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Original post by tomorrowtomorrow
Anyway, if anyone feels like hearing my case, here goes.

I was always very good at maths/science at school. I was in the top maths set since age 7, and at GCSE I got A* in maths, A* in physics and A* in chemistry (all my GCSEs were A or A*).

I was originally down to do Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology at A-Level. That's what I should have done. I thought I would study Medicine, or Physics, or possibly Engineering at university.

But around 16 was a tough time for our family. My parents couldn't really stand each other any more - they eventually got divorced. I had no self confidence and I hated myself. So I decided I needed to become 'cool'; that that was the only way people wouldn't hate me as a 'nerd' or whatever. So I changed my A-Levels to English, History, Religious Studies and Music AS (I hadn't even done History or Religious Studies at GCSE).

When it came to applying to university I thought 'well I have to go to uni, that's what my parents have always wanted/expected of me'. I didn't really know what to do - I thought about English but I don't read a huge amount. I figured Philosophy was the best thing I could do, since it had all the discussion/essay-writing that I enjoyed about humanities subjects plus the logic/analytical stuff that I missed from maths and science.

I took some Computer Science electives when I got to university and studied lots of logic within Philosophy. Now I have my Philosophy degree from KCL. And I don't know what to do.

I currently work as a programmer and I think, maybe I could stick to programming. It's something you don't necessarily need a degree for, if you learn and gain experience by yourself. But programming is... a little depressing. Sitting in front of a computer all day. I don't know, I think my 'don't be a nerd' complex is kicking in.

I'm looking at the Medicine 4 year GEP (graduate entry programme), I'm looking at Engineering BScs and Physics BScs. All of these cost money (Medicine gets a lot of NHS funding, but it's an incredibly competitive course). But I don't really know how else I'm going to get a career in STEM, which I think is what I always wanted. In fact it is; I just never had the balls to say it.

If you've made it this far then I take my hat off to you. And I ask you a question: wat do?

What do you actually want to do though?
Original post by Tokyoround
What do you actually want to do though?


Something in STEM probably.
Original post by tomorrowtomorrow
Something in STEM probably.


That's still very broad. Teaching, radiologist, chemist, engineer, astronomer, vet, these are all "STEM careers" but incredibly different.
Original post by Tokyoround
That's still very broad. Teaching, radiologist, chemist, engineer, astronomer, vet, these are all "STEM careers" but incredibly different.


Are they that different? They all require an interest in science - academic aptitude, an analytical mind, and a thirst for knowledge. A desire to understand how things work and make them work better.

At least, they are all in the same general career direction, and I don't really know how I can move myself in that direction with a philosophy degree. If someone trained as a chemist, they would be able to find work in certain fields of engineering, for example. I, unfortunately, have pretty much **** all that can get me into any sort of STEM career.

I couldn't tell you which I would want to do out of that bunch, partly because I haven't studied science in a few years now. Medicine and anything physics based are the things I predominantly thought about when I was younger.
Original post by tomorrowtomorrow
Medicine and anything physics based are the things I predominantly thought about when I was younger.


And, I should add, are the things I'm thinking about now. I've been looking at BScs in Physics or Engineering but they'll cost me a lot unless I go to Scotland or somewhere free like Denmark. Even then, it's a big risk at my age of 22 to do another three years study, having to fund living expenses, to get a degree that I don't even know will get me a job at the end, instead of just sticking with what I have, putting my head down and getting on with some form of paid employment now.

Medicine is attractive for many reasons (as it is to everyone) - incredibly high employment rates, NHS funding, usually a career for life. I.e. I feel there's more of a guarantee that those skills will be in demand when I finish my training. And also philosophy has at least some sort of practical application in medicine in the form of medical ethics - if I did physics or engineering I would probably hate myself for wasting three years on something that gave me nothing. I already do, really.
And subbed :tongue:

So coming to the end of my degree and now looking at doing withjn the education sector (not teaching though)
Original post by Slowbro93
And subbed :tongue:

So coming to the end of my degree and now looking at doing withjn the education sector (not teaching though)


What options are you considering?


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I'm from the 2012 cohort - I work F/T in a job that is totally nothing to do with my degree...it's bearable but it is just a means to an end right now.

Since graduating I've worked in retail/office work - all temp contracts and one redundancy, my job prior to my current one I left voluntarily (AKA quit) because of the utter monotony of it. Now I'm working in manual labor and I've gone back into education to train in a vocational subject - hopefully I'll become self employed within a year.

The big vision is to get a ton of work experience and get my vocational qualification then work a while in my vocation in order to gain more experience and understand the industry from the inside out (and get some money). Then I will set up my own company once I have the money and the knowledge. Beyond that there are massive possibilities if I can become a business owner in terms of expanding or selling up and moving on to bigger things as well as creating my own line of products/a brand.

It feels like I'm back at square one at the moment in terms of what to do with my future and how to get there but I do feel that a vocational route was always what I was meant to do - I just went to uni to prove my own intellect to myself as a working class kid and to be able to say 'I went to university' because it's rare where I live! I feel like an entrepreneur and I really don't like working for other people - I want to create my own dream.

I felt like A-levels/Uni was a big hill that would be worth climbing but then I reached the summit and seemed to be met with a mountain. Now I'm just trying to see the present as 'character building' and a good story to tell in future when I've got my own business and I'm doing very well. Got to be optimistic about these things!

Original post by tomorrowtomorrow
..


I don't really have any advice, but I just felt the need to say - you sound a bit like myself. Fellow Philosophy grad :hi:.

Original post by Pipsico
I graduated in 2010 with a maths degree. I'm currently a couple of years into a finance grad scheme for a utilities company.

I found the switch to full time employment absolutely draining at first, and still do even 2 years down the line. I think I've lost that enthusiasm for the future because work saps everything out.

How is everyone else finding full time work? I find myself looking forward to weekends soooo much, but then they go at the click of a finger so you're back to monotony again.

It's a robotic life, but I feel like I'm too far in to change. I have a mortgage, and the money is good-ish.


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I can relate to that but I got out of a decently paid permanent job before it completely sapped the life out of me. I understand why people do it - there are bills to pay after all, but I had to jump ship and start over. I still do look forward to my days off but in a much more healthy way - in my last job the knowledge that I had the weekend off was the only thing that got me out of bed and into work. I think a lot of people live their lives that way unfortunately - but I suppose at least they're fed and clothed.
I'm just having no luck getting a decent salary- I've got a marketing degree and can't yet progress to anything above junior marketing which is all minimum wage, minimum wage, minimum wage.. :frown: :smile:
Original post by tomorrowtomorrow
Are they that different? They all require an interest in science - academic aptitude, an analytical mind, and a thirst for knowledge. A desire to understand how things work and make them work better.

At least, they are all in the same general career direction, and I don't really know how I can move myself in that direction with a philosophy degree. If someone trained as a chemist, they would be able to find work in certain fields of engineering, for example. I, unfortunately, have pretty much **** all that can get me into any sort of STEM career.

I couldn't tell you which I would want to do out of that bunch, partly because I haven't studied science in a few years now. Medicine and anything physics based are the things I predominantly thought about when I was younger.


A bit late perhaps, but have you considered a career in health policy? A lot of my colleagues studied subjects like philosophy/classics/politics at university. Rather than specific clinical experience, working in health policy requires a strategic mind and a keen interest in the subject area (with a good head for numbers always a plus when it comes to data analysis).
Original post by sunfowers01
What options are you considering?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Really bad and didn't reply back to this :ashamed2:

Mainly student recruitment and admissions :yep:
Reply 71
Do any of you think/know if it's worth purchasing one of those aptitude practice packages to help do better in Numerical Reasoning Tests?
Original post by Yawn11
Do any of you think/know if it's worth purchasing one of those aptitude practice packages to help do better in Numerical Reasoning Tests?


Do you know that you do poorly in them?
Reply 73
Original post by Smack
Do you know that you do poorly in them?


In practice, I'd say average, not great, not horrendous.

But in actual tests, I definitely feel I don't do great. I don't think I've ever finished a test for example. Takes me too long to figure out the appropriate calculation I find.
Original post by Yawn11
In practice, I'd say average, not great, not horrendous.

But in actual tests, I definitely feel I don't do great. I don't think I've ever finished a test for example. Takes me too long to figure out the appropriate calculation I find.


It's very unusual to finish those tests.

If you don't genuinely know if you are not performing well on them, then they might not be the reason for your lack of success. Could you possibly get your score from one of them to see where you are?
Hey! I thought about the same thing and my answer would be: depends. If you are looking into one specific employer and you know which test the company uses (in my case it's Kenexa and it's hard to find a lot of their free tests), maybe it's worth the money. Otherwise just type into google numerical reasoning tests and you'll have a lot to practice, some with answers and some with the result.
Original post by Yawn11
In practice, I'd say average, not great, not horrendous.

But in actual tests, I definitely feel I don't do great. I don't think I've ever finished a test for example. Takes me too long to figure out the appropriate calculation I find.


Assessment Day is a good shout, it got my through the numerical tests for my placement, they also do answer walkthroughs via the PDFs you get and it's really cheap only like a fiver for a year sub I recall.
Hey I've just graduated from scots law and feeling the fear about getting a job. People keep asking me what I want to do and I genuinely have no idea, I'll do whatever someone employs me to do ha. So good to find a thread with people in the same situation :tongue:
Original post by lyrical_lie
Hey I've just graduated from scots law and feeling the fear about getting a job. People keep asking me what I want to do and I genuinely have no idea, I'll do whatever someone employs me to do ha. So good to find a thread with people in the same situation :tongue:


I so know this feeling :tongue:
Original post by Slowbro93
I so know this feeling :tongue:


It's horrible... I did get a decent grade so feeling slightly more confident, but I'm so skint I need something to tide me over and then you get the inevitable you have a degree why do you want to work at x y z if you're just going to leave. Which I'm not I need to keep working til at least September next year when I'll have hopefully either got a traineeship or a grad job. Meh!!

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