I don't think I want to do computer science at uni but I don't know what to instead

Hi,

Right now I'm in yr12 and I'm taking A Level Computer Science, A level Maths & A level Music Tech.

I've been quite passionate about programming and creating software, since I was quite young (and I enjoy it a lot) and I want to seriously consider it as a career path, however, currently I find that I don't get much enjoyment from computer science as a subject.

Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting subject but I don't really find learning about hardware and theoretical problems that entertaining, I find it quite boring.

Of course it's really time to start looking into courses and what to do in my next step of education but I'm quite uncertain on where to go next?

Does anybody have any feedback on courses that may be better suited to me or even alternatives (if that's a thing)?

I've heard about Software Engineering but I don't think I've investigated it enough, so if anybody could share their experiences I would highly appreciate it.

Many thanks for responses in advance.

Reply 1

CCCU Official

Official Rep

Attending an open day is a good way to find out about courses, you can normally chat with current students about their experience of the course.

Reply 2

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by endgame_comber

Hi,
Right now I'm in yr12 and I'm taking A Level Computer Science, A level Maths & A level Music Tech.
I've been quite passionate about programming and creating software, since I was quite young (and I enjoy it a lot) and I want to seriously consider it as a career path, however, currently I find that I don't get much enjoyment from computer science as a subject.
Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting subject but I don't really find learning about hardware and theoretical problems that entertaining, I find it quite boring.
Of course it's really time to start looking into courses and what to do in my next step of education but I'm quite uncertain on where to go next?
Does anybody have any feedback on courses that may be better suited to me or even alternatives (if that's a thing)?
I've heard about Software Engineering but I don't think I've investigated it enough, so if anybody could share their experiences I would highly appreciate it.
Many thanks for responses in advance.

Hello!

Thanks for reaching out and its good to hear you're thinking carefully about the sort of course you'd like to do.

If you enjoy computing but are quite an arty/creative person, then have you considered Creative Computing?

This course allows you to use computer science, coding and algorithms to explore things like sound and image processing, VR, app creation, human-computer interaction and AI.

As a few examples, the University of Southampton do a creative computing course with a placement year asking for BBB, and the University of the Arts London do a creative computing course asking for BCC.

Perhaps you could have a look at some similar courses online and visit some unis open days to speak to some students, go to some talks and see what courses you might be interested in.

I hope some of this helps - best of luck and please add any questions you have to this thread 🙂

University of Bath

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 3

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi @endgame_comber

If you’re interested in Software Engineering, a great first step is to browse university websites and explore the course modules. These can vary between universities, but you’ll notice some common themes. It’s a good way to see if the subject matches your interests. You can find more details about our Software Engineering course here:
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2025/35585-software-engineering-bsc-hons-sw

Many universities also offer on-demand content. At LJMU, we have a course presentation video that goes into more depth than the webpage—covering course content, assessments, and career options:
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/on-demand/login

The presentation video can also be found here https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jf57drWpkcM?rel=0

If you can attend a subject taster in person, even better! Our next Open Day is on Friday 20 June 2025, and it’s a great chance to learn more about studying Software Engineering Liverpool John Moores University
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/undergraduate-open-days

You can also chat directly with current students on the course via Unibuddy. We currently have a Software Engineering rep https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/chat-to-a-student

Hope that helps—and best of luck with your decision-making!

Megan (LJMU Rep)

Reply 4

CollectData

Original post

by endgame_comber

Hi,
Right now I'm in yr12 and I'm taking A Level Computer Science, A level Maths & A level Music Tech.
I've been quite passionate about programming and creating software, since I was quite young (and I enjoy it a lot) and I want to seriously consider it as a career path, however, currently I find that I don't get much enjoyment from computer science as a subject.
Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting subject but I don't really find learning about hardware and theoretical problems that entertaining, I find it quite boring.
Of course it's really time to start looking into courses and what to do in my next step of education but I'm quite uncertain on where to go next?
Does anybody have any feedback on courses that may be better suited to me or even alternatives (if that's a thing)?
I've heard about Software Engineering but I don't think I've investigated it enough, so if anybody could share their experiences I would highly appreciate it.
Many thanks for responses in advance.

I am a hands-on guy and the course killed my love for cs but during my gap year I felt I wanted to do it again. Here's the thing... You are being sold the idea about just coding but in reality you get courses of boring and half-baked takes of what companies may or may not use in their development strategies, bunch of theoretical info dumping because it is a science and not actual application of skills. This is why most people in the major start questioning what they are doing and feel uncertain (especially with competition for junior roles) but at the end of the day it's a course that should advance students into specialists yet at the start all they do is learn to write technical jargon like parrots. This experience though is generally the same across most degrees so just pick your poison and don't feel too bad if you can at least land the job in today's market.

Reply 5

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by endgame_comber

Hi,
Right now I'm in yr12 and I'm taking A Level Computer Science, A level Maths & A level Music Tech.
I've been quite passionate about programming and creating software, since I was quite young (and I enjoy it a lot) and I want to seriously consider it as a career path, however, currently I find that I don't get much enjoyment from computer science as a subject.
Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting subject but I don't really find learning about hardware and theoretical problems that entertaining, I find it quite boring.
Of course it's really time to start looking into courses and what to do in my next step of education but I'm quite uncertain on where to go next?
Does anybody have any feedback on courses that may be better suited to me or even alternatives (if that's a thing)?
I've heard about Software Engineering but I don't think I've investigated it enough, so if anybody could share their experiences I would highly appreciate it.
Many thanks for responses in advance.

Hello,

It sounds like what you are looking for is a more practical, hands-on course rather than one based on theoretical and mathematical concepts.
There are definitely courses like that - computing courses at Lancaster University being one of the examples, in my experience.

I initially chose Lancaster for Computer Science due to the course's focus on real applications and a practical approach to coursework and assessments. I also chose the course over universities like Durham because its first year wasn't primarily theory and maths, like at quite a few universities.
However, it sounds like the Software Engineering course might suit you better:

•

Software Engineering BSc Hons (G602) - Lancaster University

•

Starting from the second year, you take part in an almost two-term-long project, building an application from scratch (going from developing the initial idea, defining the requirements, designing the system and the visuals to building and testing the app). Having done a similar but slightly more constrained version of that in my course, it's a fantastic and creative learning opportunity, and I talked about it a lot to get my summer internship, due to the range of industry-relevant skills you develop (using Git, collaborative programming, creative problem solving, managing deadlines, testing, agile workflow, etc).

•

In the third year, you take part in two Software Design Studios, where once again, you build cool apps/systems as a small group. It's a great learning experience with a lot of freedom given to students in terms of deciding what and when to do. This year, at the end of the year, there was a "Presentation event" where software engineering students presented their projects at a mini-conference, showcasing the project to other SE students and representatives of technology companies and local start-ups.

•

You have quite a lot of opportunities to pick optional modules that would target your interests (e.g. Advanced Programming or Embedded Systems, if you enjoy coding and building systems). Furthermore, the coursework is all very hands-on, and a lot of the teaching is done in the lab sessions, where you solve practical challenges with an opportunity to get 1-1 support from the lecturer and several Teaching Assistants always present in the lab.

So yes, I would suggest looking a bit more into Software Engineering courses, or potentially courses like Game Development.

I would also recommend Lancaster University due to my positive experience of studying there. I have not done A-Level computer science, since the curriculum seemed too stiff and theoretical to me, so unfortunately, I cannot compare the university CS experience to the A-Level CS experience, but I can tell you that the A-Level course is not representative of the subject or the industry. I'm sure that if you pursue your interests and find your niche, you will be able to secure a rewarding career path in the future.

Have you also considered alternatives to university education? Options such as degree apprenticeships, that blend on-the-job learning with earning a degree certification, or shorter 1-2 year vocational programming courses or bootcamps could potentially be of interest to you.

You still have time to explore your options and make a decision. Learn about your options, attend Open Days and insight and information events/webinars, and research your future goals. A useful advice I have been given by my careers advisor is to look at the LinkedIn profiles of people who work in a role where you potentially see yourself working: sometimes this can give you ideas for routes to getting there.

Best of luck!
Polina,
Lancaster University Computing Student Ambassador

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