Mumsnet Talk

I did Microbiology which was interesting but jobs are scarce and very poorly paid.

I would do something different Medicine (didn't think I'd fit in) or Midwifery oh or maybe Architecture.

I'd either do a different degree (BEng Civil and Environmental Engineering) to get to where I am by a less tortuous route (BSc Geology and Physics, MSc, PhD and evening class top ups) or I'd be a solicitor.

Sorry - I disappeared from my own thread. It's really interesting how many of us feel we made the wrong choice - or at least that with more life experience we'd have made a different one. Just goes to show that life is all backwards. No wonder so many of us go back to do a second degree or are considering it.

I wish I had done Russian as well as what I did -- I could have done a double honours major. The USSR seemed such an isolated backwater in the early 80s though and I would have been the only student taking Russian afaik. Not sure where that would have led but I have always been interested in things Russian.

I've just finished my degree in social care - loved it but wish I had done it before Ireland's economy went down the pan and I had a chance of getting a job- similarly with DH, both of us have worked hard to get our degrees and are still working in the minimum wage jobs we worked in whilst in college, with little hope of getting decent jobs

Yes, same again or something very similar, I read philosophy and psychology (with linguistics on the side) and I did very much enjoy it. And I still work in those fields so I can't say it's been useless, but noone studies philosophy because it's useful.

Not Chemistry and Business again.
I have used my gap year french more and should have done a couple of languages, Probably French and Italian and spent more time in each country.

I wish I'd done Law. In fact. I've often thought about it since but I'll never do it now. Anyway, dd1 would only think I was copying her and that would be really sad!

What I'll never regret is the experience of university.

Go for a subject that has a vocation attached to it. I did English Lang and Lit. I was a teacher for over 20 years worst choice of my life. Choose wisely otherwise get ready to cry!!!!

I definitely wouldn't do architecture again. 5 years (now at 9k per year yikes) of messing about with glue and card and lofty thoughts then 20 years later an average salary of £35k. And rampant unemployment ATM, including me and I'm a computer 'expert'.

Maybe I'd do forensics, I could see myself as one of those immaculately dressed CSI people with a cool haircut. or I'd just plan on winning X factor

Did: Mechanical Engineering

Should have done: Applied mathematics/software engineering

Physics, I'd love to do natural science at Cambridge. In my teens I thought I wanted to work with people but have now decided they're over-rated and fancy a peaceful lab!

I did economics and politics the first time round. I've just gone back to uni to do an MA in social work. I wish I'd done that in the first place!

I did law, I wuold quite like to have done geography though not sure what I would have ended up doing with it.

I did law; moved into corporate. Left within minutes. Should have done anglo-saxon.

I did law, should've done medicine. Same prestige, better sense of achievement.

Noticing that there are a lot of disgruntled lawyers on this thread. Feel like we should all band together and create a family friendly, non-traditional law firm....

We could sponsor Goingmad and then get her to do it. [innocent]

If you do, Zara, I'll be the grounds maintenance lady if that's ok, having found a career as a self-employed (=starving) gardener far more satisfying.

interestingly some of the happiest lawyers I know are those who were either mature students, or who went and travelled the world AFTER their law degrees and then went into practice

not like this muggins who had to work two jobs during uni and then started in a law firm the day after her last exam....

I did microbiology. I chose science as I had some half baked idea when choosing A levels that I would have better job prospects with a science degree. Little did I know that there are few jobs in science in this country and they are very badly paid.

Wish I had followed my interests and done English. Might have got that first as I am sure I would have worked harder.

In fact, I am toying with the idea of doing another degree at my local uni.

I did biology - loved it but no jobs so now in IT. Sometimes wish I'd one midwifery or something health related but I hate shift work so they wouldn't actually suit me!

I did maths, and would probably do the same again. However, I would choose different modules within the course. I ended up choosing lots of statistics modules as I'd enjoyed stats at school, but I proved to be pretty rubbish at it at university, while I was surprisingly good at pure maths. I should have gone with those subjects that I performed best in, rather than basing my decisions on false ideas that I'd built up two years earlier and in a very different learning environment.

The only other thing is that I initially started studying German A Level, but dropped it for Chemistry as I felt it went better with my maths/physics combo. I wish I had stuck with the German (hated Chemistry) and perhaps done a joint maths and German degree. But at the time the only uni that offered a German language/maths degree was Stirling, and I think I would have been too scared to go to uni so far from home (SE England).

All the Social Sciences fascinate me - economics, sociology, pyschology... etc. I studied Modern Languages and later did an MBA and am very glad to have done both but I think I'd like to study psychology now!

I am so glad I didn't read law! My parents thought I should and I applied for law initially but then decided to take a year out. Thank goodness. I would have hated law. I am such a disobedient sort of person!