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Is it worth doing an unpopular course, just to get into the uni?

hypomania

10

What are your views? :eek:

Reply 1

Gaz031

15

Random one

What are your views? :eek:

You must do a course you like regardless of how popular it is, as you're going to be studying it for three years and it's going to be notoriously difficult to get a 1st or 2.1 if you have no motivation to study.

Reply 2

Madelyn

13

Well, it might increase your chances of getting in, but then if it's a good university they ought to recognise that you don't have a genuine interest in the subject, so won't offer you a place. You're paying however much in fees, you might as well spend them on something you'll actually enjoy. And, of course, you'll be happier on a course you actually like, so may well do better. So I wouldn't recommend it, but if you're struggling to decide between a couple of subjects, it might be a factor.

Reply 3

Flicker

13

Random one

What are your views? :eek:

Go to uni to study a course that you enjoy and are interested in. you won't do well otherwise - you'll be miserable, perform poorly and ultimately drop out.

There's no point going to uni for the sake of going, you go to uni to learn!

Reply 4

Amlea

1

Do a course you actually like and will enjoy. If you don't you might not reach the end of your degree never mind get a fail or whatever uni degrees give at the end of it. And all that money...gone!

Reply 5

hypomania

OP

10

What if you don't enjoy any particular courses, and think all the courses are OK in general?

Then would it be a good idea to choose an unpopular course to get into a good uni?

Reply 6

Madelyn

13

Find out more about courses you think you might be interested in/qualified for (for instance, if you're not taking Chemistry, you can't do Medicine, so can ignore that one). Think about which of your current subjects you enjoy, what it is you like about them, what you might like to do after university... and see where all that gets you. Maybe talk to teachers, or careers advisors if you have them, and see what they think. Quite a lot of people start out with no idea of what they want to do, but that doesn't mean they should all apply for the easiest, most unpopular course!

Reply 7

Flicker

13

Random one

What if you don't enjoy any particular courses, and think all the courses are OK in general?

Then would it be a good idea to choose an unpopular course to get into a good uni?

Spend some time on the UCAS site or looking through lots of prospecti until you find a course that you think is more than ok.

If you have some idea of where you'd like to go to uni (in terms of being happy there, not because of it's reputation) by all means look in particular at what courses that place offers.

But i really think aiming to do a course because it's "unpopular" could really backfire - for one thing it could end up popular this year and you will be unsuccessful, or you'll get there and hate it.

Reply 8

undiscovered

13

Random one

What are your views? :eek:

Well if I was to apply to Durham again I might consider a less competitive course to apply to, as apparently it is easy to change when you get there anyway. :rolleyes:

Reply 9

Gaz031

15

What if you don't enjoy any particular courses, and think all the courses are OK in general?

If there's no courses you'll enjoy studying then don't bother going to university. I don't believe university is quite as essential as Mr Blair makes it seem to be.

Reply 10

hypomania

OP

10

No, I want to go to university.

OK maybe I worded that incorrectly, I find the majority of courses that I can apply to equally enjoyable.

Which is more important do you think? A good course in an OK university, like Medicine/Law, or something like Philosophy in Oxford?

But I mean what can you do after getting a degree in philosophy even if you went to Oxford???

Reply 11

oblivious

13

Random one

No, I want to go to university.

OK maybe I worded that incorrectly, I find the majority of courses that I can apply to equally enjoyable.

Which is more important do you think? A good course in an OK university, like Medicine/Law, or something like Philosophy in Oxford?

But I mean what can you do after getting a degree in philosophy even if you went to Oxford???

alot of things, its not linked to any specific job and many jobs don't ask for a specific degree

Reply 12

Flicker

13

Random one

No, I want to go to university.

OK maybe I worded that incorrectly, I find the majority of courses that I can apply to equally enjoyable.

Which is more important do you think? A good course in an OK university, like Medicine/Law, or something like Philosophy in Oxford?

But I mean what can you do after getting a degree in philosophy even if you went to Oxford???

Medicine and Law are very very over-subscribed - if you are even contemplating doing philosophy instead of that i doubt you will get on!

Any general degree stands you up for a general graduate scheme, or teaching, or something completely unrelated to the subject but that involves the skills you learnt, rather than the content.

Reply 13

Gaz031

15

Random one

No, I want to go to university.

OK maybe I worded that incorrectly, I find the majority of courses that I can apply to equally enjoyable.

Ahh okay then, sorry if I sounded offensive :smile:

Which is more important do you think? A good course in an OK university, like Medicine/Law, or something like Philosophy in Oxford?

It's hard to say... I wouldn't advise anyone to do medicine or law unless they were particularly enthralled by them as they prepare you for very specific careers. A less specific course at a reputed university however can leave many doors open.

But I mean what can you do after getting a degree in philosophy even if you went to Oxford???

An arbitrary google link: http://www.philosophy.ilstu.edu/students/careers.html

Reply 14

hypomania

OP

10

thanks for the link :biggrin:

Reply 15

kellywood_5

17

I can't really empathise with your situation as I've known for ages what I want to do at university, but there are lots of people in my year now who will be applying at the end of this year who still have no idea what they want to do, so you're not alone. If none of the subjects you're doing at the moment inspire you enough that you'd want to do them at university, look through all the new subjects there are that you've never studied before and see if you like the sound of any of them. Personally I'd ignore the competitive aspect altogether. Obviously you need to be realistic and choose courses with grade requirements you're likely to meet or exceed, but as well as academic achievement and potential, universities look for enthusiasm and commitment to your chosen subject. If you don't have that, you'll be spending at least £9000 in tuition fees studying something you don't enjoy, you won't have the motivation to study and it will be extremely difficult to do well. There's no need to worry about careers yet either. Most graduate employers are more interested in the fact that you've been to university and the experiences you've had than they are in the subject you studied.

Reply 16

dappleddawndrawndauphin

3

kellywood_5

I can't really empathise with your situation as I've known for ages what I want to do at university, but there are lots of people in my year now who will be applying at the end of this year who still have no idea what they want to do, so you're not alone. If none of the subjects you're doing at the moment inspire you enough that you'd want to do them at university, look through all the new subjects there are that you've never studied before and see if you like the sound of any of them. Personally I'd ignore the competitive aspect altogether. Obviously you need to be realistic and choose courses with grade requirements you're likely to meet or exceed, but as well as academic achievement and potential, universities look for enthusiasm and commitment to your chosen subject. If you don't have that, you'll be spending at least £9000 in tuition fees studying something you don't enjoy, you won't have the motivation to study and it will be extremely difficult to do well. There's no need to worry about careers yet either. Most graduate employers are more interested in the fact that you've been to university and the experiences you've had than they are in the subject you studied.

:dito:

Is it worth doing an unpopular course, just to get into the uni?

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