years I have had my mind set on becoming a clinical psychologist however I am not enjoying psychology as a lesson and honestly it's my worst one academically as well (I still love the idea of the job but I just don't think I'd be able to do 6+ years of uni to get to the job doing the topics I can't get my head around or enjoy eg. research methods)

I am not interested in any other job and I'm not sure whether that's because I know I couldn't get into them at uni due to not doing a science or because I've just had my head set on psychology for so long

I'm now looking at counselling/with psychology or psychotherapy degrees however I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a job from that and whether or not I'd still have to do post grad courses

Ps. Criminology is my favourite lesson I find it so interesting but I'm not interested in any of the careers that follow on from it

Give yourself a little break, Psychology can be both interesting and overwhelmingly dull and complex, particularly around research. I am a ClinPsych myself, and ill be honest most psychologists i work with hate research methods, well the quantitative ones anyway. Most people find them very tough, but over time most people get to grips with them, either enough to pass or for some to flourish with. Remember things wont always be difficult, thats why courses are long, there is lot of room and time to learn. Everyone has a weakness, maybe yours is research. Now you know it work on it, thats what i did.

Regarding the long academic pathway, it is rare for it all to be back to back study, im reality you work and study and then repeat over a good few years.

That all being said, if you are not enjoying anything about the topic, and dont know lots about the actual day to day experience/environment of being a psychologist then maybe you do need to go back to the drawing board. What i would say is dont rush just to do something else, take your time and go for a course when you are ready and know what it entails and where it can lead you. Better a slower wise decision than a quick bad one.

Greg

Reply 3

Speechie_06

3

Look at health sciences / allied health courses- occupational,speech therapy or any teaching courses. Good bit of psychology in them

Reply 4

University of Bradford

Official Rep

18

Original post by LW1508

I'm currently about to enter year 13 in September
I'm studying a-level psychology , btec health and social and criminology (a level 3 diploma) my predicted grades for these are B, distinction and A

For years I have had my mind set on becoming a clinical psychologist however I am not enjoying psychology as a lesson and honestly it's my worst one academically as well (I still love the idea of the job but I just don't think I'd be able to do 6+ years of uni to get to the job doing the topics I can't get my head around or enjoy eg. research methods)

I am not interested in any other job and I'm not sure whether that's because I know I couldn't get into them at uni due to not doing a science or because I've just had my head set on psychology for so long

I'm now looking at counselling/with psychology or psychotherapy degrees however I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a job from that and whether or not I'd still have to do post grad courses

Ps. Criminology is my favourite lesson I find it so interesting but I'm not interested in any of the careers that follow on from it

Hey @LW1508 :smile:

Your predicated grades are great, I hope your studies go really well.

This can be such a confusing time trying to come up with a decision, but just take your time in exploring your options, you don't want to rush into anything. It's great that you're looking into other courses, like you said the counselling with psychology course and psychotherapy, you could also look at what a psychology with criminology degree entails seen as criminology is your favourite lesson, you could see what the careers would be from that?

It may be worth having a chat to any career counsellors at your school/college and exploring your options with them, always good to hear a new perspective and get some advice.

I'd definitely say to book onto some open days and attend the course talks, speak to the academics and ask them any burning questions you have, and chat to the current students on the course to see what it's really like studying that degree and being a student at that uni.

Ultimately, you want to be choosing a course that you will enjoy, and will make you want to try your hardest.

Best of luck, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you :smile:

Becky

Original post by LW1508

I'm currently about to enter year 13 in September
I'm studying a-level psychology , btec health and social and criminology (a level 3 diploma) my predicted grades for these are B, distinction and A

For years I have had my mind set on becoming a clinical psychologist however I am not enjoying psychology as a lesson and honestly it's my worst one academically as well (I still love the idea of the job but I just don't think I'd be able to do 6+ years of uni to get to the job doing the topics I can't get my head around or enjoy eg. research methods)

I am not interested in any other job and I'm not sure whether that's because I know I couldn't get into them at uni due to not doing a science or because I've just had my head set on psychology for so long

I'm now looking at counselling/with psychology or psychotherapy degrees however I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a job from that and whether or not I'd still have to do post grad courses

Ps. Criminology is my favourite lesson I find it so interesting but I'm not interested in any of the careers that follow on from it

Hi @LW1508,

Firstly, well done for completing year 12. The jump from year 11 to year 12 can be quite tricky.

I can see that you have a career in mind but do not enjoy psychology enough to study it for a few years. If you would like to go to university, I would recommend checking out different universities and attending their open days. Here you can talk to staff about potential careers after university. At Kent we have a careers and employability service which is free for students to support them in finding work/experience during their degree and afterwards. You can even use the service up to 3 years after you graduate! Before attending open days at different universities, I would also recommend reading through their website thoroughly e.g. looking at modules to see which topics are covered. This can be helpful to see if you can see yourself enjoying these topics. Another thing you may find on their website is alumni stories which could inspire a career path you had not considered. Students on any degree will have aspects that they do not like. However, I found it helpful to do a variety of modules to see which topic I liked the most.

Work experience in a variety of roles could also help guide your career goals. I did a placement year in a clinical setting. Before starting my placement year I thought that I wanted to work in a clinical setting after I graduate but as I started my placement I quickly fell in love with research. I would also like to emphasise how it is okay to change your mind on which career path you want to take, whether you are at the start of your degree or coming to the end. You might find it helpful to try find work experience in the areas you know you want to work in or potentially work in. This could help to see if that is where you imagine yourself after graduation.

Finally, I would say that doing a degree you enjoy is the most important thing as you will be studying this subject for 3/4 years. It is easy to worry about which jobs you can do as you are picking your degree so I would say to pick the one that you like the most and that allows you to pursue a variety of jobs afterwards. For example, Psychology could lead to a job in marketing, research, teaching, social work and more!

I will leave it here for now but do let me know if you have any more questions and I would be happy to respond. :smile:

Good luck with year 13!

Alia
University of Kent Student Rep

I don't know what to do at uni

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