The Student Room Group

How do I know if im picking the right university course?

I am getting to a stage where I need to be 100% on what i’m doing next year- for the sake of personal statement, open days, etc.

I have always had this idea that I want to study fashion business e.g fashion marketing as I love and am extremely fascinated by the industry.

However I am now second guessing myself as I am achieving high grades in mocks (A*AA) and questioning whether I should take a different route into my dream career. I am 100% right now that I want to work in fashion but also aware that a fashion degree is not necessary to do this, I am worried that it will not be academic enough for me and further stressed by being unable to find lots of info on the fashion business courses at UoM of uni of leeds which I am interested in due to the entry.

I want to use my grades to my advantage and invest in a degree which will get me the furthest. I am questioning whether to take a traditional degree in the business/communication field then specialise into fashion through a masters or work experience.

If anyone who is 10000% on their degree has any advice please help. Maybe even just a little inspiration!
I may even just be talking myself out of it as it is becoming real!

Reply 1

Have you been to any University Open Days?
The subject presentations will explain the course for you - and you can ask students/staff any questions about the course or subsequent careers. You have until January to make this decision - no need to panic just yet.
Original post by alevelwarriorxo
I am getting to a stage where I need to be 100% on what i’m doing next year- for the sake of personal statement, open days, etc.
I have always had this idea that I want to study fashion business e.g fashion marketing as I love and am extremely fascinated by the industry.
However I am now second guessing myself as I am achieving high grades in mocks (A*AA) and questioning whether I should take a different route into my dream career. I am 100% right now that I want to work in fashion but also aware that a fashion degree is not necessary to do this, I am worried that it will not be academic enough for me and further stressed by being unable to find lots of info on the fashion business courses at UoM of uni of leeds which I am interested in due to the entry.
I want to use my grades to my advantage and invest in a degree which will get me the furthest. I am questioning whether to take a traditional degree in the business/communication field then specialise into fashion through a masters or work experience.
If anyone who is 10000% on their degree has any advice please help. Maybe even just a little inspiration!
I may even just be talking myself out of it as it is becoming real!

Hiya @alevelwarriorxo I hope that you're well. I'm a Graphic Design student at Norwich University of the Arts and totally know how it feels to be stuck trying to decide on a degree and path that is right for you.

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. You can find our prospectus here where you can request one for free. Prospectuses are a great way to find out where university courses can lead you in the future and what exactly the course content will be.

Good luck in choosing a course, I know it can be daunting. Happy to answer any questions.
Charlotte, Student Ambassador.

Reply 3

This is going to sound a bit harsh, but here goes. Fashion business/management courses are very popular at the moment, more popular than fashion design in many institutions. However, many of these courses aren't particularly selective, so the average ability won't be particularly high. Whilst getting a job in the fashion industry is about much more than good grades, if you're bright (which it sounds like you are) you could get on one of the better courses and really fly. Sometimes it's good to be a big fish in a small pond, rather than an average fish in a big pond (which you'd probably be on a decent business degree).
Original post by alevelwarriorxo
I am getting to a stage where I need to be 100% on what i’m doing next year- for the sake of personal statement, open days, etc.
I have always had this idea that I want to study fashion business e.g fashion marketing as I love and am extremely fascinated by the industry.
However I am now second guessing myself as I am achieving high grades in mocks (A*AA) and questioning whether I should take a different route into my dream career. I am 100% right now that I want to work in fashion but also aware that a fashion degree is not necessary to do this, I am worried that it will not be academic enough for me and further stressed by being unable to find lots of info on the fashion business courses at UoM of uni of leeds which I am interested in due to the entry.
I want to use my grades to my advantage and invest in a degree which will get me the furthest. I am questioning whether to take a traditional degree in the business/communication field then specialise into fashion through a masters or work experience.
If anyone who is 10000% on their degree has any advice please help. Maybe even just a little inspiration!
I may even just be talking myself out of it as it is becoming real!

When a family friend was going through a similar debate a couple of years ago, the experienced advice seemed to be to go for a strong generalist arts/creative undergrad degree to get a breadth of knowledge and experience, and specialise later. That gives you more options if you change your preferences, or if the external markets change.

Don't undersell your A level grades, consider English and, or a language and, depending on what you A levels are in. Consider how much experience you can get in fashion and design alongside your degree, which could support a Masters application. Keep your options open.

Reply 5

Original post by insidedesigner
This is going to sound a bit harsh, but here goes. Fashion business/management courses are very popular at the moment, more popular than fashion design in many institutions. However, many of these courses aren't particularly selective, so the average ability won't be particularly high. Whilst getting a job in the fashion industry is about much more than good grades, if you're bright (which it sounds like you are) you could get on one of the better courses and really fly. Sometimes it's good to be a big fish in a small pond, rather than an average fish in a big pond (which you'd probably be on a decent business degree).


Thanks for this. I agree with this idea and this is what I have been thinking lately. My top options at the moment are university of manchester, leeds, and london college of fashion.

Reply 6

Original post by threeportdrift
When a family friend was going through a similar debate a couple of years ago, the experienced advice seemed to be to go for a strong generalist arts/creative undergrad degree to get a breadth of knowledge and experience, and specialise later. That gives you more options if you change your preferences, or if the external markets change.
Don't undersell your A level grades, consider English and, or a language and, depending on what you A levels are in. Consider how much experience you can get in fashion and design alongside your degree, which could support a Masters application. Keep your options open.


Thanks! I am doing A level french so a language alongside would be ideal :smile:

Quick Reply