I want to go to university but I'm not looking forward to it at all.

I hate all the universities I applied to, I'm not even sure if I want to study my course. I was planning on taking a gap year to travel to delay the inevitable but my parents say they won't let me and that I'm not old enough. I don't know what to do.

You're an adult, right? Take a year off, it's your life, not theirs. Maybe look at alternative courses/unis if you find something you like, or look for a job.

Well, I'll be an adult by September, yes, but it's not that easy. I can't just defy my parents like that it doesn't really work like that in my household. The most I can do is try my best to convince them which would usually work but they're really dead set on it this time.
And no other courses or unis interest me I really don't know what to do

Could you maybe do an apprenticeship? this would mean you could do uni part time while getting paid, and if you hate it you can drop out and try for a full time position at the company of your apprenticeship? also you are 18 and they cannot stop you, defy them if it means your happiness. YOUR HAPPINESS AND PEACE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIRS!!! ITS YOUR LIFE!

Hey there! If you have a course that you'd like to do, you could contact the university and ask them if they'll allow you to transfer. Some universities allow you to switch courses as long as you meet the entry requirements.

If you really don't like the university, you can transfer in second year via UCAS, I think.

Hope this helps!

- You can drop out usually in the first 4 weeks and not pay tuition fees (although this varies between unis
- You can switch courses internally, usually up to the first three weeks of actually starting at the uni
- Some universities have even more flexibility and allow you to change course after first year (eg Lancaster). But there are some limitations around this and it's not applicable to every course.
- You can switch courses and unis through clearing (clearing usually lasts up to two weeks, but most spots will fill up in the first few days) - it's not just for if you do worse than expected. I changed from York to Manchester, both had the same entry requirements for their courses
- It is completely normal to be unsure of your course/choices in general. I'm in second year now and still know so many people that are unsure and have changed courses, either restarting or to a different course in their department (allowing them to not have to retake a year)

Having seen loads of my friends change courses, I think it's pretty straightforward to do so.

I wouldn't recommend studying something that you don't want to do in a place that you don't want to be. Perhaps explain to your parents that you're still figuring it out and need more time to work through what it is that you're going to do - university is an expensive few years, and I think the investment is only really worth it if you want to be there doing what you're doing - otherwise, it's just paying over 9k a year to tick a box.

It's a difficult time to make any big decisions, but I often find it helpful to write on a piece of paper pros on the left and cons on the right. If your right-hand column is long and the left is empty... I think that will help you decide. I really hope that it works out for you, and you end up doing something that makes you happy.

Thank you to both of you, you are both very king and I will look into these options Also I didn't know you could transfer that sounds great.