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Did I choose the right degree?

I’m about to complete my first year of Marketing Management degree at a top auK uni. However, I feel like I could have chosen a different course. I’m creative and good at art. I also enjoy it. I feel like I should have done architecture or something similar that has a lot of scope in the future. I do enjoy studying Marketing/business but it’s not a very prestigious degree to have. I’m so demotivated although I did do well in my assignments and exams. Any advice?

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

Original post by Anonymous

Advice from someone who realised after the first year of BSc that my degree was a mistake and I should have went for another and ended up changing in the end anyways. Do it. Otherwise you'll regret it at some point. If you're confident you love/ prefer it, do it.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by Anonymous

I don’t want to waste one year of my life. Only 2 years left to complete this degree which I do like. I just wish I could do something creative related to design after this.

Reply 3

broccoli_soup

Original post by Anonymous

I don’t want to waste one year of my life. Only 2 years left to complete this degree which I do like. I just wish I could do something creative related to design after this.

Completely understand where you're coming from. But, think about it from a different perspective. Towards the end of your 3rd year of uni as a whole, would you look back and say, 'what if I did my Architecture degree, I would only have 1 more year left'.

Getting into graduate schemes/ entry-level jobs for specific niche jobs such as architecture without the relevant background is incredibly difficult. Unless you land an apprenticeship. But the chances of that is even slim as they typically prefer students/ young adults who haven't been to Uni yet.
I made the same mistake but my BSc being in Finance. I ended up completing my entire degree and then doing a Conversion MSc. I hit my self in the head for not changing it straight after my first year. But this is just my perspective. Just consider all your options and think broadly. 1 year could change you're entire future.

Reply 4

University of Sunderland Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Go with your gut!
Think about what you want to do in the future and what will make you the happiest long term. If it's art/doing something creative, you'll always figure out a way to make a career from it. Is there a way you can speak to some current students on the course to get their insight?

Reply 5

The University of Law Students

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi Anonymous,

Having been in the same dilema as you I would strongly recommend you think about what it is you want to do as a career as you are potentially in that career for the next 30 years plus. I started a BSc and by the end of my first year I felt so out of place and confused as to what I wanted to do as a career. However, I did not think it was worth the time or money to continue a degree I didn't see a future in it and I did not enjoy doing. Think at the end of the day you need to do something you feel you can do for years to come. Do what makes you want to do well in as very difficult to motivate yourself doing something you don't enjoy.

Hope that is helpful,

Tam
Student Ambassador ULaw

Reply 6

SB1234567890

Original post by Anonymous

I don’t want to waste one year of my life. Only 2 years left to complete this degree which I do like. I just wish I could do something creative related to design after this.

I would consider why you're trying to justifying staying on the course as it may reflect the fact that subconsciously you think it may still be the better option for now? Just my thoughts

Reply 7

Steve H

A year can feel like a long time when you're young, but when you're going to be working for 40-50 years it really pales in comparison. The year you've already taken won't be wasted; you have surely grown as a student and you never know when the knowledge you've acquired will come in handy.

Don't worry about how 'prestigious' your degree seems, worry about whether it will help to get you a job in the industry you want to be in. If it was me, I'd stick with business/marketing for the job prospects and maybe keep creative work as a hobby/side-gig. Though I am getting older and possibly less adventurous 🤔

Reply 8

Jonathanãƒ„

I'm in a very similar position

I'm a super creative person but have got offers from a range of Business Management courses (at decent top 20 universities). I also got an offer for physics with foundation but to get to the point:

I am going to reject all my offers and do an art foundation course to see if I really belong in a creative industry, and if I decide after the year that I dislike the artistic path, I can just apply to any other course in 2022... It's free and will give me an entire year to figure out what I really want to do (because I'm not spending £9250 per year and 3-4 years of my life on a decision I am not 110% certain on...)

Of course, you don't have to do this (you might not even live near any sixth forms which do the art foundation programme) but I just want you to know you don't need to go to uni next year if you're not completely sure.

PS. I did Business A-Level and because I disliked it I was unable to revise and focus which lead to me getting a rubbish grade... I could not imagine having to do something like that ever again. That course was the saddest 2 years of my life and hopefully you can understand that doing something you don't have a passion for is difficult to do good in...

Goodluck!

Reply 9

Anonymous #1

Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m going to continue my dad’s business in the future or start my own as I belong to a business family. So studying Business/Marketing is good for that. I’m considering architecture only because I like the course.

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

And I miss doing artistic/creative things. I guess I could find something creative to do in marketing in the future like add making...

Reply 11

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi,

It is always a difficult decision choosing what to study when we are so young. I study Marketing Management and am in my final year at Lancaster University. I would hang in there if you still find it interesting. Marketing Management can be a great degree to have, it has helped me obtain my placement year and graduate job at a multinational company.

The best advice I can give is to try and choose companies you are interested in when writing coursework essays or exams, if your marking criteria allows. This way you will be more motivated :smile:

. Also, why not choose the most creative modules your degree allows, and if there aren't many, try and do creative / art tasks on the side. There are also many courses on LinkedIn and Google Garage do a digital marketing course.

You could always combine your interest for marketing and architecture in the future and work within marketing for an architecture firm. Alternatively, if you really love the creative side of marketing then maybe working in a creative/advertising agency would be a great place to start :smile:

.

I wish you all the best with your future studies.

Rebecca (Final Year BSc Hons Marketing Management Student)

Reply 12

arthurra

I often regret my degree too but at the end of the day you are learning transferable skills which can be used to work in different work and environment other than your degree if you wish of course. It's not everything about degree as well nowadays employers looking for 2:1 etc