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I am unsure what course or university that i want to take/ go for

I have been told to set up my UCAS but i am stuck on making this big commitment on picking a subject and picking a university.

The A-Level subjects i take are
- business
- sociology
- product design

Any recommendations of possible courses or any good unis in the uk preferably Scotland but opened to England.
Original post by bellablues18
I have been told to set up my UCAS but i am stuck on making this big commitment on picking a subject and picking a university.
The A-Level subjects i take are
- business
- sociology
- product design
Any recommendations of possible courses or any good unis in the uk preferably Scotland but opened to England.

I usually don't recommend people picking a degree if they don't know what they want to study or what job they want to go in. Doing a degree is expensive and time consuming. Picking the wrong subject or realise you need a different degree to go into the job that you want later in life can be a complete pain.

If you need time to think, I would suggest taking a gap year.

In terms of which degree you can do, none of your subjects are required subjects. So the sort of degrees you can do is a type that accept 3 A Levels in any subject. These can include:

Anything in business expect for financial mathematics and actuarial science (for obvious reasons)

Law

Anthropology

Archaeology

Sociology and criminology

Most psychology degrees

Some degrees in creative writing and English literature

Dance

Drama and theatre

Nonquantiative economics degrees

Education

Theology

Politics

Philosophy

Linguistics

Agriculture

Some art and design degrees, including architecture

Some geography degrees (usually ones with emphasis on human geography)

Some history degrees

Some nutrition degrees

Film

Game design

Hospitality and events management

Property and urban planning

Journalism

Media studies

Nursing

Paramedic science

Social work

Policing


From the above, the only sort of degrees where they are required or beneficial for their respective lines of work (other than academia and teaching) are those in:

Law (LLB where possible)

Psychology (BPS accredited degrees)

Education (with QTS where possible)

Politics (if you want to be a political analyst; all other roles in politics don't really need degrees)

Architecture (ARB and RIBA accredited)

Nutrition (accredited by Association for Nutritionists please)

Urban Planning (RTPI)

Quantity surveying (RICS accredited please; although you don't strictly need a degree to be a surveyor)

Journalism (NCTJ - although you don't need a degree in this to go into journalism)

Nursing (accredited by the Midwifery and Nursing Council)

Paramedic science (recognised by HCPC)

Social work

Policing


Whilst roles in accounting, marketing, and HR kind of belong up there, you can often do the professional qualifications without needing a degree. In fact, it's recommended that you don't because they would be cheaper, quicker, and looks better on your CV.

I don't have any recommended courses or unis that I could give. It depends more on your area of interest and what you want to do. Whilst I can give you a blanket response and say somewhere like Oxbridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, UCL, Warwick, Durham, Bristol, Newcastle, etc. are great unis, I doubt that this is what you're looking for.
You would need to be specific.
Original post by bellablues18
I have been told to set up my UCAS but i am stuck on making this big commitment on picking a subject and picking a university.
The A-Level subjects i take are
- business
- sociology
- product design
Any recommendations of possible courses or any good unis in the uk preferably Scotland but opened to England.
Hi @bellablues18

Choosing your degree can be a difficult decision. I think your best bet is to attend open days for universities. By doing this, you will not only discover if that university is right for you, but you will also get a chance to speak to academics who can advise you on course options and career paths.

For now, this is the advice I have for you:

1) Look at career paths that you are interested in and see what degree would put you on the right path towards them. If you aren’t sure on a career, pick a topic you enjoy and look at the careers surrounding that. Remember, your career will take up a large chunk of your life, so make sure it’s something you will enjoy.

2) Make a list of locations you would be willing to attend university at. Then make a list of the universities. To narrow down your choices, see if they offer the course you are looking for. I recommend researching into the courses quality and attending an open day.

It’s hard to recommend a course as the content being taught can differ from each university. It’s also difficult to recommend a university as so many factors play into your choice such as: location, russel group vs modern university, campus vs city, teaching quality, student support networks, safety and more. These factors are personal to what you find most important.

I personally was not sure what to study and after a lot of researching, I decided to study business and management at UCLan. I weighed up my options based on location, transport networks, teaching quality, UK-wide course rating, support networks for setting up my own business and career prospects. This then landed me at UCLan which I felt was the best decision for me! What I learnt from making my choice is research based on factors important to you is so important in making the right decision.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask me any questions, 😊
-Sophia (Business and Management)
Reply 3
Original post by MindMax2000
I usually don't recommend people picking a degree if they don't know what they want to study or what job they want to go in. Doing a degree is expensive and time consuming. Picking the wrong subject or realise you need a different degree to go into the job that you want later in life can be a complete pain.
If you need time to think, I would suggest taking a gap year.
In terms of which degree you can do, none of your subjects are required subjects. So the sort of degrees you can do is a type that accept 3 A Levels in any subject. These can include:

Anything in business expect for financial mathematics and actuarial science (for obvious reasons)

Law

Anthropology

Archaeology

Sociology and criminology

Most psychology degrees

Some degrees in creative writing and English literature

Dance

Drama and theatre

Nonquantiative economics degrees

Education

Theology

Politics

Philosophy

Linguistics

Agriculture

Some art and design degrees, including architecture

Some geography degrees (usually ones with emphasis on human geography)

Some history degrees

Some nutrition degrees

Film

Game design

Hospitality and events management

Property and urban planning

Journalism

Media studies

Nursing

Paramedic science

Social work

Policing


From the above, the only sort of degrees where they are required or beneficial for their respective lines of work (other than academia and teaching) are those in:

Law (LLB where possible)

Psychology (BPS accredited degrees)

Education (with QTS where possible)

Politics (if you want to be a political analyst; all other roles in politics don't really need degrees)

Architecture (ARB and RIBA accredited)

Nutrition (accredited by Association for Nutritionists please)

Urban Planning (RTPI)

Quantity surveying (RICS accredited please; although you don't strictly need a degree to be a surveyor)

Journalism (NCTJ - although you don't need a degree in this to go into journalism)

Nursing (accredited by the Midwifery and Nursing Council)

Paramedic science (recognised by HCPC)

Social work

Policing


Whilst roles in accounting, marketing, and HR kind of belong up there, you can often do the professional qualifications without needing a degree. In fact, it's recommended that you don't because they would be cheaper, quicker, and looks better on your CV.
I don't have any recommended courses or unis that I could give. It depends more on your area of interest and what you want to do. Whilst I can give you a blanket response and say somewhere like Oxbridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, UCL, Warwick, Durham, Bristol, Newcastle, etc. are great unis, I doubt that this is what you're looking for.
You would need to be specific.


My parents disagree with me doing a gap year as i am unable to support myself just yet but my parent have no problem with sending me off to uni to get a degree what would you do in my situation. As a 17 year old girl i am very sporty i would like to go to a good uni that also offers football or sports activities
Reply 4
Original post by bellablues18
My parents disagree with me doing a gap year as i am unable to support myself just yet but my parent have no problem with sending me off to uni to get a degree what would you do in my situation. As a 17 year old girl i am very sporty i would like to go to a good uni that also offers football or sports activities

Bath, Loughborough or Birmingham for sport.
Original post by bellablues18
My parents disagree with me doing a gap year as i am unable to support myself just yet but my parent have no problem with sending me off to uni to get a degree what would you do in my situation. As a 17 year old girl i am very sporty i would like to go to a good uni that also offers football or sports activities

My parents disagree with me doing a gap year as i am unable to support myself just yet but my parent have no problem with sending me off to uni to get a degree
A little backward way of thinking about it.
Do note, with 3 A Levels in any subjects can still mean you can got into 600+ different careers (including degree apprenticeships). You're kind of open to a wide variety of ways of supporting yourself - although it doesn't necessarily mean you would get the job though.
Also note: you can do a sports certificate (in football for example) to Level 2 (a few day courses costing around £300-600 depending on the level) and have a backup to being a sports coach or have the choice to coach on the side for extra money.

what would you do in my situation
I would start with looking at careers that you want. From there, I would then look at which degrees that you would need, if you need one at all.

i am very sporty i would like to go to a good uni that also offers football or sports activities
Not entirely sure. I would focus less on which uni has the best sports facilities and more so of which one is best for your choice of degree. I agree with @McGinger that Loughborough is good for sports activities though.

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