Are we too young to decide our future careers?

username1472093

For some courses at university, your degree will inevitably lead to your career for the rest of your life. Degrees such as medicine/dentistry/law(in some cases) require you to make this decision by the time you finish your GCSEs(16/17 years old!!) in order to get work experience, volunteering and all round prepare yourself for application.
Does anybody else not think this is too young?
Young impressionable minds will be attracted to medicine/dentistry/law for salary and social status, is this not a problem?

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Reply 1

29Bilal96

Yeah probably too young...but that's just life

Reply 2

tengentoppa

Original post by alevelzzz

Not really?

Reply 3

username1472093

Original post by tengentoppa

Not really?

Why is that?

Reply 4

Arab Beauty

I'd say we're a couple years too young.

Reply 5

tengentoppa

Original post by alevelzzz

Why is that?

You're the one who made the claim, the onus is on you to explain why you think it's a problem.

Reply 6

username1472093

Original post by tengentoppa

You're the one who made the claim, the onus is on you to explain why you think it's a problem.

Well you obviously have a reason why you disagree with my statement, which is why im asking.
From what ive seen, people our age care about riches and social status and dont actually care about the nature of a career

Reply 7

tengentoppa

Original post by alevelzzz

And I'm asking you think that is a problem. The number of people who love their job is incredibly small, the primary purpose of a job is not to have fun.

You say status and riches, I say financial security and a way of enjoying the finer things in life. There's nothing wrong with that type of ambition.

Reply 8

username1472093

Original post by tengentoppa

These professions also have the highest alcohlism, suicide and stress rates.

Reply 9

DeceitfulDove

I 100% was.

Waited, went at 22. If I'd gone at 18, I would have done a degree in dance. Took a couple of years of work for me to figure out what I really wanted.

Studying English language now.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 10

tengentoppa

Original post by alevelzzz

These professions also have the highest alcohlism, suicide and stress rates.

So? It's their choice to go into that career and they have to accept the consequences, be they good or bad.

I don't see why what other people do as a career concerns you so much?

Reply 11

username1472093

Original post by tengentoppa

So? It's their choice to go into that career and they have to accept the consequences, be they good or bad.

I don't see why what other people do as a career concerns you so much?

Its a question I have to see other people's opinions. Is that not normal? Is that not what a forum is for?

Im saying that a 16/17 year old might be too young to make this type of decision, considering at that age they're apparently not responsible enough to buy alcohol

Reply 12

shahbaz

Your too young to decide but old enough to know the consequences,

Reply 13

navarre

No, I don't think so. By that time, you should have some concept of what school subjects you like. You should also have lived long enough to have some general idea of what lots of professions do. I wasn't too young to decide that something in helping people was what I wanted to do, and I was interested in science.

Plus, it's best to decide early because, if you're ambitious, it'll take many years to reach the top or get as far as you can in your chosen profession.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 14

tengentoppa

Original post by alevelzzz

Ah OK I see what you mean. But although it is quite young, there isn't really an alternative.

Reply 15

Viva Emptiness

Not too young, but probably too naive. We are spoon fed everything from birth - as a species we've never had it easier. We're too immature at 17/18 these days to make good decisions (for the most part).

Reply 16

username1472093

Original post by tengentoppa

Ah OK I see what you mean. But although it is quite young, there isn't really an alternative.

In the US you have to do an undergraduate degree before you can do a medicine/dentistry/law degree.
Problem with this is the government won't be able to afford it.
I mean, law isn't as bad since it opens you up to many more things.
But medicine and dentistry you HAVE to decide by 16 basically and once you're done, you can't turn back or change.

Reply 17

Sheepish153

This could come across as really mean, but I guess the mature and smart students will have had their career on their mind since before GCSEs and so deciding at this stage may be another way to ensure that the most naturally talented students get to university. People who have more or less drifted through school not really paying much attention, may make the wrong decisions at this age and put them in a weaker position for getting into a career.

Reply 18

empdc

of course we are, i mean were only 20 or something so we dont need to start a career until we are 70!

Reply 19

lucaf

I was talking to an american woman about this at work today, and I am uncertain where I stand. In america you take more than one subject at uni, and things like medicine are post graduate, so people are older and have a wider range of experience by the time they have to decide on a path. Means you can keep your options open longer and I think a lot of people would benefit from this, but I personally am not one of them. I narrowed my subject choices to all sciences at A level and then went straight on to veterinary medicine, were I in the states I would wouldn't be at the point I am at now for another four years. It penalises those who do know what they want to do, taking years longer (and thousands more in debt) for them to get onto their career path.