2022 and still lost - What process did your DC use to choose?

[Stillgoings]

Hi, would love to hear how people have chosen what courses to do and where? My son is in year 13 and still has no idea of what he wants to study or where or even if he wants to go. I'm interested in hearing about the process used by other people to narrow it down..I feel like we are well behind. We haven't been to any open days yet (though I realise that these are not all happening).
He gets his predicted grades on Monday which we think with a fair wind could be ABB. He's doing maths and sciences and seems to be leaning towards either accounting or computer sciences so I suppose we are not completely clueless but we have to get going don't we?? Any advice gratefully received!!!

My DD knew what she wanted to study but not where. If your DC doesn’t know what he wants to study then maybe he needs to take a year off?
Once you know what, then you have to decide

• how far from home
• campus or town/ city

Then you compare the content of the courses and go to some open days. His school should also be able to give advice.

First thing is he needs to choose a subject. Do this by thinking about what he enjoys how, what he’s good at, what he doesn’t like. Look at the jobs each subject could lead to and how does that fit in with your son - does he want a career with clear progression, or lots of different opportunities? Is money most important to him or challenge? Does he want to travel, be self employed etc. Which careers fits what he thinks he’d like?

When you’ve got a subject use the UCAS search tool - it’s your best friend to develop a long list of options.
Then he needs to think about how far away from home does he want to be? Remember to tell him to think travel time not as the crow flies. Does he want to be in a big city or more rural? City or campus uni? This will narrow a bit more.
Then he needs to look at course content - which best meet his interests? Does he want a year in industry or to study abroad?
Does he have any extracurriculars that he’d want to carry on? Which unis offer them?
This should narrow it down massively, but other things you might want to consider could include are there any bursaries or scholarships he might be entitled to? Does the uni guarantee first year accommodation?

Does his school have a subscription to unifrog ( or similar), ds found this useful for narrowing the field and making suggestions . But if he’s really unsure I wouldn’t waste time or energy on it this year, focus on A levels and getting the best grades he can as that will keep the maximum number of options open and then apply next year grades in hand .

If he’s not bothered about going then look at degree apprenticeships for those subjects some are run via big firms. No point taking on debt if he’s not sure uni is for him.

I didn't know what to do. I had to try a lot of things and settled in geography, but often wish I'd gone for chemistry as first degree & maybe MSc in an allied science (like georgraphy). Am pretty sure that would have suited me well.

Thank you for all the replies..they've given him loads to think about. His predicted grades have come in at A*AA so suddenly the world his oyster. Going to look at unifrog and ask more questions...

When DS was choosing, he had very little idea what he wanted to do. We went through a prospectus from Manchester Uni and made a list of all degree subjects for which his A levels qualified him and which weren't a definite "No" on his part. We were ending up with a very long list. There was one particular degree where, as I made a note of it, he said, "Underline that one!" That set him on the path to his eventual degree choice (not at Manchester). I think it's worth doing something similar in your DS's case to make sure he's considered all options.

The balance between practical applications and theory-based learning is incredibly well constructed. During my first year, I was able to take modules in astrophysics, mathematics and organic chemistry alongside my compulsory degree modules. This allowed me to broaden my horizons and explore topics I had not previously considered before, develop a lot of new interests, as well as considering the interconnectivity of subjects.

From the computer science page of St Andrews. He doesn't have to narrow down now!