stuck on courses and career pathways

hi! for context, i'm currently studying biology, psychology and geography at my sixth form college and i have done my extra language a level outside of school where i got an A. overall, my predicted UCAS grades are AABC. my choices dont necessarily all cohere for a particular pathway which also makes the decision of finding what's best more difficult.

I have been stuck for the past two years trying to figure out what i want to do in the future because the options seem never-ending to me. they're also all so different which makes the decision even harder for me. i'm open to degree apprenticeships due to the stress of student debt and issues with postgraduate job market that comes after graduating uni. although i think i would thrive in a uni environment and think that would somehow be the better option in terms of getting that uni life experience, discovering new people, interests etc., degree apprenticeships sound more comforting than student debt!

one option is studying psychology at uni because it has always been my favourite subject and something i'm quite passionate about. i would probably look at going into research psychology or civil service in terms of a career choice afterwards. but still unsure because i know that training and time dedicated is intense - but you could say that with any career choice. i have family members that are psychologists and although they are very successful and clearly love what they do it seems tiring and very intense and i dont feel as if the pressure that comes with this is appealing to me.

the idea of civil service came through after a talk i went to. this had appealed to me as it sounded like something i would be interested to do. i was surprised at the fact that people had studied all sorts of different degrees like physics, history or psychology and were able to go into it which is why i think it's another great option.

my next option is studying media communications / digital marketing at uni. this seems like something that would suit my working type and is a comfortable option for me. however i've heard degree apprenticeships are good for this too and from the tests i've taken on UCAS and career advising websites, marketing has been my top pathway as a result. because my grades don't really reach the top uni grade requirements, i have found other unis like reading offering slightly lower requirements which provide with one solid pathway at least.

i'm also interested in interior design however i'm unsure about the courses and degrees and need to look into this a bit more.

my last option would be physiotherapy. i was debating on a degree apprenticeship for this as some unis require bio-chem and i have been advised by my form tutor at college to look into degree apprenticeships for this. this would also be a comforting choice because this in terms of a career i feel it's very beneficial as loads of people need physiotherapists and i could pursue this choice globally if i decide to move out the country. i know the salary is amazing too and i have family friends in the field which could help me start this pathway.

i still feel as though these options aren't endgame for me, so if anyone is willing to give me any advice like why you chose a certain degree or course or career path or any guidance, i would greatly appreciate your help!

many thanks .

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

You don't need to do any specific degree to go into the civil service or marketing, although I think an academic degree (such as psychology) would be more typical...?

To work as a professional psychologist (i.e. clinical psychologist, forensic psychologist, etc) you need to do a BPS accredited undergraduate psychology degree then complete the relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g. the DClinPsy for clinical psychology). The postgraduate qualifications are extremely competitive to get onto though!

For interior design you'd likely need to do a relevant design degree, probably ideally interior design but perhaps something parallel like an architecture degree may suffice.

Physiotherapy being an allied healthcare profession requires you to do the relevant accredited degree. Note at present you can get second degree funding for many allied healthcare professions I believe including physiotherapy.

Regarding student loan "debt" - don't consider this as a factor in making a decision. The way student loans are set up at least at present means that it's essentially a graduate tax in all but name. It's not debt like any other kind of "real" debt you could get and it's essentially impossible to default on, you never have to repay more than you can afford, you won't repay anything if earning under the threshold, and 40 years after you take out the loans they get written off anyway. Simply not a factor to consider at all, it will never directly affect your life unless you basically attempt to commit fraud by misrepresenting your earnings as a self-employed worker (in which case HMRC are going to be a bigger problem for you, although the SLC will also be pursuing that...).

Bear in mind most people change careers 3-5 times in their life (and among younger generations it looks like that is more likely to be 5-7 times!) so don't feel that whatever you choose now will define the rest of your life - because it won't. People can and do retrain (and as above in some areas you can get the same government funding support to do so e.g. with physiotherapy).

Reply 2

Norwich Uni Arts

Official Rep

Original post by lamegirlmelly

hi! for context, i'm currently studying biology, psychology and geography at my sixth form college and i have done my extra language a level outside of school where i got an A. overall, my predicted UCAS grades are AABC. my choices dont necessarily all cohere for a particular pathway which also makes the decision of finding what's best more difficult.
I have been stuck for the past two years trying to figure out what i want to do in the future because the options seem never-ending to me. they're also all so different which makes the decision even harder for me. i'm open to degree apprenticeships due to the stress of student debt and issues with postgraduate job market that comes after graduating uni. although i think i would thrive in a uni environment and think that would somehow be the better option in terms of getting that uni life experience, discovering new people, interests etc., degree apprenticeships sound more comforting than student debt!
one option is studying psychology at uni because it has always been my favourite subject and something i'm quite passionate about. i would probably look at going into research psychology or civil service in terms of a career choice afterwards. but still unsure because i know that training and time dedicated is intense - but you could say that with any career choice. i have family members that are psychologists and although they are very successful and clearly love what they do it seems tiring and very intense and i dont feel as if the pressure that comes with this is appealing to me.
the idea of civil service came through after a talk i went to. this had appealed to me as it sounded like something i would be interested to do. i was surprised at the fact that people had studied all sorts of different degrees like physics, history or psychology and were able to go into it which is why i think it's another great option.
my next option is studying media communications / digital marketing at uni. this seems like something that would suit my working type and is a comfortable option for me. however i've heard degree apprenticeships are good for this too and from the tests i've taken on UCAS and career advising websites, marketing has been my top pathway as a result. because my grades don't really reach the top uni grade requirements, i have found other unis like reading offering slightly lower requirements which provide with one solid pathway at least.
i'm also interested in interior design however i'm unsure about the courses and degrees and need to look into this a bit more.
my last option would be physiotherapy. i was debating on a degree apprenticeship for this as some unis require bio-chem and i have been advised by my form tutor at college to look into degree apprenticeships for this. this would also be a comforting choice because this in terms of a career i feel it's very beneficial as loads of people need physiotherapists and i could pursue this choice globally if i decide to move out the country. i know the salary is amazing too and i have family friends in the field which could help me start this pathway.
i still feel as though these options aren't endgame for me, so if anyone is willing to give me any advice like why you chose a certain degree or course or career path or any guidance, i would greatly appreciate your help!
many thanks .

Hi @lamegirlmelly I hope you're well. I'm a Graphic Design Student at Norwich Uni Arts and know from my own experience that trying to choose the right course can be a tough decision, especially when you don't know where to start.

My top tip would be to request a prospectus from a variety of universities (I think I got about 12 even though I knew half of them I definitely wouldn't be applying for), this is a great way to be able to read about course content from a few different courses in a few different universities and compare them. You can find our prospectus here where you can request one for free. Alternatively, we have information on all of our courses (including interior design) here: Norwich Uni Arts courses. Attending university open days can also help you to get a feel for each university and what it would be like to study there as well as meet current students.

Good luck in choosing a course, I know it can be daunting. I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Charlotte, Student Ambassador.