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Original poster

Are there any courses, you would actively discourage your dc doing at uni ?

226 replies

JennyTals · 20/02/2025 21:06

Is anything a no go for you, or would you support any course

OP posts:
Catinabox21 · 21/02/2025 08:16

MinnieMountain · 21/02/2025 07:24

Law. Too many people want to do it.

Agree. And I was assured that, even if I didn't choose a career in the field, a law degree would always hold its value and open doors elsewhere. Total myth in my experience. While the degree undoubtedly does GIVE you great transferable skills, unfortunately most employers aren't looking for transferable skills. They want qualifications and experience directly related to the role.

TheElvesLongSleeves · 21/02/2025 08:16

I would highly encourage apprenticeship if possible. There are incredible options now on degree level. For example VOA is running currently recruitment for level 6 chartered surveyor apprentice. There are law, woodland development, engineering etc uni level apprenticeships all over. So many choices. Get the education, knowledge and salary at the same time.
(these are also for career changers btw)

MinnieMountain · 21/02/2025 08:16

Exactly @Chiseltip . It was hard enough when I qualified years ago.

Also archeology. A friend did it- she’s a licensed conveyancer now.

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Higher education
peudhrk · 21/02/2025 08:17

I'd discourage any degree of there wasn't any kind of plan. It's all well and good saying uni is an experience and education is important etc, but in the real world most people don't have 10s of thousands of £s to wilfully spend on "experience".

I will be ensuring mine have well thought out solid plans, considering life after uni, and would encourage them to wait if still unsure. Unlike the thoughtless decisions so many of my school cohort made.

TheElvesLongSleeves · 21/02/2025 08:19

Yeah. I did law and now I am fuming at myself because I am not eligible for the funded apprenticeships at that level anymore as I already have that level🙈 Too many people, is correct. But it did provide me with good base overall and scored me some interesting jobs later, but nothing like what was "advertised".
To add, I did not go on to qualify, because itbwas just way too competitive so I moved away from it

theressomanytinafeysicouldbe · 21/02/2025 08:27

mindutopia · 20/02/2025 21:24

I’m a uni lecturer and the only thing I would discourage would be some whack Mickey Mouse sort of degree, like wine tasting or something ridiculous like that. University is probably much more important for the experience rather than the degree (but the degree itself can’t be a big joke either). Most of what gets people ahead in life is drive and passion and hard work, so the degree itself doesn’t matter too much. I’d want them to study what interests them though rather than what they think will translate directly into a high earning career.

Is this a thing? Wine tasting? That might be one degree I would pass 😂

Frowningprovidence · 21/02/2025 08:32

TheElvesLongSleeves · 21/02/2025 08:16

I would highly encourage apprenticeship if possible. There are incredible options now on degree level. For example VOA is running currently recruitment for level 6 chartered surveyor apprentice. There are law, woodland development, engineering etc uni level apprenticeships all over. So many choices. Get the education, knowledge and salary at the same time.
(these are also for career changers btw)

I am surrounded by a lot of very despondent year 13s at the moment, who haven't got through the recruitment processes.

These apprentiships exist. Are brilliant but are only for a handful of school leavers in reality.

They are all weighing up having a gap year and trying to get vaguely relevant work and applying again for these apprentiships or heading to uni and getting more experience that way. It's not an easy decision when faced with it.

Pinkissmart · 21/02/2025 08:38

Addeline · 20/02/2025 21:33

I wanted mine to identify a job they wanted to do then do a course working towards it. Not the other way round. Graduate unemployment was rife in the 1990s, I know the misery of it.

But they don’t always know.

BustingBaoBun · 21/02/2025 08:38

ThymeScent · 20/02/2025 21:33

Wine tasting is considerably useful in real life than English or History.

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Ermmm and how many jobs for sommeliers earning a lot of money do you think there are going?
English at a Russell group Uni is far more wide reaching and useful. It set my DC on a brilliant high earning career in a niche area of marketing

Personally I encouraged my DCs to study at Uni what they were good at at school.

Pinkissmart · 21/02/2025 08:38

sofio · 21/02/2025 08:35

Is that a degree you don’t approve of? 😮

Riverswims · 21/02/2025 08:39

Motheranddaughter · 21/02/2025 02:56

No,it’s their decision

that the parents will inevitably have to finance 🤷🏽‍♀️

Pinkissmart · 21/02/2025 08:40

Frowningprovidence · 21/02/2025 08:32

I am surrounded by a lot of very despondent year 13s at the moment, who haven't got through the recruitment processes.

These apprentiships exist. Are brilliant but are only for a handful of school leavers in reality.

They are all weighing up having a gap year and trying to get vaguely relevant work and applying again for these apprentiships or heading to uni and getting more experience that way. It's not an easy decision when faced with it.

Show quote history

Tell them to keep trying. Also- look at level 4 and 5 courses.

Pinkissmart · 21/02/2025 08:43

Riverswims · 21/02/2025 08:39

that the parents will inevitably have to finance 🤷🏽‍♀️

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What a horrible, controlling opinion. If they take out a loan, THEY will have the repayments coming out their paycheck.

salemcooper · 21/02/2025 08:45

Probably a little off topic but I would look at apprenticeships as well. I went to Russell group uni to study a "serious" subject (core subject) and got a first. And I earn £30k a year, without much opportunity for earning more without further training. My brother undertook an apprenticeship as a specialist engineer... he was earning £90k by the time he was 30 (although he was one of just 10 selected for an apprenticeship with a very well known company, so he did very well... there were over 1000 applicants). Uni isn't the only worth while direction worth looking at :)

TheMoth · 21/02/2025 08:46

HobnobsChoice · 20/02/2025 21:55

Journalism for print/written formatt
If they really want to go into it then go and do a degree in Economics or a science or English or whatever then do the NCTJ course. So many journalistm degrees and Although as my husband is an ex journalist we'd probably encourage them to look at a different career although. My sister is a head of faculty and would strongly advise against doing a degree because everyone else is or because of parental expectations to go to university. Her main tip was don't do a vocational type degree without checking out accreditation for that career. Eg don't do a course in policing that isn't on the college of policing list.

We've had a few with journalism degrees decide to be English teachers. But they generally aren't that good or have decent English skills!

I have also helped students with very basic English skills (grade 4, personal statement needed a lot of work) go to uni to study journalism. The brighter kids already know that a more traditional subject works as a base.

Most popular uni choices amongst our current crop are: marketing, media, business. Which basically translates as: I don't really know what I want to do; I'm paddling along with d and c grades and just want to do something.

peudhrk · 21/02/2025 08:48

But they don’t always know.

Then they shouldn't be going to university yet. It really is as simple as that. Uni isn't some god given right, there's nothing else in life we encourage people to irresponsibly rush ahead with committing years and £10,000s.

Pinkissmart · 21/02/2025 08:52

peudhrk · 21/02/2025 08:48

But they don’t always know.

Then they shouldn't be going to university yet. It really is as simple as that. Uni isn't some god given right, there's nothing else in life we encourage people to irresponsibly rush ahead with committing years and £10,000s.

No, you’re wrong.
They may know a broad industry, and know it could lead to a variety of jobs, but not know which specific job they want to do. That’s ok.

Frowningprovidence · 21/02/2025 08:53

Pinkissmart · 21/02/2025 08:40

Tell them to keep trying. Also- look at level 4 and 5 courses.

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they need to revise for the a levels now.

Some of these apprentiships have 5 or 6 rounds which you have to prep for. The applications take an age to tailor, then there are online tests, screening calls, online interviews, assessment days all to fit around your part time job and college. The assessment days mean annual leave for some, which runs out. Obviously some are less onerous. This is for level 4 and 5 also.

There does need to be some realism that keep trying means next year and the year after and the year after and then what do you do in the meantime.

There is much bigger demand for apprentiships than there are actual apprentiships available. It is not possible for everyone that wants one to get one.

That doesn't mean don't give it your best shot. But just as you need realism that a mickey mouse degree isn't going to help, we also need realism that you can't just say 'get an apprentiships"

I think it's tough for youngsters. There are hardly any entry level jobs in my area, none of the group got an apprentiship and they all feel a degree is a huge financial risk. They are a right mopey bunch right now.

peudhrk · 21/02/2025 08:55

No, you’re wrong.

You're talking like a 5 year old. I'm not "wrong", I have an opinion.

What you describe is different to not having a clue what they want to do, which was the case for a lot of people I finished high school with, many of them aimlessly going to uni and ending up dropping out or in completely unrelated jobs.

AgeingDoc · 21/02/2025 08:55

Medicine. Not that any of mine needed dissuading.

RedHelenB · 21/02/2025 08:56

No, learning is never a waste of time, be it wise tasting or law .

ThatArtfulOpalPoet · 21/02/2025 08:57

I will respect my child's interests and hobbies. And won’t interfere too much with the courses he chooses to study.

middleagedandinarage · 21/02/2025 08:59

CurtainsCurtain · 20/02/2025 21:28

Wine tasting isn’t in the least ridiculous, though. I know people who are having interesting, well-paid careers as sommeliers and wine-buyers.

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Surely you don't need to do a degree in it though! Like honestly how much can their be to know about wine, a whole degree 😂

AmeliaTangfastic · 21/02/2025 09:12

There are actually loads of exams to take if you want a career in wine tasting! I looked into it once and there are exams. Never heard of anyone doing a degree in it though. I used to work in restaurants doing front of house (channeling Amanda from motherland 😂) and the somelliers I worked with did not have degrees. I did know a bar man with a law degree and a (terrible) hotel receptionist with a forensic science degree though