Advice on University/Subject choices

[ValseTriste]

Hi, my son is in Yr 10 at a comprehensive school, and I'm starting to think about what resources may be available/recommended to help him choose course and university. I know we are a way off university applications yet but obviously we are only a year off him having to choose A level options. I have no awareness of what route to go down - whether there are useful online guides to subjects/universities etc or whether there are any recommended university fairs. I imagine that the school will point us in the direction of resources at some point but thought I'd see if anyone has any advice now. I've been looking at a few university websites (including the one I attended!) to get an idea of the course options that are available, as obviously there are so many wider choices than just the subjects on offer at school and I want to get him thinking about that now.
Thanks in advance

@ValseTriste I think it is good to have a conversation though about the wide variety of courses available, especially when you look at maths and the variations of other subjects it can be studied with, same with MFL. Also degree apprenticeships or vocational apprenticeships etc.

I think schools just look at next steps. Ds2 is in year 11 and had a careers talk today. I had filled out a post-16 questionnaire but I don't even know if that had been looked at. He missed a lesson he very much wanted to attend to sit with 3 other students, only one of whom was doing A levels and had to sit through being told what an EPQ was. He had to tell them he wouldn't be doing one as he is doing 4 A levels, yes he knows the sixth form is great as his brother has just left there to go to uni.

I think just looking into courses at different ranking unis to see what grades they want and what subjects at A level just starts a conversation about the future.

I do think most DC end up with subjects they prefer. Maths, Physics and History would be no barrier for Law! But he might settle on 3/4 subjects that suit him best. However guidance is needed to make sure they work together for a choice of degrees. Therefore doing academic subjects as far as possible (the guidance from Cambridge is best) tends to keep options open. There’s a big world out there that’s much bigger than school though!

I wonder about this. My DD is Y10 and already seems very confident on what A levels she wants to do (she did start them in y9 so is a good chunk in) at the moment it's English, Psychology and Sociology / Criminology. It makes sense I think as English & Sociology are probably her strongest subjects. She's definitely not going to take a STEM route!

It seems so far ahead to think about what she may want to do at uni. Really I want her to do subjects she will enjoy and is confident she can do well in.

I also think it’s worth looking at subjects at university where a grad job at the end is a strong possibility. Some degrees are better than others in this respect.