The Student Room Group

17-18 is too yong to make a degree decision!

How would a 17 year old know what they want to do with their life?
When I was doing my UCAS; I was listening to my Indie CD, having fights with my mum and going to nightclubs each weekend. Not worrying about my future!

I didn't even read my course properly!

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I think you're speaking the truth honestly, its very young to have to decide all of that for yourself. I was meant to have started uni last year but instead am going this year when I am 19(had to leave on medical grounds last year). I look back and think about how unprepared for such a dramatic change, makes me kind of glad I am going this year instead
I agree.
Original post by stickylikehoney
How would a 17 year old know what they want to do with their life?
When I was doing my UCAS; I was listening to my Indie CD, having fights with my mum and going to nightclubs each weekend. Not worrying about my future!

I didn't even read my course properly!

You start university at 18, so there's no way of deciding later. To get everything sorted out, you need to decide at 17.
Reply 4
I think so too. I would say the US system where you only pick your major later into your degree is more reasonable as not everyone has a clear idea about what they want to do in life right after leaving school.

Some people know exactly what they want to do but I think they're far outnumbered by those who don't.
Agreed. I was 17 when I left school, did a gap year, and went to uni just after I turned 19. And to be honest at 19 I wasted half the opportunities to get myself a really good education. Some people mature a lot quicker than others, or have a better work ethic, but I think for the most part older students apply themselves better. I took way longer than the average person to finish my degree (mental health issues), but by the end of it I finally felt ready to apply myself, and started getting firsts in my essays and dissertation.

Plus at the age of 27 I've now realised my true calling is occupational therapy, rather than languages, so I'm applying for uni all over again. :biggrin:
Original post by morgan8002
You start university at 18, so there's no way of deciding later. To get everything sorted out, you need to decide at 17.


Course there is. :smile: Get a job, work for a few years, and then go to uni once you've decided what you actually want to do with your life! It's less 'expected' of you, but that doesn't mean to say it's not an equally viable option.

I don't regret doing my first degree, as I did it mainly for the love of learning, which is rarely a bad thing, but it's taken me a further ten years to decide what I actually want to do with my life. :tongue:
Original post by morgan8002
You start university at 18, so there's no way of deciding later. To get everything sorted out, you need to decide at 17.


It's too young. I don't think i even really knew what it was. I feel annoyed at my teenage self for not being more sensible but at the same time; teenagers aren't sensible! They're TEENAGERS! I just wanted to leave home!

I really wanted to drop out of University in first year because I hadn't thought about it properly and wasn't ready. But I missed my grades by TWO and my firm let me in. So if I were to have left and reapplied I would have had to go somewhere way lower so I just got stuck there.

Major D'OH
I agree. Yes, there are some people out there who know by GCSEs that they want to be a doctor, vet, etc. But a lot of us don't know what we want to do.
Totally agree! I'm 16 ad I have to know what Degree I want to do so that I can pick the right A levels, if not then I'm apparently "screwed". It's ridiculous.


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Implying you have to apply to uni when you're 17/18...no one is stopping you from getting a job/internship/whatever to think about it.
Original post by InadequateJusticex
Implying you have to apply to uni when you're 17/18...no one is stopping you from getting a job/internship/whatever to think about it.


It's very much expected of you though, especially if you do well at school, and don't have any great barriers to education.
Lucky you guys, I began wondering what course I want to do at 15, as I have/had to make a decision at 16. Definitely agree with it, it's too early, but what can you do to change it? The pressure to go to university at the earliest and have a good degree that comes from parents and other outside sources is high, and there's very little you can do to change it. The best way is to take a year out after school, work part-time/full-time for a while, save up money, and do something on the side - If you think about computer science, try programming, see if you like it. Interested in History, try writing an essay about a topic you like, etc. Even still, there's no way of telling if you'll like your degree unless you try it, whether you start at 18 or 30, it's just a risk you have to take.
Original post by morgan8002
You start university at 18, so there's no way of deciding later. To get everything sorted out, you need to decide at 17.



You certainly don't have to, you could take some years out of education. Get a job whilst deciding on what you want to do with your life. Loads of people do it. University isn't just for 18 year olds, some people don't go to university until they're 40, 50, heck even 60.
Original post by superwolf
It's very much expected of you though, especially if you do well at school, and don't have any great barriers to education.

It's expected, but it's not compulsory, which is my point.
Original post by superwolf
Course there is. :smile: Get a job, work for a few years, and then go to uni once you've decided what you actually want to do with your life! It's less 'expected' of you, but that doesn't mean to say it's not an equally viable option.

I don't regret doing my first degree, as I did it mainly for the love of learning, which is rarely a bad thing, but it's taken me a further ten years to decide what I actually want to do with my life. :tongue:

Some people just want to study. Some also already know what they want to do.
Original post by stickylikehoney
It's too young. I don't think i even really knew what it was. I feel annoyed at my teenage self for not being more sensible but at the same time; teenagers aren't sensible! They're TEENAGERS! I just wanted to leave home!

I really wanted to drop out of University in first year because I hadn't thought about it properly and wasn't ready. But I missed my grades by TWO and my firm let me in. So if I were to have left and reapplied I would have had to go somewhere way lower so I just got stuck there.

Major D'OH
So just be more sensible. Make better life choices.
Original post by InadequateJusticex
It's expected, but it's not compulsory, which is my point.


Course not, but if OP's whole point is that 17/18 year olds aren't old enough to be making these major decisions, isn't it even more likely that they'll just go with the flow and end up studying a course they're only half bothered about?
Think about it, with GCSEs and A-level choices already narrowing your choice of degree the point at which a lot of students have to make their first important decisions is around 15 or 16 years of age. Choose the wrong AS-levels and you can all but forget getting into med school.

I only had a clue about I want to do when I was 20. Thankfully, with the average German secondary school leaver being around 19 years old (at the time) and me having done a gap year it wasn't too late.
don't agree, OP. i think once you're that age, you're thinking what you want out of life...
Original post by SophieSmall
You certainly don't have to, you could take some years out of education. Get a job whilst deciding on what you want to do with your life. Loads of people do it. University isn't just for 18 year olds, some people don't go to university until they're 40, 50, heck even 60.


If you're seriously committed to your field, you wouldn't wait 22-42 years without proper study in that field.

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