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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

What to do with these A levels?

56 replies

NameforMN · 10/04/2023 11:31

DD is in yr 12 studying English literature & Language, Psychology and Film Studies.

She has no idea about what degree she could do so I'm doing some reading. What would any of you suggest?

I let her choose her A levels, but now regretting not pushing her to take something like Geography , as I'm worried her choices are all a bit light.

Also very aware she has no hobbies and spends most of her time lolling about on her iPad and talking to friends. What on earth do people put in their personal statements? She seems a pretty average teen, so can't be the only one who doesn't do alot.

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 10/04/2023 13:23

NameforMN · 10/04/2023 13:21

She says she doesn't want to do a psychology degree 🙄

Speech and language therapy has come up before (from me) but she turns her nose up. I think it would suit her as she doesn't want a desk job. I am trying to help her with work experience but I doubt speech and language therapists would allow a 17 year old shadow them for a week.

It doesn't matter if a Speech and Language Therapist would let her shadow or not if she doesnt want to do it.

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2023 13:24

They probably wouldn't OP. NHS work experience is very hard to source. But she could get looking...

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2023 13:25

I did work experience in a primary school with a Hearing Impaired unit when I was 17. That was interesting. SEN school , or SEN summer schemes? It would certainly make or break her!

Hellocatshome · 10/04/2023 13:26

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2023 13:23

OK, well, fair enough but I don't think not going to uni changes any of that!

The OP asked a question and already loads of people are saying 'don't go to uni'. Getting a worthwhile job at 18 is easy (reactively) if you live in a big city or place with good employment - otherwise , not so much.

I'm not saying don't take time out - but it's not what the OP asked!

Show quote history

Ok so taking out the option of not going to University with no clue about a course or career path my advice would have to be do something generic that she can maybe add optional modules to or change into a dual degree.

SmartHome · 10/04/2023 13:28

My son is in Y13 and we had a similar dilemma about the PS, particularly as spent most of the last few years in lockdown so hadn't been much opportunity to do much. He did the National Citizenship course the summer before sixth from and that seemed to go down well can they do that this summer maybe? I think it is for 16/17 year olds.

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2023 13:31

By the way, OP, the PS really isn't all about hobbies and stuff. It's about the subject they want to pursue and how what they do reflects their interests... so, for example, if she wanted to study psychology (I know she doesn't!) she'd be reading books, articles, watching documentaries and so on. Any work experience should be about building relevant skills and experiences for study and the future workplace.

Original poster
NameforMN · 10/04/2023 13:33

Thank you. I will take a look at the National Citizenship course. I've never heard of it. I've just found some virtual work experience events with some tech firms which look good and will be something to add to her CV.

Re; speech and language therapy. If she can be convinced to consider this I think I can get her some work experience at my friends place as she works in a SEN school.

OP posts:
Rockingcloggs · 10/04/2023 13:34

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2023 13:13

then they end up applying for jobs they could have got straight out of school.

For example?

For example my best friend and sons godmother who has a degree in English Literature and has worked in a call centre for the last 22 years!

My cousin who studied History and who has been making radiators for a decade.

Neither require a degree!

Grumpybutfunny · 10/04/2023 13:37

I missed my uni offer so randomly picked something remotely related. I've now been doing that job for 10 years and love it so sometimes just picking something does work out! What about English or something related to film studies?

ocdisrubbish · 10/04/2023 13:50

A combination of psychology and English language would be the perfect mix for speech and Language Therapy. I would definitely contact a school to see if they have a speech and language therapist she could shadow, or an independent speech and Language Therapy practice even as you might have more luck that a busy hospital. There are also lots of charities that would take good daughter on as a volunteer too. It really is a fantastic, varied and rewarding career 😊

ocdisrubbish · 10/04/2023 13:50

ocdisrubbish · 10/04/2023 13:50

A combination of psychology and English language would be the perfect mix for speech and Language Therapy. I would definitely contact a school to see if they have a speech and language therapist she could shadow, or an independent speech and Language Therapy practice even as you might have more luck that a busy hospital. There are also lots of charities that would take good daughter on as a volunteer too. It really is a fantastic, varied and rewarding career 😊

take your daughter I meant!

Magnoliasky · 10/04/2023 13:51

Get her tons proper careers advisor who will analyse her strengths and interests

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2023 13:54

Rockingcloggs · 10/04/2023 13:34

For example my best friend and sons godmother who has a degree in English Literature and has worked in a call centre for the last 22 years!

My cousin who studied History and who has been making radiators for a decade.

Neither require a degree!

Show quote history

Yes, but what would they have done without a degree....

We can all do this. But 22 years ago is a long time ago. We can equally all rattle off huge lists of acquaintances who have got great jobs because of doing a degree!

clary · 10/04/2023 14:11

I’m interested @Hellocatshome are you going to interview the ppl with a degree? If so then maybe it offers an advantage?

My dd has not long started in her first semi- full-time role, having graduated last year. Pretty sure it doesn’t require a degree. But her degree helped her crystallise her ideas of what she might like to do, and gave her a better insight on the role she has accepted. Possibly a better story at inter view tbh. In any case, she, the person with a degree, got the job. I’m not saying do a degree at any cost, but it is competitive and a degree can give the edge, even if not essential.

OP Yy as @Piggywaspushed says, PS is not about hobbies. Dd wrote about the books that had inspired her love of literature; ds2 (biology) wrote about his desire to discover a cure for diseases. Both had a long list of extra curriculars - drama, music, sport - which were barely mentioned tbh.

i would encourage your dd to think about places she might like to study - big city? Small campus? And look at their websites, what sounds interesting? Can you head to some open days this summer?

Bunnyannesummers · 10/04/2023 14:27

I did that subject convo and studied an English lit course which also had PR, film, tv, media industries and sociology bits to it?

Ylvamoon · 10/04/2023 14:37

@NameforMN
Re; speech and language therapy. If she can be convinced to consider this I think I can get her some work experience at my friends place as she works in a SEN school

As it stands, my DD took a year out to work as a TA in a school- she wanted to be a teacher.
She originally did 2 days/week with their inclusion class (SEN Kids in mainstream), but has since moved full time to this classroom.

This is due to her expressing the wish to work with SEN (as SALT) in future. The school enrolled her to an online course for SALT and she has done a course & actual phonics screening with the younger children (both mainstream & SEN).

What I am trying to say is, taking a year out to work & explore career paths within a school environment has opened DD's eyes as well as given her excellent opportunities to learn. She has now a better understanding how schools work as well as what SALT entrails and has already done some networking to further her knowledge- she's baged a placement with an NHS SANLT working with adults for the summer. All while earning & saving for uni.

And while this is my DD's path, I think your DD really has to find her own way into the world of work... taking time out from studying seems to be an excellent option to find the right path.

nicknamehelp · 10/04/2023 15:02

Firstly stop doing research for her she needs to own this decision as she's got to study it for 3 years.

thing47 · 10/04/2023 15:34

I don't think it's essential to have a specific career in mind post-university for it to be worthwhile – I did, DH didn't and DD did a vocational degree only to discover during her placement year that it wasn't her vocation at all!

What is important is to have a genuine interest in one or more subjects, and want to study it (them) in more detail. With that in mind, @NameforMN I would recommend you have a chat with your DD and try to find out what she can see herself studying – where does her real interest lie? It's all very well her turning her nose up at any suggestion you make, but in that case she needs to take ownership of the issue herself and start thinking about it.

If she really can't see herself studying anything, then I would suggest those PPs who said she might be better off working for a bit first have a point.

dontletmedowngently · 10/04/2023 15:37

DD did a levels in English language, English literature and psychology, she’s in the first year of a lang and lit joint honours degree.
She wanted to do both as it kept more options open afterwards, she has thought about speech therapy and teaching English as a foreign language which could both build on the language side of her degree.
Her favourite module this year has been a literature one which involves a practical element of conservation, archiving and displays in the museum linked to her uni.

QuintanaRoo · 10/04/2023 18:15

Unfortunately lots if people do do a degree just for the sake of it then they end up applying for jobs they could have got straight out of school

possibly, though sadly a lot of those jobs “you could do straight from school” now require a degree. My organisation don’t employ junior admin staff unless they’re graduates now. I’m not saying it’s right and it’s certainly not my decision and yes it’s probably due to the fact so many people go to uni these days as compared to 20 years ago. However it’s the easiest/laziest way to sift through applicants as we can’t interview everyone.

PettsWoodParadise · 10/04/2023 20:18

I don’t think many people do a degree ‘just for the sake of it’ as it will saddle them with debt and no certain future.

My friend A’s child did a degree as she had some careers in mind that newly needed a degree, friend A’s child told me she only wanted to go to Uni as her older (academic) brother had had it all paid for by parents and so she wants the same. I did suggest to said friend that the RoI might not pay off based on the particular strengths of the child and they could offer what they gave to older son to daughter but in non-Uni form, but it was an informed decision her Dd needed to make on her own. It turns out she wasn’t suited to a number of the careers she had in mind including police work. She ended up working in a supermarket. Four years later she is no closer to getting to threshold to start paying off Uni debt and she no longer sees it likely. Not the best advertisement for a degree but it wasn’t how she planned things. But a) her A level results were not great b) she did a drama degree and c) her degree was at a very undersubscribed university with little evidence of placing students in allied careers. The writing was on the wall.

Friend B’s child Economics at Warwick, driven, focused, just walked into a job earning an eye watering amount of money for a 22 year old,

friend C’s child, vocational career in a trade from 16, earning twice as much as child A and likely to be much more in next few years.

I am sure there are lots of permutations but the marketing spiel of universities (in some part) to those who are not going to benefit from them I do wonder if students could apply for mis-selling along the lines of mortgage insurance not so long ago…

saying that DD could probably earn more in a trade than by doing a degree in English. There is more to life than money, but it does help if you have at least some means of supporting yourself!

WhoToBeToday · 10/04/2023 20:59

Ideally, as PP said, if she does a degree she needs to be interested/passionate about the subject otherwise it is a 3 year slog. So in someway it could be as simple as which a level is she enjoying enough to study further.

Trouble is 17 year olds can sometimes not separate the subject from the teacher. Or who they sit with.

So at the moment, she is not keen on psychology, is maybe not thinking Film Studies, English preferred probably. (All just examples). If you drill down, it maybe that in English she loves the langage part more than the literature...but because Mr Hardy is the best teacher.

But actually, she doesn't like psychology as she is sat beyween two people she doesn't like and the whole group is a bit cliquey. Film studies is a great group but the teacher waffles and shouts. If she could have Mr Hardy (who is her favourite English teacher) teach her pschology (some realky interesting shit), with her Film Studies class (with like minded people) that would be perfect. So take the classmates/teacher out of the equation, the actual subject that fires her up most is psychology....

Get her to think of her favourite teacher, favourite class/group. Imagine Mr Hardy could teach her any subject at uni. Ask if she had those guarateed, which actual subject would she want Mr Hardy to be teaching her in for 3 years? Would she actually want to study 3 more years of English? Or actually is there eg, one niche area of psychology, that inspires her and she needs to find a course that focuses on that....

Original poster
NameforMN · 10/04/2023 21:37

Thank you @WhoToBeToday I love that idea. DD is very influenced by this random nonsense. She has said tonight that she wants to do something creative, so that's a start.

OP posts:
5cellos · 11/04/2023 06:44

I agree with a pp that Liberal Arts degrees might suit her? It's a very broad degree with optional modules across the humanities and social sciences. In the US, lots of degrees are like this anyway and they don't 'major' until later. On a Liberal Arts degree she might well find an area that she loves and she can always do a Masters in a more specialist area, if need be.

Piggywaspushed · 11/04/2023 07:48

What's her general grade profile? Lib Arts is very high grades and competitive entry.

Bear in mind that more creative degrees might need an portfolio out of her, and possibly an interview.