For a few people deciding what to study at university is straightforward – they've known since they were young that they'd like to be a nurse, or a lawyer, or have always had a passion for conservation or an interest in psychology. However, for most it is something that requires a lot of time and consideration. There are thousands of courses to choose from, at hundreds of different institutions and many of the courses will be in subjects that may not be familiar to you, ie. that you will not have come across at school, for example Anthropology; American Studies; Games and Multimedia Environments (GAME); Ecology and Conservation and Product Design. It is important you choose carefully, and find the course that is most suited to you - your interests and abilities.
A few things to consider:
- What subjects do you enjoy at school/ college?
- What are your interests and passions?
- What subjects are you good at?
- What courses do your qualifications allow you to apply for?
- What are the career options like in that subject area?
What subjects do you enjoy at school/ college?
An obvious starting point when thinking about what you might like to study at university is the subjects you currently enjoy in school or college. Although there is a much broader range of subjects available at university, they are very often related to a subject or topic you have studied in school; for example, if you enjoy Geography you might consider International Relations or Anthropology, or if you're interested in maths or IT you could consider Computer Science or Engineering.
What are your interests and passions?
This links closely with the above, but if your interests or passions are in subjects you haven't had the opportunity to study so far, you might just find a suitable course at university. Once you reach university you study a subject at a much more intensive level, so having a genuine interest or passion for the subject is key to ensuring you stay committed and achieve the best possible results.
What subjects are you good at?
Different people have strengths in different areas – don't be shy of recognising your strengths and abilities! Confidence that you can cope with degree level work will certainly help, not only during the course, but when applying for the course and finding a job at the end too.
What courses do your qualifications allow you to apply for?
Higher education courses are highly competitive, with great demand for certain subjects. It is important that the subjects or qualifications you are currently taking, or have taken in the past , meet the criteria of the course you are interesting in applying for. Some subjects will ask for certain grades at GCSE level, for example a 'B' in Maths, so if you are at college or sixth form it might be worth looking into re-sits to achieve that. Most will require A levels (or equivalent qualifications – e.g. BTECs) in a related subject.
What are the career options like in that subject area?
With most degrees lasting 3 or 4 years, getting a job seems a long way off. But it is important that you give this some thought before choosing a course, i.e. what do you want to get out of your degree? Do you know what job you would like to be doing? What are the employment prospects or pathways following the study of a particular subject? For example, a degree in Maths will open up a number of career pathways and Maths graduates are able to work in a very wide ranges of jobs and job sectors. On the other hand, with a degree in Surf Science you'd expect your job to involve some aspect of surfing, in the same way that studying medicine would usually result in a job within the healthcare sector, even if you don't become a doctor.
For more information on subjects and the career pathways, check out Prospects.co.uk (link below)
For more information and advice on choosing a course, or to find out about career prospects in different subject areas, visit the following websites:
UCAS (University and College Admissions Service) is the central organisation that processes all university applications. They have lots of useful information on choosing and finding an appropriate course, and their course search is a great starting point for finding out which universities you should be looking into.
Prospects is a website for students and graduates (those who have completed their university course) and offers useful and detailed careers advice and guidance tailored for academic areas.