Changing Mind about Subject to Study at UNI

I need some serious help in regards to what course to apply for and I’m getting really worked up because I need to decide SOON.

Some backstory: as a child, I loved film editing and kind of was always encouraged to pursue my passion which I did. I studied film at A-Level and GCSE then decided to apply for a film editing course, but last minute I changed my mind and took a gap year, after kind of contemplating what to apply for during my gap year, I don’t think I really thought deeply about my actual passion - I think this is in part because my family thought I was very confident about studying film editing, so instead, I kind of decided to find a course similar to film editing and decided on computer animation/VFX. I applied two weeks ago and I’ve just received an unconditional offer as I’ve already received my results. Don’t get me wrong, animation is something I’m passionate about but I think it’s in a hobby way not a career way, like I can’t see myself working in a big city in some big games studio or film studio or really feeling happy because the market is very over saturated and not particularly high-paying. Before applying for the course, I had so many what-ifs like what if the course is too drawing heavy (I’m not a massive fan of drawing) etc. and I think my non-negotiables will severely disadvantage me in not only university but also the job market. In addition, universities offering this course are quite low-ranking, so I kind of chose the best university, but the problem is I don’t like the area/the look of the area (haven’t visited yet, but was planning to soon), the accommodation is super expensive and I just don’t feel like it would be somewhere I’d be happy to study.

Now I don’t know what to do - I’m already on a gap year, which I took to work on my animation skills, so I kind of feel like I can’t take another gap year, but I really don’t know what I want to do. I wish I could clear my mind of film completely to have a clearer idea of my passions. I studied Media Studies, English Language and Psychology at A-Level and ironically did the worst in Media Studies, but nonetheless I got three A stars, and won an award for my one grade in Psychology. I absolutely love facts, like super detailed facts, doing research and being able to delve into something really deep for hours at a time, I also love factual writing (not in a way that I’d want to pursue it, but in a way that I’d like to incorporate it some way or another). To be honest, I’ve been looking at Law, and it looks incredibly interesting, super factual with an incorporation of writing if you go on to be a solicitor. I also like the fact that for jobs, I’m not limited to a city in any way. But the problem is that I have NO background AT ALL in Law whatsoever - like is this something I want to actually study?? The thing is I don’t have a passion for things like numerical or sciency but more so just factual with some writing and also some psychology involved which I feel like is exactly what Law is.

Any advice please is seriously incredibly appreciated right now.

I need some serious help in regards to what course to apply for and I’m getting really worked up because I need to decide SOON.

Some backstory: as a child, I loved film editing and kind of was always encouraged to pursue my passion which I did. I studied film at A-Level and GCSE then decided to apply for a film editing course, but last minute I changed my mind and took a gap year, after kind of contemplating what to apply for during my gap year, I don’t think I really thought deeply about my actual passion - I think this is in part because my family thought I was very confident about studying film editing, so instead, I kind of decided to find a course similar to film editing and decided on computer animation/VFX. I applied two weeks ago and I’ve just received an unconditional offer as I’ve already received my results. Don’t get me wrong, animation is something I’m passionate about but I think it’s in a hobby way not a career way, like I can’t see myself working in a big city in some big games studio or film studio or really feeling happy because the market is very over saturated and not particularly high-paying. Before applying for the course, I had so many what-ifs like what if the course is too drawing heavy (I’m not a massive fan of drawing) etc. and I think my non-negotiables will severely disadvantage me in not only university but also the job market. In addition, universities offering this course are quite low-ranking, so I kind of chose the best university, but the problem is I don’t like the area/the look of the area (haven’t visited yet, but was planning to soon), the accommodation is super expensive and I just don’t feel like it would be somewhere I’d be happy to study.

Now I don’t know what to do - I’m already on a gap year, which I took to work on my animation skills, so I kind of feel like I can’t take another gap year, but I really don’t know what I want to do. I wish I could clear my mind of film completely to have a clearer idea of my passions. I studied Media Studies, English Language and Psychology at A-Level and ironically did the worst in Media Studies, but nonetheless I got three A stars, and won an award for my one grade in Psychology. I absolutely love facts, like super detailed facts, doing research and being able to delve into something really deep for hours at a time, I also love factual writing (not in a way that I’d want to pursue it, but in a way that I’d like to incorporate it some way or another). To be honest, I’ve been looking at Law, and it looks incredibly interesting, super factual with an incorporation of writing if you go on to be a solicitor. I also like the fact that for jobs, I’m not limited to a city in any way. But the problem is that I have NO background AT ALL in Law whatsoever - like is this something I want to actually study?? The thing is I don’t have a passion for things like numerical or sciency but more so just factual with some writing and also some psychology involved which I feel like is exactly what Law is.

Any advice please is seriously incredibly appreciated right now.

Are you typically a perfectionist? Do you find it debilitating at times, because you can't accept a mark of 80% in a test, but need to strive for 90% or 100%?

That's what happening here. You're looking for the perfect course in the perfect university, which is in the perfect location and has perfect accommodation. It does not exist, and you will drive yourself mad searching for it.

You need to commit to a decision. Forget Law. That's just you second-guessing your Computer Animation/VFX unconditional offer.

You've discounted the uni for which you have that unconditional offer based upon the fact that you "don’t like the area", yet you've not even visited the uni. You're on a gap year, and have had plenty of opportunities to visit. Yet you've decided not to. Was that to allow you to self-sabotage the decision?

You're on the verge of discounting the course because, as you put it, "what if the course is too drawing heavy". Have you checked? Have you read through the course description? How many times does it use the word drawing; given that it's a Computer Animation/VFX, my guess is none.

You need to commit to a decision. If your decide to ditch this course and apply for a Law degree, I guarantee that this time next year you'll be worrying about whether Law is really where your passion lies, and whether the particular course you've chosen is really the right course for you.

Stick with the unconditional offer you have.