Choosing University/University Courses - No clue/Passion

5

Hey! The issue plaguing me right now is with my choices for university. I've taken a gap year to think more about what I want to do at university, after achieveing A*** (Lit,Art,Psych).
I wish I had the entire year to think on what I want to do, but the application deadline is January 14th (not able to do medicine/science, and not interested in oxbridge/cambridge) and I'm still stuck with the issue I had before I decided to take my gap year - I still have no passion for any specific course and cant choose. I took the gap year quite unplanned because I very quickly realised I was terrified to dedicate 3 years of my life to something that I didnt exactly feel strongly towards - and I absolutely didnt expect to get the grades I did.
Just asking if anyones been in similar positions to me and can give any insight/advice? I think I know that I want to go to university - It's appealing to me and I want to enter the workforce with the stability of a degree (whatever that's worth now-adays) - I just cant seem to latch onto any course that I'm passionate about and can latch to.
What can I do to come to the realisation that other people in my position do? Taking the year out was absolutely the right choice, and i appreciate having more time to think on it, but still nothing's sparking. How do I unlock that spark?
Thanks!

Reply 1

EuropeanIAm

17

Don't have a clue generally as the post is quite vague but you're lucky to have good grades. If you're not into Oxbridge, I'd consider Edinburgh for sure but that's the only advice I have.

Reply 2

normaw

20

Original post

by Bbb7777778

Hey! The issue plaguing me right now is with my choices for university. I've taken a gap year to think more about what I want to do at university, after achieveing A*** (Lit,Art,Psych).
I wish I had the entire year to think on what I want to do, but the application deadline is January 14th (not able to do medicine/science, and not interested in oxbridge/cambridge) and I'm still stuck with the issue I had before I decided to take my gap year - I still have no passion for any specific course and cant choose. I took the gap year quite unplanned because I very quickly realised I was terrified to dedicate 3 years of my life to something that I didnt exactly feel strongly towards - and I absolutely didnt expect to get the grades I did.
Just asking if anyones been in similar positions to me and can give any insight/advice? I think I know that I want to go to university - It's appealing to me and I want to enter the workforce with the stability of a degree (whatever that's worth now-adays) - I just cant seem to latch onto any course that I'm passionate about and can latch to.
What can I do to come to the realisation that other people in my position do? Taking the year out was absolutely the right choice, and i appreciate having more time to think on it, but still nothing's sparking. How do I unlock that spark?
Thanks!

Are you interested in working in healthcare at all? Some Allied Health Profession courses don't need any sciences and some others will accept psychology as the science. Speech and Language Therapy might be an option. Otherwise, are you interested in creative careers or something like a Liberal Arts degree? Would you want to pursue any of your A level subjects at degree level?

Reply 3

McGinger

20

I still have no passion for any specific course

Then either don't go to Uni yet, or look at more flexible courses where you could do a wide range of different academic subjects within one degree program. Examples :

Liberal Arts BA | King's College London
Flexible degree structure - Study at St Andrews - University of St Andrews
Combined Honours BA | Undergraduate | Newcastle University
BA American Studies (2026 entry) | The University of Manchester
etc etc

Or, do something else - you can go to Uni later.
Royal Navy | Joining options
Round The World Flights - The Adventure People

Reply 4

Kingston Grace

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Bbb7777778

Hey! The issue plaguing me right now is with my choices for university. I've taken a gap year to think more about what I want to do at university, after achieveing A*** (Lit,Art,Psych).
I wish I had the entire year to think on what I want to do, but the application deadline is January 14th (not able to do medicine/science, and not interested in oxbridge/cambridge) and I'm still stuck with the issue I had before I decided to take my gap year - I still have no passion for any specific course and cant choose. I took the gap year quite unplanned because I very quickly realised I was terrified to dedicate 3 years of my life to something that I didnt exactly feel strongly towards - and I absolutely didnt expect to get the grades I did.
Just asking if anyones been in similar positions to me and can give any insight/advice? I think I know that I want to go to university - It's appealing to me and I want to enter the workforce with the stability of a degree (whatever that's worth now-adays) - I just cant seem to latch onto any course that I'm passionate about and can latch to.
What can I do to come to the realisation that other people in my position do? Taking the year out was absolutely the right choice, and i appreciate having more time to think on it, but still nothing's sparking. How do I unlock that spark?
Thanks!

Hi @Bbb7777778

Maybe you could do some research on universities by getting prospectuses and looking though the courses they offer to see if any spark interest. You could also go to open days and attend course talks, choosing courses that might interest you. UCAS also do UCAS fairs which have lots of universities there handing out prospectuses and answering questions.

This post I made may also be helpful to you Tips on Making a University Choice - The Student Room

I hope this helps :smile:

-Grace (Kingston Rep)

Reply 5

Stiffy Byng

19

Don't go to university. Wait a year or three. Work. Travel. See what you think after some time not studying. Don't close any doors, Oxbridge included. Your views may change over time.

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 6

LSBU

Official Rep

11

Original post

by Bbb7777778

Hey! The issue plaguing me right now is with my choices for university. I've taken a gap year to think more about what I want to do at university, after achieveing A*** (Lit,Art,Psych).
I wish I had the entire year to think on what I want to do, but the application deadline is January 14th (not able to do medicine/science, and not interested in oxbridge/cambridge) and I'm still stuck with the issue I had before I decided to take my gap year - I still have no passion for any specific course and cant choose. I took the gap year quite unplanned because I very quickly realised I was terrified to dedicate 3 years of my life to something that I didnt exactly feel strongly towards - and I absolutely didnt expect to get the grades I did.
Just asking if anyones been in similar positions to me and can give any insight/advice? I think I know that I want to go to university - It's appealing to me and I want to enter the workforce with the stability of a degree (whatever that's worth now-adays) - I just cant seem to latch onto any course that I'm passionate about and can latch to.
What can I do to come to the realisation that other people in my position do? Taking the year out was absolutely the right choice, and i appreciate having more time to think on it, but still nothing's sparking. How do I unlock that spark?
Thanks!

Hey there, it’s honestly completely okay to feel this way. So many people think everyone else has a perfect plan at 18, but most of us don’t. I was in a similar spot after my A levels too. I didn’t know what I wanted, I felt the pressure of choosing something “right”, and I ended up taking a gap year as well. At the time it felt scary, but it was one of the best things I did because it gave me space to breathe rather than rush into something.

What helped me in that year wasn’t suddenly discovering some big life calling. It was paying attention to what I naturally enjoyed doing in my free time. Sometimes the small things you already like doing end up pointing you in the direction of a course or career without you realising it. For some people it’s art, writing, helping people, problem solving, tech, design, caring roles, analytical thinking, communication or even something niche. When you strip away the pressure, those patterns become clearer.

The spark doesn’t always arrive as a big dramatic moment. Sometimes it’s just realising, “I actually enjoy this, and I could see myself learning more about it for three years.” Passion often grows once you’re immersed in a subject, rather than existing beforehand.

You’ve got brilliant grades, which means you have a lot of options and flexibility. And it’s perfectly valid to choose a course because you’re curious about it or because it plays to your strengths, not just because you feel a fiery passion from day one. Lots of students at LSBU arrive uncertain and find their spark once they start exploring modules, meeting lecturers and trying new things.

If it helps, LSBU has a really wide mix of creative, social science, health and practical courses, so you can choose something that matches your interests, even if you’re not 100% sure yet. And you’re not alone in this at all. Choosing a course is a big decision, but it doesn’t need to be perfect to be right for you.

You’re always welcome to explore LSBU further. You can book a campus tour https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/study/study-at-lsbu/open-days/campus-tours to get a proper feel for our spaces, and you can chat with our current students on Unibuddy https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/student-life/chat to get an insight into the courses you’re curious about.

LSBU Admissions Ambassador

Choosing University/University Courses - No clue/Passion

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