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The thought of uni is making me sick! Help?

I just don't know where to go, or what to do! :frown:

I've been told I should start applying in October this year, but I haven't any idea what to do.
I've got a pass grade in Animal Welfare, and I'm about to go into my second year of BTEC Health and Social Care. I currently work as a youth worker

I've always loved animals, but I'm not sure it's something I'd like to do for a living, it's something I waver in and out of quite a lot (hence only getting a pass grade lmao), my love for it doesn't fade, I'm a full time vegan and animal lover, but the idea of working with animals isn't one that I love enough to be 100% devoted to it all the time, which is where I struggled last year in college, because my motivation wasn't there for a lot of the year. However, sometimes I really regret not going for the second year, so much so that it actually really upsets me, because I do love animals, and my year at that college was one of the best of my life! But I just knew that I wasn't going to be as devoted to it as I'd need to be for the two years not to have been wasted.
I went into health and social care because I like looking after people, and I know it can lead into a lot of routes, but I just lost motivation for it a lot, and again, came out with a pass for my first year. I also suck at coursework, and much prefer exams, so that probably hinders me tbh. I work as a youth worker, so teachers are pushing me towards a social care route, however the social care based lessons are ones I enjoyed least, and I have a feeling I won't at all stick with a university course based around that, even though I love my job, and I don't think I'll benefit from a health related course because even though it interests me, I'm not looking at going into any healthcare careers, simply because I don't want to.
I really want to go to university, for the experience, and I want a degree because I know I have that potential, but I'm just so confused with what I want that it really triggers my anxiety :frown: I'm at a loss!
Wherever I go, though, I would love to be in the countryside, being out in the forests and in the middle of nowhere was one of my favourite parts about studying animal welfare :')
I know I'm a lost cause, but any help or guidance would be really appreciated! Thank you guys!
All my love <3
check veterinary sciences!!
Reply 2
Original post by nagamorris
check veterinary sciences!!


Hey! I've had a look into veterinary science, but my love for animals falls more on the side of caring for them (like zookeeper kinda thing) - plus, apparently you have to euthanise a certain number of animals in order to become a vet and I'm not sure I could do that :s-smilie: But thank you for your reply! Xx
volunteer at an animal charity, you'll get to know the kind of people who are, or used to be, employed in the sector you're aiming for.
and, coming from a lost grad: a degree isn't all it seems, and won't guarantee you employment after graduation. But if you do go to uni, make the best use of your time there :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by shawn_o1
volunteer at an animal charity, you'll get to know the kind of people who are, or used to be, employed in the sector you're aiming for.
and, coming from a lost grad: a degree isn't all it seems, and won't guarantee you employment after graduation. But if you do go to uni, make the best use of your time there :smile:


Thankyou :smile: I'm looking at volunteering as a stable hand, as I'm looking to do horse riding (something I've always wanted to learn!), in the hopes it will help me relieve some stress. I live in the middle of a big city, though, so there's few places I can volunteer with larger animals (my love!), mostly pet stores and small animal sanctuaries/adoption centres, unless I travel, that is! I'll have to leave the city just to go horse riding!

And I've just always been told that I -need- a degree to get anywhere. I know if I want to go further with youth work I have to have an associated degree, for example. I also just want to go for the experience, and to meet new people, but if I go, I want to make the most of it as at the end of the day, it's not free or easy, so I'd want to at least come out of it with something worthwhile and beneficial, but it's a relief to know that having a degree or not isn't the be-all and end-all of my life! Xx
Decide on a sector and then do something relevant, take some time to do work experience if you need to

don't stress about it, remember:
1. if you don't enjoy your sector you can get a general graduate role and try and move around, you're not fixed into one career
2. most degrees will have a really wide variety of options job wise
3. no one enjoys every single aspect of your degree so if you choose something with a few modules which aren't for you it doesn't matter
4. you can swap degrees after 1 year

also, you CAN do well without a degree depending on your field... e.g. with youth work you could get into a lower management role in the care sector without a degree

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