The Student Room Group

Supercurricular advice

Hi! I’m currently in Year 12 and I’m trying to figure out what supercurriculars I should be doing, but I’m a bit stuck because I’m not 100% sure what I want to do at university yet... I feel so far behind.

I study History, Sociology, and English Language at A Level, but I’m interested in a wide range of subjects, so I’m still figuring out what degree I might want to do. I know supercurriculars are meant to show passion for a subject and help with personal statements, but I’m not sure what to focus on since I haven’t fully decided.

At the minute, I like the look of Anthropology courses most due to the wide range of options after graduating, which is good for me because I am so indecisive about everything and wish I could do every job ever.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Should I just pick a subject I enjoy and explore that, or try to cover a few areas? Any recommendations for books, courses, or online activities that would look good and actually help me make a decision over the summer would be really appreciated!
Original post
by cherry07xx
Hi! I’m currently in Year 12 and I’m trying to figure out what supercurriculars I should be doing, but I’m a bit stuck because I’m not 100% sure what I want to do at university yet... I feel so far behind.

I study History, Sociology, and English Language at A Level, but I’m interested in a wide range of subjects, so I’m still figuring out what degree I might want to do. I know supercurriculars are meant to show passion for a subject and help with personal statements, but I’m not sure what to focus on since I haven’t fully decided.

At the minute, I like the look of Anthropology courses most due to the wide range of options after graduating, which is good for me because I am so indecisive about everything and wish I could do every job ever.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Should I just pick a subject I enjoy and explore that, or try to cover a few areas? Any recommendations for books, courses, or online activities that would look good and actually help me make a decision over the summer would be really appreciated!

I would have a look at MOOCs on FutureLearn and see what interests you. I would try and read things related to your A-level courses that interest you to gain a deeper understanding.

Reply 2

Hi @cherry07xx

As the poster above mentioned, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are a great starting point. They’re free, relatively short, and some even offer certificates or badges that you can mention in your personal statement. Here are a few worth exploring:

SpringPod: https://www.springpod.com/ (Virtual Work Experience Programmes)

You could also consider booking onto university open days. You don’t need a firm decision yet, but narrowing your interests slightly can help you get more out of the sessions and avoid overlapping subject tasters.

Hope that helps!

Megan (LJMU Rep)

Reply 3

Original post
by cherry07xx
Hi! I’m currently in Year 12 and I’m trying to figure out what supercurriculars I should be doing, but I’m a bit stuck because I’m not 100% sure what I want to do at university yet... I feel so far behind.
I study History, Sociology, and English Language at A Level, but I’m interested in a wide range of subjects, so I’m still figuring out what degree I might want to do. I know supercurriculars are meant to show passion for a subject and help with personal statements, but I’m not sure what to focus on since I haven’t fully decided.
At the minute, I like the look of Anthropology courses most due to the wide range of options after graduating, which is good for me because I am so indecisive about everything and wish I could do every job ever.
Has anyone else been in this situation? Should I just pick a subject I enjoy and explore that, or try to cover a few areas? Any recommendations for books, courses, or online activities that would look good and actually help me make a decision over the summer would be really appreciated!


hii, i’m also in year 12 and i can share with you what i’ve been currently doing!! i’m a student who’s wanting to pursue law at university and supercurricular wise, i’ve been currently completing MOOCs which i really recommend as you can explore deeper into what really interests you to do at university. i also recommend finding competitions online and as you do english literature i think that can be really beneficial and great to write in your personal statement; an ongoing competition is immerse education essay competition where you have a range of questions to answer from depending on your course of interest, the deadline is september 18th so you’ve got time. i also recommend reading books and watching documentaries, films, ted talks and lectures to have a wider understanding of your subjects even which can be useful to mention in your personal statement. springpod and forage are great for virtual work experience tailored to your interest of course, which is amazing for your personal statement as you gain certificates and badges which is a really good way to present yourself! as it’s summer, you can always try find some volunteering work which can be beneficial and also something for you to do in the summer. i recommend you should explore further into your alevel subjects and have a wider exploration and find something that really interests you before narrowing it all down! don’t feel like you’re behind, this summer is to focus on your supercurriculars and everything else you’ll need to put on your personal statement.

i really hope this helps!! enjoy your summer :smile:

Reply 4

Nowhere does it say that you can only go to Uni straight from school. If you are not sure what you want to study or what career etc you are aiming at, or why, then step-back, plan a gap-year and give yourself time to think.

Good careers website with 100s of job / career profiles - Job profiles | Prospects.ac.uk
Apprenticeship search - Search apprenticeship Find an apprenticeship GOV.UK

Reply 5

Original post
by user128089291
hii, i’m also in year 12 and i can share with you what i’ve been currently doing!! i’m a student who’s wanting to pursue law at university and supercurricular wise, i’ve been currently completing MOOCs which i really recommend as you can explore deeper into what really interests you to do at university. i also recommend finding competitions online and as you do english literature i think that can be really beneficial and great to write in your personal statement; an ongoing competition is immerse education essay competition where you have a range of questions to answer from depending on your course of interest, the deadline is september 18th so you’ve got time. i also recommend reading books and watching documentaries, films, ted talks and lectures to have a wider understanding of your subjects even which can be useful to mention in your personal statement. springpod and forage are great for virtual work experience tailored to your interest of course, which is amazing for your personal statement as you gain certificates and badges which is a really good way to present yourself! as it’s summer, you can always try find some volunteering work which can be beneficial and also something for you to do in the summer. i recommend you should explore further into your alevel subjects and have a wider exploration and find something that really interests you before narrowing it all down! don’t feel like you’re behind, this summer is to focus on your supercurriculars and everything else you’ll need to put on your personal statement.
i really hope this helps!! enjoy your summer :smile:

Thank you so much! You too <3

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