Ds 17 hasn't a clue what he wants to do re the future/uni...how do I support him?

[ssd]

he's a bright boy but he needs to work for it, like a lot of youngsters

he's in a great school, I'm sure they are helping but when I go to the parents nights its all careers in medicine etc, which isnt for him

I just dont know how to advise him, he wants to go to uni in a year but doesnt know what to do, he has no particular leanings towards anything

any advice would be appreciated!

DD thought she knew what she wanted to do and was all set to go to uni so went on to VI form and hated it so left after AS levels. She worked for a few years as a teaching assistant in a special school and absolutely loved it. It helped her to decide she wanted to teach kids with additional needs so she went back to college and did and Access course then went on to uni at the age of 21. I honestly believe she walked out of uni with the right degree and at a much higher grade than she would've achieved had she not taken some time out to find out what motivated her in life.

If he doesn't know what he wants to do then he's better doing what my stepson did and taking a few years out and working until he decides what if any degree he fancies.
Some schools offer good careers advice others less so. There are loads of career possibilities he could research himself though. Things like unistats mean you can see which unis offer which degree, if he goes on the student room then there are loads of discussions on different degree programmes. He could go to the library and browse career books in the reference library, he could read online the list of degrees the uni he most fancies offers, browse online prospectuses.
There is far more out there than there used to be.

I think it may be best to look at degree subjects that might interest him and not worry about career prospects at this time unless he suddenly decides he really loves accountancy or similar. I think a lot of young people get a degree in a subject and that opens doors but is not a career in itself.