Which course?

DanC2007

I've just finished year 12 and will need to do summer work about what Unis/courses I want to do, but I'm stuck between 2: Civil Engineering and Astrophysics.

I take A-level physics, maths, and geography

With astrophysics i've always loved space but obviously Uni level physics is very hard (im at a C but about 1 mark of a B in my end of years for physics) and i also know that you have to do more education to be more recognised in the field and even then jobs are sparse and not that well paid

Civil engineering, on the other hand, I have less interest in, but still a little (i initially found it by looking up my A levels with 'what uni course is best for these A-levels), but it's a much more stable and well-paying field. Although it is also a very difficult degree
Plus if I'm being honest, I don't like site work or anything like that (recovering germaphobe), which takes up a lot of the job, I believe.

I have been to a couple of open days, but they haven't really helped me decide so any advice, especially from someone doing those courses, would be great and thanks for reading all my yap.

Reply 1

SodaMontgomery

Bump

Reply 2

Justcurious_yr12

Civil Engineering does not necessarily means site work as you can always go into design or consultancy. Designing usually involves structural design be it buildings, highways, bridges or tunnels.
Consulting is management of site work and you are employed from client side to oversee construction work or do project management and is mostly office work with few site visits for overseeing.

Astrophysics- you need to be good even if you don’t excel in it. You need to be good in maths though.

I feel like you don’t have a clear path yet and it’s okay. You can look at other engineering courses or maybe do geophysics or something to do with climate and sustainability.

Reply 3

Muu9

I would choose civil unless like you're doing well on BAAO or BPhO. You can do well as a normal bloke in CivE. Not the case for astrophysics.

Reply 4

City UoL Rep 4

Official Rep

Original post

by DanC2007

I've just finished year 12 and will need to do summer work about what Unis/courses I want to do, but I'm stuck between 2: Civil Engineering and Astrophysics.
I take A-level physics, maths, and geography
With astrophysics i've always loved space but obviously Uni level physics is very hard (im at a C but about 1 mark of a B in my end of years for physics) and i also know that you have to do more education to be more recognised in the field and even then jobs are sparse and not that well paid
Civil engineering, on the other hand, I have less interest in, but still a little (i initially found it by looking up my A levels with 'what uni course is best for these A-levels), but it's a much more stable and well-paying field. Although it is also a very difficult degree
Plus if I'm being honest, I don't like site work or anything like that (recovering germaphobe), which takes up a lot of the job, I believe.
I have been to a couple of open days, but they haven't really helped me decide so any advice, especially from someone doing those courses, would be great and thanks for reading all my yap.

Hey! 😊

Totally get what you’re going through. Choosing between something you love and something more stable can be tough.

I’m studying Engineering at City St George’s, and one thing that helped me is knowing that a lot of unis (like mine) have similar first-year modules across different engineering degrees. So if you start one course and change your mind, there’s often room to switch, just double check with each uni.

If you’re passionate about astrophysics, don’t rule it out just because of job worries. Physics degrees open up loads of doors in data, research, tech, and more. So it’s worth exploring the different paths it can lead to.

With civil, if you’re already unsure about the site work side, that’s something to think through. It’s usually a key part of the job early on. Maybe try to get some work experience over summer to see if it’s something you could grow into.

In the meantime, have a look at course modules, try chatting to current students (Unibuddy is great for that), and check out some day-in-the-life vids on YouTube. It might help you picture which direction feels right.

You’ve got time, and it’s totally okay to still be figuring things out 😊