Psychology UCL vs Pharmacy KCL or continue with Pharmacology QMUL

So I've gotten offers for courses Psychology @ UCL and Pharmacy @ KCL.
I am currently studying Pharmacology @ QMUL.

To be honest, I feel really broken about this. Because of how loan repayments are changing, I'll have to effectively pay double the price in tuition loans if I choose to study a new degree.

I wanted to take out the maintenance loans and put them in stocks (like I've done with 9k this year) and if I choose to stick with Pharmacology I'll be able to continue doing this.

But I feel like I wouldn't do this if I went on to study a new degree since an effective £60k in debt over 40 years is going to cost me a lot.

But, studying Pharmacy @ KCL and working as a pharmacist/other job will give me a lot of money (maybe over £30k after 5 years) and that seems to be really nice.

I've always wanted to study Psychology at UCL, even went to the Summer School. Their Psych degree teaches both R and SPSS which seems like good employment skills, and it being a degree from UCL seems to really inspire me to study there. I love the course and I think I'd be happiest going there but money is an issue still (home student but still).

I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate. Don't want to go into research since I'd have to do a masters/phd. Any corporate role sounds fine, and doing a degree at UCL or KCL may give me the edge (since apparently UCL employees are really sought after).

I have done work experience and internships though, but I feel like even that alone isn't going to amount to much since I live in London and here graduates are over-subscribed.

tl;dr- what degree is most likely going to bring me in the most money with work experience/internships, what uni has best employment rates, is it worth starting a new degree despite payment in loan changes.

Reply 1

McGinger

Which subject interests you enough to study it in depth for 3 or 4 years?

Just focussing on 'salaries' is a bit pointless if you now start another degree and just drop out again because you are not actually enjoying the study involved. If necessary, take a year out and do some calm thinking - just rushing from one degree to the next may not be the answer.

Reply 2

School Life

Original post by McGinger

I equally enjoy all 3 to be honest. I like the content taught in all 3 subjects otherwise I wouldn't contemplate all 3. Salary and job progression is most important to me, since this is real money funding our degrees and an investment for future purchases we make.

I wish I had the luxury of taking a year out but that's not an option even if you argue for or against it.

Obviously Pharmacy would sound like the best option since guaranteed job, though future looks shaky even if I live in London so that's also a gamble.

Psychology has stats which I can take further, or even do further study in it. Bursary at UCL is £3k a year which is also really great. And maybe any degree from UCL is looked favourably by certain employers I can network with, though that's also just an assumption.