I can't choose a uni degree!
I'm currently in Year 12 and I'm about to start visiting universities, I've started looking into courses that I could study and I really cannot decide what to do.
I have read so many course descriptions and none of them have particularly stuck out to me, and every time I sit down to do research on what I could I just feel really anxious and stressed as I can't decide. The only few that I have felt slightly more excited by are too far away as I don't want to be too far from home (no more than 3 hours).
I'm currently studying Spanish, Geography and Psychology and I am predicted AAA but I think that AAB is more likely.
Spanish is my favorite and I would like to be fluent in it, however I'm not sure if it would ever come in handy after uni as I don't plan on living abroad or having a job in translation etc. Also, many of the courses involve a year abroad and although this would be an amazing opportunity I really don't know if it's for me. The ones where you don't need to spend a year abroad seem to be a lot further away from me.
Psychology is the one that I get the best grades in, I have achieved As in all tests this year and I think I will get an A in the AS exams. However I have been put off of studying psychology as i have been told that so many people are studying it nowadays and so psychologists are in low demand - plus I'm not sure if a career in psychology is for me anyway.
Finally, there is geography. In year 10 and 11 I planned on studying geography at university as it was my favourite subject, but I have been slightly put off of it this year. This is mainly due to the topics and the fact that it is a brand new course structure which no one (including teachers) seems to really understand.
Please can somebody give me advice on choosing what to do and maybe reassure me that it doesn't matter if I haven't got a clue what I want to do yet haha
sorry if I seem really indecisive and pessimistic but I guess that's just me and this is such a big decision that I want to make sure it's the right one!
I have read so many course descriptions and none of them have particularly stuck out to me, and every time I sit down to do research on what I could I just feel really anxious and stressed as I can't decide. The only few that I have felt slightly more excited by are too far away as I don't want to be too far from home (no more than 3 hours).
I'm currently studying Spanish, Geography and Psychology and I am predicted AAA but I think that AAB is more likely.
Spanish is my favorite and I would like to be fluent in it, however I'm not sure if it would ever come in handy after uni as I don't plan on living abroad or having a job in translation etc. Also, many of the courses involve a year abroad and although this would be an amazing opportunity I really don't know if it's for me. The ones where you don't need to spend a year abroad seem to be a lot further away from me.
Psychology is the one that I get the best grades in, I have achieved As in all tests this year and I think I will get an A in the AS exams. However I have been put off of studying psychology as i have been told that so many people are studying it nowadays and so psychologists are in low demand - plus I'm not sure if a career in psychology is for me anyway.
Finally, there is geography. In year 10 and 11 I planned on studying geography at university as it was my favourite subject, but I have been slightly put off of it this year. This is mainly due to the topics and the fact that it is a brand new course structure which no one (including teachers) seems to really understand.
Please can somebody give me advice on choosing what to do and maybe reassure me that it doesn't matter if I haven't got a clue what I want to do yet haha
sorry if I seem really indecisive and pessimistic but I guess that's just me and this is such a big decision that I want to make sure it's the right one!Original post by RosieBee37
I'm currently in Year 12 and I'm about to start visiting universities, I've started looking into courses that I could study and I really cannot decide what to do.
I have read so many course descriptions and none of them have particularly stuck out to me, and every time I sit down to do research on what I could I just feel really anxious and stressed as I can't decide. The only few that I have felt slightly more excited by are too far away as I don't want to be too far from home (no more than 3 hours).
I'm currently studying Spanish, Geography and Psychology and I am predicted AAA but I think that AAB is more likely.
Spanish is my favorite and I would like to be fluent in it, however I'm not sure if it would ever come in handy after uni as I don't plan on living abroad or having a job in translation etc. Also, many of the courses involve a year abroad and although this would be an amazing opportunity I really don't know if it's for me. The ones where you don't need to spend a year abroad seem to be a lot further away from me.
Psychology is the one that I get the best grades in, I have achieved As in all tests this year and I think I will get an A in the AS exams. However I have been put off of studying psychology as i have been told that so many people are studying it nowadays and so psychologists are in low demand - plus I'm not sure if a career in psychology is for me anyway.
Finally, there is geography. In year 10 and 11 I planned on studying geography at university as it was my favourite subject, but I have been slightly put off of it this year. This is mainly due to the topics and the fact that it is a brand new course structure which no one (including teachers) seems to really understand.
Please can somebody give me advice on choosing what to do and maybe reassure me that it doesn't matter if I haven't got a clue what I want to do yet haha sorry if I seem really indecisive and pessimistic but I guess that's just me and this is such a big decision that I want to make sure it's the right one!
I have read so many course descriptions and none of them have particularly stuck out to me, and every time I sit down to do research on what I could I just feel really anxious and stressed as I can't decide. The only few that I have felt slightly more excited by are too far away as I don't want to be too far from home (no more than 3 hours).
I'm currently studying Spanish, Geography and Psychology and I am predicted AAA but I think that AAB is more likely.
Spanish is my favorite and I would like to be fluent in it, however I'm not sure if it would ever come in handy after uni as I don't plan on living abroad or having a job in translation etc. Also, many of the courses involve a year abroad and although this would be an amazing opportunity I really don't know if it's for me. The ones where you don't need to spend a year abroad seem to be a lot further away from me.
Psychology is the one that I get the best grades in, I have achieved As in all tests this year and I think I will get an A in the AS exams. However I have been put off of studying psychology as i have been told that so many people are studying it nowadays and so psychologists are in low demand - plus I'm not sure if a career in psychology is for me anyway.
Finally, there is geography. In year 10 and 11 I planned on studying geography at university as it was my favourite subject, but I have been slightly put off of it this year. This is mainly due to the topics and the fact that it is a brand new course structure which no one (including teachers) seems to really understand.
Please can somebody give me advice on choosing what to do and maybe reassure me that it doesn't matter if I haven't got a clue what I want to do yet haha
sorry if I seem really indecisive and pessimistic but I guess that's just me and this is such a big decision that I want to make sure it's the right one!All the way through GCSEs, I was certain that I wanted to study law. I had an interest in it and it made sense because I love a good debate. I started A Levels and took law, but also psychology as a "fun" and different subject because it sounded interesting. Mid way through year 12, there were uni fairs going on and I was looking at the law courses as well as psychology as I had started getting really good at it, getting practically full marks each time. I then wasn't sure what to do because I was finding the prospect of doing Law quite challenging and I wasn't sure that it was actually the right move for me. I went on a law work experience day and it was awful so I decided that day to choose psychology instead and I never looked back. I am now ready to sit my final A Levels predicted A*A*A* for a psychology degree at York.
I changed my mind right at the last minute and am so glad I did. I chose my degree based on what subject I liked and was good at rather than a job that would pay me more because I want to have a career where I'm actually excited to go to work rather than dreading it. Psychology is a brand new field in scientific terms and so many undergraduates have their final research papers published because they've actually discovered something that no one else has before. That's how new the field is!
If you like Spanish but don't want a degree in it, many universities offer courses where you can spend a semester learning something new or advancing in what you can already do, so you could better your skills without signing up to 3 years of it.
Geography degrees aren't like college A Levels but if you're not enjoying it now, you might not want to spend 3 years doing it either.
You could take a gap year? Or speak to someone at college who can help you to figure it out. Also, don't feel like you have to go to uni either. If you don't have a course, why go? You might want to experience university but it's a heck of a lot of money for something that you won't even care about.
TSR advice on choosing Uni subjects here :
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=20649-I-want-to-go-to-uni-but-I-dont-know-what-to-study
Go to some Open Days - its free, and will really help you work out if this is what you want to do.
Other alternatives here : https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/blog/5-reasons-not-to-go-to-university-3166
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=20649-I-want-to-go-to-uni-but-I-dont-know-what-to-study
Go to some Open Days - its free, and will really help you work out if this is what you want to do.
Other alternatives here : https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/blog/5-reasons-not-to-go-to-university-3166
For me:
Step 1 - work backwords. Think of what jobs you want to do, or rather, would be happy doing and find out exactly what they are asking for. Say you want to do X - go on job websites and see what that job wants.. then peice together your education and experience plan to match. That way you wont get the huge graduate shock that many get when they realise that actually their education does not put them in a good position to get the job they dreamed of.
Step 2 - If you have no idea of what jobs you would like, then choose a degree area that fits 2 criteria:
a, you don't hate it. (you don't have to love it, most people don't love their work, and its a huge trap that many students fall into. They pick a subject they love, but then struggle to gain employment and end up wishing they had picked something more employable. But you do need to like it to some extent, and be able to find it interesting/not absolutely tiresome, otherwise you will likely drop out).
b, It has a solid academic reputation and transferable skills
If you have no idea on jobs then match up the two above and you cant go far wrong. You can always specialize later at masters level, or through work experience and the like, but you need to put yourself in a position to do so by not cutting your options early. For example studying photography would limit your future options hugely, and force you to ignore your degree and start something new if you ended up finding your passion elsewhere. But if you study a more general yet respectable course, you can often still qualify for internships/work experience to tailor yourself in the direction you choose, or you can specialize further by studying a masters in your new discipline.
Above all, remember that your degree is just 3 years out of a potential 50 year working life. It needs to be viewed as such, a small step in the right direction, but not the massive thing many young people work it up to being (largely due to the way schools play it up). View it a stepping stone to jobs that will end up being a much larger part of your life then your degree ever was, and use the degree to get the jobs you want.. rather then focusing on the degree, and hoping the jobs will fall into place later.
Step 1 - work backwords. Think of what jobs you want to do, or rather, would be happy doing and find out exactly what they are asking for. Say you want to do X - go on job websites and see what that job wants.. then peice together your education and experience plan to match. That way you wont get the huge graduate shock that many get when they realise that actually their education does not put them in a good position to get the job they dreamed of.
Step 2 - If you have no idea of what jobs you would like, then choose a degree area that fits 2 criteria:
a, you don't hate it. (you don't have to love it, most people don't love their work, and its a huge trap that many students fall into. They pick a subject they love, but then struggle to gain employment and end up wishing they had picked something more employable. But you do need to like it to some extent, and be able to find it interesting/not absolutely tiresome, otherwise you will likely drop out).
b, It has a solid academic reputation and transferable skills
If you have no idea on jobs then match up the two above and you cant go far wrong. You can always specialize later at masters level, or through work experience and the like, but you need to put yourself in a position to do so by not cutting your options early. For example studying photography would limit your future options hugely, and force you to ignore your degree and start something new if you ended up finding your passion elsewhere. But if you study a more general yet respectable course, you can often still qualify for internships/work experience to tailor yourself in the direction you choose, or you can specialize further by studying a masters in your new discipline.
Above all, remember that your degree is just 3 years out of a potential 50 year working life. It needs to be viewed as such, a small step in the right direction, but not the massive thing many young people work it up to being (largely due to the way schools play it up). View it a stepping stone to jobs that will end up being a much larger part of your life then your degree ever was, and use the degree to get the jobs you want.. rather then focusing on the degree, and hoping the jobs will fall into place later.
Personally, I'd suggest looking at one or two subjects across several different universities, and see what modules they have in common/different to each other, and if any jump out at you for being interesting. If not, just keep looking at course lists on each provider's website and see if there are any that you haven't heard of before, as you find a real gem hidden away that you had never considered.
Failing that, I'd suggest going to one of the UCAS conventions that are held 1-3 times a year, as lots of different providers have stalls there that you can ask questions at, speak to current/ex students, or just grab a prospectus.
Or, try looking at joint degrees if you can't decide on one subject. Lots of providers offer them, and you can often pick your own modules in 2nd and 3rd year.
Failing that, I'd suggest going to one of the UCAS conventions that are held 1-3 times a year, as lots of different providers have stalls there that you can ask questions at, speak to current/ex students, or just grab a prospectus.
Or, try looking at joint degrees if you can't decide on one subject. Lots of providers offer them, and you can often pick your own modules in 2nd and 3rd year.
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