What to do at uni?!

Notagoodmoneysaver

Hope this is the right place to post this!

I'm stressing over uni/the future and I'm looking for some advice! I'm about to start my second year of a-levels so will be going to uni in September 2013 and when I go back to college this September I will have to start writing personal statements etc so need to know what I'm going to do but that's my problem. I don't have a clue which uni I want to go to or what I want to do. I'd like to go to uni I just have so many interests that I'm finding it hard to narrow it down!

I've gone between social work, sociology, social policy, psychology, criminology, law, journalism, fashion, marketing, and joint honours in two or three of the above!

I do English, psychology and law at a-level. I hate English so that's out the question. Psychology I enjoy bits of, and law I absolutely love. Before starting my a-levels I hadn't even considered law but I actually look forward to my lessons.

In my January exams I got an A in law and a B in psychology.

Although I love law, I don't think I want to be a solicitor or anything like that and I'm quite a shy person so the idea of having to do mock trials makes me want to cry (and I suffer from anxiety quite badly so I'm not sure this is a good idea because it could stop me from going to uni all together). So is it pointless doing a law degree if I don't want a job in it? On the other hand, it's something I'm pretty certain I'd enjoy. I know law is quite a highly regarded degree so would it be useful in any career?

I'd like a career in which I help people. I've thought about working with children with special needs, working in a children home, working with youth offenders or in a prison (this is where the criminology interest came from) so a psychology degree would be relevant for those careers.

On the other hand subjects like sociology and social policy sound interesting and are less specific so that could be a positive? But I've never done either of those subjects before so taking a degree in it would be risky!

Fashion design, journalism and marketing are also interests of mine but I'm not sure it's something I'd chose to study full time. I've thought about doing a fashion marketing/fashion journalism course over the summer instead which I think is a better idea.

I also wish I'd have done a-level business because I see myself as quite an entrepreneur but I think a business degree would bore me?

So, I'm just after some advice really!
Would doing a joint law and psychology degree solve my problems?

pawsies

Possibly look at what jobs are going in your area for some inspiration?

I wouldn't choose psychology personally because of the amount of graduates that come out of it and don't have jobs. Same for sociology.

Sounds like nursing might be an option- you could then branch into mental health (psychology related)?

I know it's hard, I'm going into 3rd year of animal behaviour and training and still don't know exactly what I want!

InsideInsurance

Don't know a single person with a BA in business despite having worked as a business consultant - though know many from all works of life that have done an MBA after their degrees and a few years work experience.

Whilst in theory a degree is a degree the reality of where and what you studied does have a significant influence in addition to what grade you get. In some countries journalism is required if you want to be a journalist but the 4 people I know in media here didn't do journalism and the former arts college my wife attends does journalism and I've heard what others say about people with BAs from art colleges! (obviously they are fine if you are studying an art)

Needless to say on the law side that you don't have to do court work once you qualify as a solicitor so it may be a little pain in the training and then you can sit in your practice or decide you want to draft contracts all day and work in corporate law.

Who?_me?

To me it sounds like you dont' really want to go, but you feel you have to go. With tuition fees what they are, my advice would be to wait until you have a better idea of what you want to do, and then do uni.
You are interested in a lot of different roles, so why not try and get a low level job in any of these areas and then see how you go. You can chop and change if you hate something, or find it is what you truly want. Going to Uni won't help your job prospects, or your starting wage, there is more to life than a Uni degree.
What you have said about your own personality makes me think that you would benefit from going and getting some life experiance, its the only way you will find out what you want to do and is valued by employers
I remember at the age of 14 not having a clue what I wanted to do, but being expected to choose options. The result was I wandered into catering, which I never really enjoyed. I felt I had to go to Uni, so I did an HND, 2 years later, I was back at a different Uni doing a Degree. Finally, 8 yrs later, I was back again doing an MSc. I can honnestly say, none of these have particulary helped my job prospects, though they have all been to try and improve them.
The only jobs you have to have a degree for are things like Medicine or if you want to be a teacher. Most other jobs you can work your way up and do training as you go.
I agree with the previous poster that psychology or other ologies are very popular and don't really lead to something. My cousin started a degree in some weird african stuff, but left and eventually did a completely diffrent subject, a good few years later which she adored.
Good luck with the future

brians_daughter

Take some advice from someone who wishes they knew this before 3 years of hard slog for not much return... If you do not know what career you wish to peruse then don't go to Uni.

Maybe try and get some work experience for a year with various organisations, coupled with some paid employment, and make your choices after you've had the experience.

ohreally

If its any help, my youngest is about to start third year in Sept and he proudly informs me when he reflects back at his time in uni it will be to remember sleeping on public transport on the way in and while there improving his angry birds scores beyond all recognition - it hadn't occured to anyone else in his class to bring a tablet with angry birds, now they all do it.

He's in one or two days a week, and the course work was completed for Feb this year, so loads of chill-out time to lie in bed all day.

If that sounds up your street, go for it.

Notmyrealname

Notagoodmoneysaver wrote: »

Although I love law, I don't think I want to be a solicitor or anything like that and I'm quite a shy person so the idea of having to do mock trials makes me want to cry (and I suffer from anxiety quite badly so I'm not sure this is a good idea because it could stop me from going to uni all together). So is it pointless doing a law degree if I don't want a job in it?

My brother got a law degree and a job in a legal department of a company. Never saw a court.

xxJudexx

I agree with everyone else. Don't even consider going until you know what you want to do. And don't just chose something because you enjoy it, you have to look at what it might lead to.

I did a psychology degree and I wish I hadn't. I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do and it was just assumed I would go to Uni. I wasn't given very good advice by my school and I made a wrong decision. I haven't been able to get a full time job since graduating three years ago!

If I had my time again I would have done an IT degree, I was actually better at IT than at Psychology but I had so little confidence I didn't think I would cope. It sounds like you have something similar with your anxiety. Don't let your anxiety stop you. Uni is a place you can safely push yourself. I was very shy and hated meeting new people but I used my time at Uni to improve myself. I joined a sports club and ended up becoming treasurer of the club and I made some amazing friends.

If you are still set on doing a degree, out of your preferences I would go for the law degree. You are in no way expected to become a solicitor after completing a law degree, in fact most law firms want people who did a different subject for their degree and then trained up. Law is a good all rounder. It is very academic but there is also lots of team work involved too. Doing a law degree will show employers that you are dedicated.

I wouldn't go for a joint degree. Most employers will see that and think you weren't up to doing a full degree and decided to pick and chose your modules.

Good luck with whatever decision you decide to make.

pinkteapot

Another vote for Law - it's an incredibly employable degree and you don't have to become a solicitor or something that directly related. It will lead into many, many fields and is well regarded. With your grades, you should get in to a decent uni and a Law degree from one of these really will stand you in good stead when it comes to jobs later on.

It's very likely that you'll grow in confidence at uni. When you visit them, find out how the courses are assessed - try and choose a place with more emphasis on written work and less on the stand up stuff you don't enjoy.

I know you've had thoughts about social work, etc, but personally I don't think you sound that set on these areas. And if you're shy, I'm not sure that working with young offenders would suit you to be honest...?

I didn't know what I wanted to do before uni. I didn't know what I wanted to do after I left! I did Economics and Management at Oxford and got a temp job afterwards while I looked for something permanent. Ended up being taken on permanently and staying at that company three years. I've since moved into a different field and my degree got me in to what I do now. I don't think you have to have a career plan at 18 - far from it. But if you don't know what you want to do, go with the degree that will make you the most employable and of the options you've listed that's definitely Law.

p.s. And it's number 4 on this list:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/9415613/Top-10-degree-subjects-for-getting-a-job.html

t_obermory

My advice, as someone who is currently coming to the end of a very long 6 year (part time) degree, is don't go to uni because you feel that's what you're supposed to do. Tuition fees are going to be £9k a year, £27k is a lot of money to spend on something that you are not absolutely 100% sure you want to do. The amount of people on my course who are there because they couldn't think of what else to do is ridiculous and 9 times out of 10 they don't get the grades to get a decent classification because they're there for the wrong reason. That's not even taking into account that trying to find a graduate role at the end of it is a nightmare, the amount of students vying for the same jobs is unreal and quickly makes degrees in 'soft' subjects nigh on useless.

You would do much better, and have much more fun saving up and travelling for a bit until you decide what you want to do. Then if you really do want to go to uni choose a course with definitive job prospects at the end of it, like law, and be prepared to work like mad to make the most of your £27k and get a really good classification. Alternatively choose what sector you want to work in and get a job in that sector and work your way up, the work experience can be just as valuable as a degree.

I hope that helps, and I wish someone had told me the same before I started my degree.

pinkteapot

In a better economy I might have agreed with others on here saying don't go or postpone it. I took a gap year and got a decent job during it. But that was almost 15 years ago when some companies still recruited A-Level leavers. I don't know of any who do now - a degree has become an entry requirements for loads of jobs that it shouldn't have done.

Only do a gap year if you can find something good and structured to do with it. I said before that I didn't know what I wanted to do when I left uni. Actually, at 32 I still don't really know. But when I'm at job interviews I can give reasons for my year at work and my choice of degree subject that make it sound like I had much more of a plan than I did/do.