How did your dc chose their degree, and (answer honestly) has it proven to be the right choice?

[LimitIsUp]

Just that really

Interested to know how your dc decided what they wanted to study for a degree and whether they think they have made the right choice, since ds is currently drawing a blank

Maybe look a bit more widely - neuroscience? Oceanography? Zoology? What does he like doing?

DD wanted to read anthropology. Oxford turned her down. She was due to to anthropology at Edinburgh. She got 4 A*s and declined Edinburgh within 10 minutes saying if she didn't apply to Cbridge she'd never know what might have been. She went through the Anthropology course and decided that Theology was also a study of ancient people's and beliefs. Then she looked up the data sets relating to the probability to be accepted for Anthropology -v- Theology. The data indicated a much better chance of being accepted for anthropology. She applied for Theology and was accepted. Took a first in 2021.

Being accepted for theology was better. Clearly gets her brains from her father :)

DD applied for six years to drama school, while working throughout. She was oxbridge-potential. Parents agog and aghast but supportive.
Accepted to RADA this year. Parents agog and delighted.

Sometimes it takes a while. The world
Out there is hard cold and tough. DC should follow their dreams. There are suicidal poor and lost trainee doctors. There are poor happy and focused cake makers, artists and yes actors.

The PP who mentioned learning styles makes a good point.

DD knew what she wanted to study but was very much put off Bristol by the course talk. Came across as very pressured. DD ended up at Sheffield where she has been very happy. Now entering her Masters year.

DD knew from the start that the high pressure and short terms of Oxbridge wouldn't suit her so didn't even tilt at that windmill.

DC should follow their dreams. There are suicidal poor and lost trainee doctors. There are poor happy and focused cake makers, artists and yes actors.

Agree. Ds, after 10 days away from uni to holiday with us, getting back in the early hours this morning, is rushing back to college today because he’s missing what he does there so much. There is no substitute for doing the thing you love for 3-4 years, if you have been lucky enough to find that passion.

Dd1 wanted to be a teacher from age 8. Went straight to uni loved it

Stoppes teaching in her 2nd term as a NQT. Says she is never retuning to teaching

So wrong choice

Dd2. Just finishing psychology course has loved it wishes to go for a masters.
Right choice.

Ds. In his placement year. For sports management he wants to be a data analystist he is loving placement so far. (Day 2 😄)
right choice so far

Dd3. The one who claims she is not clever and 100%less clever than her siblings starts at uni next month to study

....
astrophysics.....

Pretty sure this is the right choice. ( She is super clever)

@Enko I have a DD like yours. Thinks she isn't clever, gets mostly A and A* at GCSE, all As at A level and a first class honours degree in a STEM subject. She has bright friends though so she still feels inadequate.

uni is so expensive with mixed prospects, I’ve recommended undertaking nvq’s in the workplace to my children. Nvqs can be studied to university level and the career prospects are better.

can he do some online career questionnaires to consider his strengths. It’s important he does something he loves

DD1 chose psychology via the OU and uses it a lot in her mental health support role.
Dd2 chose criminology as it interested her. She is now PA to a high net worth business man
DS isnt interested in uni and wants to be a musician

DD1 wanted to be an astrophysicist since she was 12. Part of the astronomical society locally for years. She went and did a particle physics and cosmology work experience in year 12 and it changed her direction. She has just finished her 2nd year in particle physics and cosmology and shes loving it.
DD2 wants to work in a zoo. Shes searching for unis and some courses are geared up for zoos, others for pets/rescues, so we have to be really careful to get the right uni and the right course. Shes just about to go into year 13.

When I was their age I had no clue what to do. Perhaps take the subjects the DS loves to do and explore with that for possible careers, something may come up he has not even considered.

DD chose hers because it was something she had always been interested in. As it happens she got a job in a totally different field just after leaving uni and now wish she had studied for that instead, as she absolutely loved it and (9 years on), she is still doing it.
She doesn't feel like she made the "wrong" choice as she really enjoyed her uni experience but, if she could go back in time, she would have chosen a course that was linked to what she does now.

Marking post

DD originally went to Uni to study English lit and critical thinking, because she loved these subjects.
she dropped out in second term, mainly due to awful accommodation.
she was v annoying for a year, sat around, did some travelling.
then got a job in a PR firm through a family friend for a year and thought ‘this is ok as a job’ - went back to Uni, got a first in marketing and business, now great job in PR.
it was much better second time around.
and not comparable to ‘back in my day’- her CEO got into the work with a history degree but they only interview candidates with a relevant degree now, because so many graduates have them.
so I’m very wary of older people (my age!) advising that a general degree will open doors- unfortunately you would be up against people already studied and trained in that area.

DS chose paramedical science - within 2 years of graduating he and his girlfriend had bought their first place (and not cutting back on holidays!)
So it's given him the means to do things that he wants outside of work!

DC1: liked the idea of languages so chose German and Management. Switched to Transport Management after enjoying one module. Now a town planner and loves it.

DC2: Chose Maths. Enjoyed London, high life and booze. Left after a year and is now a plumber, and happy.

DC3: Chose Law because ‘justice really matters’. Is now a hotshot lawyer in a specialist London firm and going places.

DC4: Chose Law pretty much at random based on A Level choices. Is now an insurance broker but wants to train as a teacher when finances allow.

DC5: Chose engineering to try and connect with my ex, his engineer father. Hated it and left after two years. Is now a head chef. Still not connected with his Dad, but happy.

Kids change a lot between 18 and 21. For some, the first choice they made is the right one. For others, it isn’t.

@LimitIsUp We worked backwards. We had career conversations with DC during 6th form along the lines of what kind of pay band would you like to get to? How many hours would suit you to work? What things do you really enjoy or have zero interest in?

DC plugged in their grades/courses using this site to get an idea of what was available. www.whatuni.com/degrees/courses/

Followed by lots of research. Youtube was good for looking for at the day in the life of types of videos for careers degree holder had gone onto do.

This helped to narrow down the choices and then DC looked at unis with good outcomes for degrees in those subjects. One tip when searching unis you need to find the subject tables as opposed to the general and pay attention to graduate outcomes. Some newer unis may feature lower down on the league table but are higher up in subjects that they specialised in previously.

Would definitely recommend visiting different types of uni e.g. campus, city, London, Regions including the local area. Pay attention to location of 2nd year accommodation and ease of finding jobs.

If you have not worked out estimated loan amounts as yet. Do this now and check if DC qualify for bursaries/scholarships. It can be more expensive than your DC or you realise.

Some people feel that DC should do all this by themselves but I took the view that it is tough to work out what degree/degree apprenticeship/apprenticeship to aim for as the career support in schools is pretty dire. Also there are some fabulous emerging careers and I wanted my DC to enjoy their uni times.

Only that is exactly what is best advice in my view - you work back - what kind of income level will the child want at 30 or 40? What careers get you there? How would you like to be living your life? What type of hours? Will you want to buy a house? Pay school fees for your children? etc etc

By the way the 4 of my 5 who are lawyers - that was never some grand plan I had (the last 2 qualify in 2024) just because I am one. However that has meant pay levels might well be comparable with the lifestyle when they grew up - irrelevant to some people and important to others.

DC1 chose Maths - wanted to do it from age 7, so not a hard choice, did some coding as part of degree - now a software engineer
DC2 chose Pharmacology - did science A levels and interested in medical stuff but didn't want to do hands on medicine, applied for a 4 year degree with year in industry, changed mind after year 2 and skipped the YII. Now a civil servant - totally unrelated to degree, but skills in data analysis, scientific thinking etc have been very useful.
DC2 chose Classics and Oriental Studies (studying ancient Mesopotamian languages) because loved Latin and Greek and fascinated by cuneiform writing. No idea what will do next, maybe academia/museums, maybe law.

That should say DC3! DC2 didn't start again....

We're in the US where you can often take more time to choose.

Two DCs did economics- great choice for them. They are maths people. One might yet do a masters in finance. Economics is a great general degree to do.
One did biology and chemistry, currently in med school.
One did psych and anthropology, heading for a masters in public health.
One heading for theater studies, wants to starve in a garret.

Mine chose degrees for a variety of reasons. DC1 - dithered for a year then chose to do a degree in what was their weakest A level therefore not 'too easy'. Enjoyed the degree, did well and it led to a very well paid career. DC2 fell into a job they loved (started as a PT job while studying something unrelated) and chose a PT degree related to their (now FT) job. DC3 - left school at 16 and chose a degree that would accept them based on 5 years plus work experience related to the degree and few formal qualifications. Finds the degree easy, is likely to do well and intends to use it to switch careers, possibly via a conversion masters. DC4 - is a realist - loves art but also good at maths and tech so chose a subject that mixes art and tech and a degree sponsored by a blue chip employer. My takeaway is that there is no rush and taking time to work out what you want is never a waste of time.

Mine decided what he wanted to do for a living age 10. It also matches his skills as he's pretty good at one thing so there wasn't ever really an option although he's surprised himself by how well he did at A level. He'll be starting a music degree (BMus) in a few weeks, he wants to be an orchestral musician. I can't imagine him studying anything else.

From my personal experience I don’t think someone should go to uni unless they either are completely passionate about a subject, or have a career path in mind which a particular course is needed for.

i picked biology because it was the a’level I found easiest. I wanted to take time out to decide but gave in to parental pressure. As it happened I went to a lecture with a friend because I an hour to kill, switched to that subject. I’d have hated biology. However while I did enjoy my degree, it’s been a shit choice for the careers I would have been interested in, so I’ve kind of drifted from job to job after I’ve hit the ceiling in each one.

dd wants to go to uni, but has no clue what for. I am encouraging her to take time out, but she doesn’t want to spend a year or more at home, maybe with a part time job, while her friends are living uni life. She does see my point though that she’ll be getting in serious debt, particularly if she does find a career path that needs a different degree or qualification down the line.