Advice needed! (Having a quarter-life crisis over my course)
Currently, I'm a 2nd year law student at my local university and I'm not really enjoying the course. I looked into switching course, but now I'm not really sure whether I should just ride it out and graduate in a year or two, or to study something else.
The problem is, I don't really think I'm interested in anything. I thought I was interested in law, but the more I study it, the less it appeals to me, and I don't see myself doing it as a career. Honestly, if I got out of uni with this degree, I'd either end up doing a postgrad in something else or looking for work that requires any degree, as sad as that might sound. I've been so confused about what to do since high school, and I thought law would've been a, generally, more employable degree compared to a few others, so stuck with it. But I don't think my degree would be worth much, because I'm not studying at a russell group and also not sure if I'd manage to get a first.
The other degrees I considered studying were computer science and psychology. Except, I've heard different things about computer science and that studying it could be pointless since more and more people are taking it, so there'd be less of a demand for the degree in the near future (thereby, I've been told to simply take a course in coding once having finished uni if I'm still interested in the field). Also, I've heard there's quite a bit of maths involved, and I'm not really that good at maths. Basic maths is alright, sure, but I struggled a lot with it at GCSE and it's put me off ever since. With psychology, it seems interesting, but I don't think I'd be using it much in the future either. Plus, a lot of people have a degree in psychology, and I've heard that makes it appear less employable.
Taking a gap year isn't really an option, because I don't see any way of that helping me (most people travel, but I can't afford to do that). I've even considered switching to a different uni, because currently I'm only going in for seminars so a part of me feels like that could be a reason why I'm not very interested, but it might be too late to do so at time of writing (and also I don't know which unis would let me switch over without retaking first year because my uni has weird modules I guess).
Apologies if this post is all over the place, just really looking for advice!
The problem is, I don't really think I'm interested in anything. I thought I was interested in law, but the more I study it, the less it appeals to me, and I don't see myself doing it as a career. Honestly, if I got out of uni with this degree, I'd either end up doing a postgrad in something else or looking for work that requires any degree, as sad as that might sound. I've been so confused about what to do since high school, and I thought law would've been a, generally, more employable degree compared to a few others, so stuck with it. But I don't think my degree would be worth much, because I'm not studying at a russell group and also not sure if I'd manage to get a first.
The other degrees I considered studying were computer science and psychology. Except, I've heard different things about computer science and that studying it could be pointless since more and more people are taking it, so there'd be less of a demand for the degree in the near future (thereby, I've been told to simply take a course in coding once having finished uni if I'm still interested in the field). Also, I've heard there's quite a bit of maths involved, and I'm not really that good at maths. Basic maths is alright, sure, but I struggled a lot with it at GCSE and it's put me off ever since. With psychology, it seems interesting, but I don't think I'd be using it much in the future either. Plus, a lot of people have a degree in psychology, and I've heard that makes it appear less employable.
Taking a gap year isn't really an option, because I don't see any way of that helping me (most people travel, but I can't afford to do that). I've even considered switching to a different uni, because currently I'm only going in for seminars so a part of me feels like that could be a reason why I'm not very interested, but it might be too late to do so at time of writing (and also I don't know which unis would let me switch over without retaking first year because my uni has weird modules I guess).
Apologies if this post is all over the place, just really looking for advice!
Original post by Anonymous
Currently, I'm a 2nd year law student at my local university and I'm not really enjoying the course. I looked into switching course, but now I'm not really sure whether I should just ride it out and graduate in a year or two, or to study something else.
The problem is, I don't really think I'm interested in anything. I thought I was interested in law, but the more I study it, the less it appeals to me, and I don't see myself doing it as a career. Honestly, if I got out of uni with this degree, I'd either end up doing a postgrad in something else or looking for work that requires any degree, as sad as that might sound. I've been so confused about what to do since high school, and I thought law would've been a, generally, more employable degree compared to a few others, so stuck with it. But I don't think my degree would be worth much, because I'm not studying at a russell group and also not sure if I'd manage to get a first.
The other degrees I considered studying were computer science and psychology. Except, I've heard different things about computer science and that studying it could be pointless since more and more people are taking it, so there'd be less of a demand for the degree in the near future (thereby, I've been told to simply take a course in coding once having finished uni if I'm still interested in the field). Also, I've heard there's quite a bit of maths involved, and I'm not really that good at maths. Basic maths is alright, sure, but I struggled a lot with it at GCSE and it's put me off ever since. With psychology, it seems interesting, but I don't think I'd be using it much in the future either. Plus, a lot of people have a degree in psychology, and I've heard that makes it appear less employable.
Taking a gap year isn't really an option, because I don't see any way of that helping me (most people travel, but I can't afford to do that). I've even considered switching to a different uni, because currently I'm only going in for seminars so a part of me feels like that could be a reason why I'm not very interested, but it might be too late to do so at time of writing (and also I don't know which unis would let me switch over without retaking first year because my uni has weird modules I guess).
Apologies if this post is all over the place, just really looking for advice!
The problem is, I don't really think I'm interested in anything. I thought I was interested in law, but the more I study it, the less it appeals to me, and I don't see myself doing it as a career. Honestly, if I got out of uni with this degree, I'd either end up doing a postgrad in something else or looking for work that requires any degree, as sad as that might sound. I've been so confused about what to do since high school, and I thought law would've been a, generally, more employable degree compared to a few others, so stuck with it. But I don't think my degree would be worth much, because I'm not studying at a russell group and also not sure if I'd manage to get a first.
The other degrees I considered studying were computer science and psychology. Except, I've heard different things about computer science and that studying it could be pointless since more and more people are taking it, so there'd be less of a demand for the degree in the near future (thereby, I've been told to simply take a course in coding once having finished uni if I'm still interested in the field). Also, I've heard there's quite a bit of maths involved, and I'm not really that good at maths. Basic maths is alright, sure, but I struggled a lot with it at GCSE and it's put me off ever since. With psychology, it seems interesting, but I don't think I'd be using it much in the future either. Plus, a lot of people have a degree in psychology, and I've heard that makes it appear less employable.
Taking a gap year isn't really an option, because I don't see any way of that helping me (most people travel, but I can't afford to do that). I've even considered switching to a different uni, because currently I'm only going in for seminars so a part of me feels like that could be a reason why I'm not very interested, but it might be too late to do so at time of writing (and also I don't know which unis would let me switch over without retaking first year because my uni has weird modules I guess).
Apologies if this post is all over the place, just really looking for advice!
Hi,
One thing I notice is that you speak about wanting to do something you're interested in, but you go on to evaluate each degree option you've presented in terms of employability and career demand. While these things are obviously important to consider, nobody becomes enamoured with their course because the career options it provides 3 years down the line are steady and reliable. I'd urge you to take some time to really consider not just what will keep you employed in the future, but what will keep you happy and interested. What are your passions? I'm not so idealistic as to say "just follow your dreams and the rest will come true, don't worry about the logistics!" but I would definitely suggest taking stock of the things that truly interest you, and any goals you have that will give you the drive to finish your degree.
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about whether or not your uni is Russell Group. Most sixth forms and colleges will make a big deal about it mostly because it makes their stats look good to say they have students who went to RG unis after graduating, not because it's actually make-or-break in terms of your degree. Obviously having a degree from a RG uni looks good on a CV, but not so good as to make degrees from non-RG unis worthless in comparison, or else nobody would bother with degrees from anywhere but RG unis!
In short, think about what interests you on an ideological level, not just what looks good on a CV or has career relevance. Once you figure that out, finishing the degree will come naturally. People rarely excel at things that don't interest or stimulate them.
Courtney H
Thanks for the response!
The issue that I'm facing with that is that I genuinely don't have any passions. I feel like for the most part of my life, I've just sort of been coasting through it, and now I don't really know what I like. At least, not enough to actively pursue it on a career level. Frequently I've been told never to let a hobby become part of my working life, since I'll grow to hate it. I've actually seen it happen to a couple of people I know who have studied their interests, and whilst it may not happen to every person, I think it's enough to, personally, deter me from doing the same thing. Hence why I measure each career option with how employable it really is.
I suppose my biggest fear isn't quite that I'm scared I won't be able to finish the degree I'm doing. Rather, I'm scared that I'll eventually see it as a waste of time once I'm done with it. Especially since I already don't plan on getting into a career that needs me to actually have any sort of degree in law. And to me, it seems that if I'll end up regretting it one day, then maybe it's a better alternative to switch out and study something that's more of a safe option.
The issue that I'm facing with that is that I genuinely don't have any passions. I feel like for the most part of my life, I've just sort of been coasting through it, and now I don't really know what I like. At least, not enough to actively pursue it on a career level. Frequently I've been told never to let a hobby become part of my working life, since I'll grow to hate it. I've actually seen it happen to a couple of people I know who have studied their interests, and whilst it may not happen to every person, I think it's enough to, personally, deter me from doing the same thing. Hence why I measure each career option with how employable it really is.
I suppose my biggest fear isn't quite that I'm scared I won't be able to finish the degree I'm doing. Rather, I'm scared that I'll eventually see it as a waste of time once I'm done with it. Especially since I already don't plan on getting into a career that needs me to actually have any sort of degree in law. And to me, it seems that if I'll end up regretting it one day, then maybe it's a better alternative to switch out and study something that's more of a safe option.
The fact it is not RG won't bother many employers outside of academia.
You might as well do a degree that interests you?
It makes sense to look into the options asap.
If you start doing a psychology degree, will you feel the same way as you feel about law?
If you haven't a specific job in mind, a degree is still a degree for graduate level jobs.
There are people much better qualified on here to advise you, so hopefully someone else will see this.
You might as well do a degree that interests you?
It makes sense to look into the options asap.
If you start doing a psychology degree, will you feel the same way as you feel about law?
If you haven't a specific job in mind, a degree is still a degree for graduate level jobs.
There are people much better qualified on here to advise you, so hopefully someone else will see this.
I always heard rg mattered for degrees that are less so in demand (so esp degrees such as psych or law). Is that really not case?
With psych, I studied it at gcse and a-level and whilst never having thought of using it at a career level. None of the potential options interested me. The biggest appeal that it has to me right now is that it seems a lot easier than what I'm currently doing, and there are certain interesting elements. Although arguably, there are some interesting elements to law too, and my first year modules were just very boring.
Even with degree level jobs, do they not take into account the degree in particular? And how employable it could be? Always heard that a degree in law was a lot more appealing to employers than one in a subject like english or psych. Thanks!
With psych, I studied it at gcse and a-level and whilst never having thought of using it at a career level. None of the potential options interested me. The biggest appeal that it has to me right now is that it seems a lot easier than what I'm currently doing, and there are certain interesting elements. Although arguably, there are some interesting elements to law too, and my first year modules were just very boring.
Even with degree level jobs, do they not take into account the degree in particular? And how employable it could be? Always heard that a degree in law was a lot more appealing to employers than one in a subject like english or psych. Thanks!
Original post by Anonymous
I always heard rg mattered for degrees that are less so in demand (so esp degrees such as psych or law). Is that really not case?
With psych, I studied it at gcse and a-level and whilst never having thought of using it at a career level. None of the potential options interested me. The biggest appeal that it has to me right now is that it seems a lot easier than what I'm currently doing, and there are certain interesting elements. Although arguably, there are some interesting elements to law too, and my first year modules were just very boring.
Even with degree level jobs, do they not take into account the degree in particular? And how employable it could be? Always heard that a degree in law was a lot more appealing to employers than one in a subject like english or psych. Thanks!
With psych, I studied it at gcse and a-level and whilst never having thought of using it at a career level. None of the potential options interested me. The biggest appeal that it has to me right now is that it seems a lot easier than what I'm currently doing, and there are certain interesting elements. Although arguably, there are some interesting elements to law too, and my first year modules were just very boring.
Even with degree level jobs, do they not take into account the degree in particular? And how employable it could be? Always heard that a degree in law was a lot more appealing to employers than one in a subject like english or psych. Thanks!
Afraid I don't have the specialist knowledge to advise further but other will be able to help, I hope.
I said that RG doesn't matter to a lot of employers, based on my experience of work. I suppose that it must matter in some areas of employment. I was just trying to make the point that you shouldn't get too hung up on Russell Group status.
(edited 7 months ago)
Original post by Anonymous
Currently, I'm a 2nd year law student at my local university and I'm not really enjoying the course. I looked into switching course, but now I'm not really sure whether I should just ride it out and graduate in a year or two, or to study something else.
The problem is, I don't really think I'm interested in anything. I thought I was interested in law, but the more I study it, the less it appeals to me, and I don't see myself doing it as a career. Honestly, if I got out of uni with this degree, I'd either end up doing a postgrad in something else or looking for work that requires any degree, as sad as that might sound. I've been so confused about what to do since high school, and I thought law would've been a, generally, more employable degree compared to a few others, so stuck with it. But I don't think my degree would be worth much, because I'm not studying at a russell group and also not sure if I'd manage to get a first.
The other degrees I considered studying were computer science and psychology. Except, I've heard different things about computer science and that studying it could be pointless since more and more people are taking it, so there'd be less of a demand for the degree in the near future (thereby, I've been told to simply take a course in coding once having finished uni if I'm still interested in the field). Also, I've heard there's quite a bit of maths involved, and I'm not really that good at maths. Basic maths is alright, sure, but I struggled a lot with it at GCSE and it's put me off ever since. With psychology, it seems interesting, but I don't think I'd be using it much in the future either. Plus, a lot of people have a degree in psychology, and I've heard that makes it appear less employable.
Taking a gap year isn't really an option, because I don't see any way of that helping me (most people travel, but I can't afford to do that). I've even considered switching to a different uni, because currently I'm only going in for seminars so a part of me feels like that could be a reason why I'm not very interested, but it might be too late to do so at time of writing (and also I don't know which unis would let me switch over without retaking first year because my uni has weird modules I guess).
Apologies if this post is all over the place, just really looking for advice!
The problem is, I don't really think I'm interested in anything. I thought I was interested in law, but the more I study it, the less it appeals to me, and I don't see myself doing it as a career. Honestly, if I got out of uni with this degree, I'd either end up doing a postgrad in something else or looking for work that requires any degree, as sad as that might sound. I've been so confused about what to do since high school, and I thought law would've been a, generally, more employable degree compared to a few others, so stuck with it. But I don't think my degree would be worth much, because I'm not studying at a russell group and also not sure if I'd manage to get a first.
The other degrees I considered studying were computer science and psychology. Except, I've heard different things about computer science and that studying it could be pointless since more and more people are taking it, so there'd be less of a demand for the degree in the near future (thereby, I've been told to simply take a course in coding once having finished uni if I'm still interested in the field). Also, I've heard there's quite a bit of maths involved, and I'm not really that good at maths. Basic maths is alright, sure, but I struggled a lot with it at GCSE and it's put me off ever since. With psychology, it seems interesting, but I don't think I'd be using it much in the future either. Plus, a lot of people have a degree in psychology, and I've heard that makes it appear less employable.
Taking a gap year isn't really an option, because I don't see any way of that helping me (most people travel, but I can't afford to do that). I've even considered switching to a different uni, because currently I'm only going in for seminars so a part of me feels like that could be a reason why I'm not very interested, but it might be too late to do so at time of writing (and also I don't know which unis would let me switch over without retaking first year because my uni has weird modules I guess).
Apologies if this post is all over the place, just really looking for advice!
Anon,
It sounds like you don't have a clear idea of what else you would do if you weren't to study law.
When you think about other options e.g. psychology or computer science you have reasons to not pursue those subjects.
So for now, it might be best to stayed focused on your current degree and getting a good result so that you have options afterwards. A good degree (good result) can open up a lot of doors, even if you don't want to continue with law.
You don't have to have everything figured out now. It can take time to get to where you need to be and want to be and that's okay!
You just need to keep taking steps based on what you do know and things will come together bit by bit.
All the best,
Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield
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