DD changed her mind about degree course to apply for - away from a useful/vocational one!

[Tortoise44]

My daughter was all set to apply to unis this autumn to study finance. We have done four uni visits already and have booked in three more (and already bought the train tickets!). She has now decided that although she wants to work in finance (probably), she would rather study languages! This is surely a very bad idea from a career perspective.

I am annoyed because she wants to look at different unis to the ones we’ve visited/booked up for so we have wasted time and money. In addition, she never reads books and I am told that languages require studying literature. A languages degree is also four years rather than three so extra funding required! All in all, she should clearly stick with finance but what do others advise? Her A-levels are Maths, Business and Spanish and she will hopefully get BBB in her mocks at least.

I don’t get your frustration, this is the time to properly decide and it is her choice to make and mind to change.

Her choice opens up more than finance and if she starts down a path that isn’t for her it can be difficult to change.

it is her life and her decision and within reason it is your job to support that no matter what. This is a perfectly acceptable and sensible decision

Languages are invaluable to future employers. And I know people with humanities/ arts degrees that have got into finance after uni. Let her choose her own path.

I am a languages graduate and I would be amazed if you can "avoid literature" completely. Also not sure why you would ant to - it is one of the major ways of discovering about a country's culture and history.

Btw if she is doing Spanish A level, then she will be reading Spanish literature (at least one novel or play) as part of that.

Spanish with German ab initio is very possible. I would imagine predicted of ABB will get her some good offers. Get her to research some unis to see where the literature content is less. When I was a lass Bradford was the shout but I believe they no longer offer it?

OP are you actually basing your opinion on anything other than gut feeling? Do you know about entry requirements to the types of job your daughter might want? You sound very dismissive both of your child and other posters. This is a huge decision that needs to be properly thought through.

@clary I did joint MFL 20 years ago and chose a journalism/publishing module instead of literature so the only French lit I ever studied was at A-level.

Fair enough. I did joint hons (MFL and a completely unrelated subject) so only half (hahaha 3/4) of my degree was MFL, but even then in my final year (for example) I took two big (3-4 books each) 20th century modules and a special subject that also had to be literature based. I am well aware that my degree and uni was pretty trad tho. Bristol FWIW tho this was many years ago and it may be very different now (let's hope so hey).

That's why I advised checking the literature content of a degree - but I still think it's a good idea to study some.

I studied languages because I had a passion for it, I’d finished with Maths at GCSE. I fell into a job with a big four firm as they visited my uni for a careers event. I hadn’t even heard of any of the accountancy firms before then and had no idea that a finance background wasn’t required. The partner who interviewed me told me that what they were looking for was candidates who could communicate well with clients. I struggled in the first few months of studying as I was clearly so far behind those who’d studied finance already but I.soon caught up. Many years later I’m still working in Finance and my language skills have come in useful more often than I’d have ever expected and really helped me to stand out.

I've spent a lot of time recently talking to people with recent degrees in finance economics etc from very good unis - they are not getting on the grad schemes. One thing they have noticed is that law, banking, accountancy etc are all keen on linguists these days and that the people who are getting grad scheme interviews usually have good language skills. I think that MFL would be a really good degree to have as it would open a lot more doors than finance. (FOrmer CIty accounting firm partner here and we tended to see that as quite a Noddy subject tbf.)

rubbish - we offered to pay both her tuition fees and living costs so she can go debt free. We have a HUGE say as a result. Or, if she doesn’t do vocational degree, she can take out the loans and go her own way - no probs - and we will do what most parents do and top up minimum maintenance loans to maximum

Frankly, if you're going to lord it over her like this, she's better off running away to Germany for a year and then coming back to the UK to do an accountancy apprenticeship. She would be low in the pecking order for British Council due to not doing a languages degree, but they might still let her have a place on the assistantship programme anyway. Really depends on the demand for spots that year.

Living and working abroad is an incredible experience. Don't be so quick to write it off.

I'd never recommend an accounting degree if a student were passionate about anything else at all. The fact you think it's such a useful vocational degree tells me you don't work in this field.

I mean, it doesn't make you an accountant - you still need at least 3 years of practical experience after university, like everyone else. It doesn't necessarily make you pass your professional exams any quicker - the biggest firms ignore exemptions from your course, assuming it even has any.

It doesn't give you new ideas and experiences to bring to an accountancy job. You'll start thinking well and truly inside the box, not out of it, and that won't help with progression.

If she’s unsure which degree her best option is to take a year or two out, gain relative real life experience in Spanish and finances (voluntary or paid).

also get proper careers advice from a professional

the train tickets can be refunded. The money paid already was just part of the journey and not a waste

her career choice is her career choice. Not yours. She should do what makes her happy.

It is fully her choice regardless of how much you are willing to finance it.

MN needs an edit option sometimes...

Swap Germany in my previous post for Spain. @Flufs is quite correct; the OP said her DD was interested in Spanish. I don't know how I mixed up those two countries (it's late!), but the British Council criteria are the same. Languages students get prioritised, but that doesn't mean you definitely can't get a placement overseas if you're not studying.

I agree that DD needs to make her own choices when it comes to her career. If she starts a degree she doesn't want to do, then the odds are higher she'll later drop out.

As others have said a finance degree doesn't get you a good job in finance, and a vocational degree does not necessarily make a graduate more employable, unless in a specific field eg nursing or engineering. I think you should have a chat with a careers advisor about the employment prospects for graduates of different degrees.

A decent degree from a good university will make a graduate attractive to employers, and language brings an additional valuable skill. Languages with business sounds good - if she's actually interested. She's not looking to do David Beckham studies, I think you're being quite harsh about threatening to pull promised funding if she doesn't do the degree you want her to - particularly as a finance degree does not guarantee employment.

I used to work in finance - graduates with a numerical degree such as chemistry or maths were chosen, not finance or business graduates. Language is a great option

I was enjoying this thread until you said you are going to blackmail her into choosing a vocational degree. That’s just wrong.

My dh and I are both successful in finance from a non-related degree and between us we currently recruit about 60 grads per year into a finance grad role for CIMA, ACA or ACCA. I was going to bother to explain how accountancy recruitment has changed in the last 20 years from our point of view and outline some other ideas for you and your dd.

But now I see that really you just want to wield power over your dd’s choice I’m not going to help you, except to advise how bitterly your dd may come to resent the golden handcuffs you want to shackle her with. Even if it turns out well and she gets a good finance job, I suspect she will regret and linger on the fact the first really big decision of her adult life, you have blackmailed her. Ouch.

She's better off choosing what she wants and going it alone than having the blackmail of fees paid being lorded over her for ever. You sound very manipulative.

It's her life not yours.

What an awful attitude you have. Many people on here have shared their experiences and knowledge of the qualifications needed if you actually want to be successful in finance and you seem to have completely ignored it.
I really feel for your daughter, she needs to live her own life and make her own choices, your support should not be contingent upon whether they are ehe exact choices you would make for her.

I saw what you said about helping your daughter to do a more vocational/practical degree with good job prospects and if she did this you fund the cost so she could leave university debit free.
Your daughter has suddenly decided that she wants to do a 4 year degree and not in the subject she was planning to do. She expects you to look up information on this as she is getting ready for her exams.

I knew a bright girl a number of years ago who was unsure of what to do after school. She decided to take a year off after doing the A level's. She wanted to concentrate on her exams and then after she got her results she would apply to go to college the following year.
She also wanted time to look into courses and to go to open days in different colleges.
She decided to do a computer course. She got a part time job in a supermarket and learned how to drive.
She did very well in her A level's. She was a year older going to college and did the right course for her. Today she has a PhD and a good job.

I know some people here are telling you that you wrong about not encouraging your daughter to do the course she now suddenly wants. The reality is that your willing to pay for her course so she can leave uni debt free. You want her to get a get a decent job after this.
I think you should speak to your daughter career guidance person in school and ask them for what area your daughter should go into.

I think it's horribly unfair that you're trying to control her choices by offering to pay everything up front but only if she does what you want her to do. I hope that she decides to take the loan and do what she wants to do.

I think you're massively overestimating the value of a finance degree, personally. I would say that a modern languages graduate is at least as employable as someone who has done finance, maybe more. When you said that she was giving up a professional degree, I assumed that you meant something like medicine, where you actually need the degree to do the job.

I don't know if you can see the wood for the trees OP, but if you want a meaningful relationship with your daughter when she's an adult you're going to need to stop being so controlling.

I completely agree - there are wider issues at stake here than what degree the OP's dd decides to do.

This is her decision and only she can truly make it. My mother controlled my gcse choices which then limited my a level and degree choices and I still resent that a bit. I got a backbone for my uni choices and am so glad I did.

You sound very controlling. You are not going to be doing the degree or doing the jobs, she is. She had to be the one to make the decisions. A vast number of students drop out of university or switch degree courses, so I’d be pleased that she is thinking carefully about it now. It is also highly likely that she will change her mind again, so I would keep an open mind on these uni visits.

OP please don’t spend 50k on making your daughter unhappy. maybe you’ve been blindsided and you’re having a very emotional reaction but please pause and take stock. Think this through. Read all the advice above. Your approach could be quite disastrous and ruin your relationship. Not just short term but forever. I understand that you’re seeing this as helping her out and want her to do a worthwhile degree. Of course you want the best for her. But what you seem to not understand is that a MFL is worthwhile. Something she’s passionate about will be the best for her. It’ll open the same doors as a finance degree plus more. Please do some more research with her, look at the courses on offer together, where students go post grad, talk to the careers people and visit the universities. Do it together with an open mind. You may find the perfect combo course or she may find MFL alone is perfect or she may come full circle and decide on finance afterall, but please give her freedom to explore her options. I’m astounded by the amount of amazing degrees out there!