Unsure of what to study

[judith123321]

Really not sure what to study

I have a lovely relationship with my guy and we are getting married at end of the year. I work as a receptionist, it is an easy job and we make enough money between us and some left over to pay off a bit extra on the mortgage.

I'm not sure if I want to change career. I'm only 27 and not sure I want to be a receptionist for the next 41 years - even though it is easy and I like my work colleagues and I can be home in 4 minutes

I can get a student loan for a degree which I will probably never pay back, so it makes sense for me to do a degree.

I just really don't know what to study, I love history but don't like the modules on open uni, and also what do you do with a degree in history? Teach? I don't want to do that? Work at national trust? I don't want to work Saturdays and Sunday's.

Business then? That's always good but I am on module 4 to complete my first year and find it hard and also boring.

I just really don't know what I want to do for next 41 years.

I think you need to consider two separate questions:

Are you happy with your job and your career prospects? If not, do you want to make a change now or in the future? Do you have another job in mind that interests you or do you have an ambition your job needs to fulfil (e.g. more money, or working part time, or being promoted to a specific role)?

Do you want to do a degree? I'd suggest you do a degree if you are very interested in a particular subject - doesn't sound like it from what you say - or at least interested in the prospect of academic study (you can read around different subjects and see if a particular one sparks your interest or go to open days), or pursue a degree is a topic that is closely tied to a professional career, e.g do a law degree if you have a particular interest in becoming a lawyer. Otherwise it's not worth spending the money, time and effort on a degree.

Thanks for replying.
Are you happy with your job and your career prospects?

I enjoy my job certainly, I have had jobs where I have to work unpaid overtime, where i have been rushed off my feet and stressed for my low wages, and this job as a receptionist is enjoyable, not stressful and i like my colleagues and bosses. However, there are NO career prospects, the only way would be if my manager left and i could get her job, but she is 'only' on 3 grand a year more than me at the top of her salary and with the extra stress and duties she has i dont think its worth it. So im not sure if i want to stay for 41 years. The only way out would be to do a degree and retrain for something else.

I dont really need more money as we manage on what we earn, and i work 4 days a week so i am already part-time.

I dont have another job in mind, i love history but working for national trust isnt what i want - there is no point me working weekends when my partner works mon-fri.

I understand the time and commitment for a degree, i have done my first year in humanities and and just about to complete my first year in business. It's just on what i earn i would never pay back my student loans so it seems silly not to do a degree. But i dont like the history modules and that degree will lead nowhere. And i dont like the business modules either (which would be useful for any job)

I guess i just dont want to do a degree in something i love (history) when it doesnt really lead to a job, which i might want to change at somepoint.

If im doing a degree i would like it to give me job oppertunities, but as i dont know what job i want it is hard to pick a relevant degree.

So don't do a degree! Lots of folk are happy to do a degree because they love their subject. Others want to do a degree to enable them to progress workwise. It sounds like you're the latter, but unless you know what you want to do at the end of it there's really no point.

Also it sounds as if you have already started some degree level study? In which case you may not actually be entitled to a loan for the full length of the degree. Are you prepared to pay some of the fees and maintenance yourself?

I can get a student loan for a degree which I will probably never pay back so it makes sense for me to do a degree.

This isn't logical. On the current terms you may indeed never have to pay it back, but these terms are changing and are likely to change more in the future. For one thing, the income threshold for repayments is being lowered, which makes you more likely to have to pay it back. In the medium term, it might well be household income, rather than personal income, which counts - to ensure that SAHPs do pay back more of their loans. And you never know what your future might bring: you may well find yourself in a position where you have to work full-time, and need every penny of income, so that paying back students loans would affect you a lot.

And, leaving aside the question of finance entirely, it does NOT make sense to do a degree unless you really want to do it and throw your heart into it. It's those who drift into it that end up failing.

First off, there is an absolutely endless list of things you can do with a history degree, I'm amazed you think there isn't It's about the skills you're gaining as much as the subject area itself- you can go into marketing, HR, civil service, law, consultancy, recruitment, teaching, research (various areas, not just history), management, politics, journalism, archives/museums, the list goes on. If anything humanities degrees give you more choice than doing a degree in something that leads to a specific field.

No, I'm not a history graduate. I just don't understand the uneducated attitude towards the value of humanities degrees people seem to hold in this country. My advice would be to pick something you enjoy, it's going to be a long three years if you're doing something you hate for the sake of it. But please do some research before you rule out history based on not wanting to teach or work for the National Trust!!

My sister did history and archeology and never used it, BUT her job requires her to be a graduate. She is something to do with... sales or IT or something ( I really keep forgetting ) and has worked her way up a lot in the past few years.

If you want career prospects then ultimately you will probably hit a salary which requires you to pay back your loan. If you want to study for fun, maybe do some OU courses ? Or have a long think and reconsider in a year or so. I would never recommend potentially putting yourself into 27k debt on a whim.