A Guide To Choosing The Right Subject and Course At University or College: Everything You Need To Consider When Picking

So you want to go to university but you do not know what subject or course to study. Here are a few points to consider.

Choose a subject you enjoy. I think this is paramount. Studying a topic which is interesting and relevant to you will encourage you to go to lectures, concentrate and learn. Being interested in a topic is even more important at university, because unlike school and college education, you do tons of independent learning. Reading thick books, trekking to the library, and revising when friends are out partying is always going to be a challenge, but if the work is something that you find interesting it will be loads easier.

Choose a subject you are good at. If you are good at a certain subject at school and college, you are very likely to do well with this subject at university. With university fees at an all time high you cannot chance not leaving uni with a good degree, so choosing a subject you do well at is essential.

Think of job prospects and your career path. Make sure you consider how studying a certain subject will help you get a job or onto the next step of the academic ladder. You don’t want to waste three years doing a course to get a certain job, to realise your course is irrelevant. Also check for courses that need accreditation. For example, to register with the British Psychological Society and become a chartered psychologist you firstly need to do a Psychology degree which is accredited to them. A degree which is not accredited would be a waste of time. It may be worth looking at courses which specifically train you to do a certain job, such as nursing, teaching and dentistry. Such courses may come more useful in the future when looking for job opportunities.

Talk to students and teachers of your favourite subject. Why do they like the course? How hard is it? Do they think you will be happy? Is it really about what you think it is? Reading an university prospectus is nothing compared to the knowledge and opinions of those already studying the subject and those teaching the subject. By going to university open days and discussing your reservations with those there you will be able to find out a wealth of information.

Consider joint honours. A joint honours course is in two parts. You spend half your time reading one subject, another time reading another. The combination of courses may be complimentary, (ie, maths and physics) or completely unrelated (ie sport science and Spanish language). Joint honour courses may be of interest to somebody who gets bored easily or wants to keep their options open. Also, two subjects means two lecture groups, so therefore more people to meet and more friends to make.

Consider a sandwich course A sandwich course is one that includes an extra year of work experience sandwiched between years of study. This extra year could be a year in industry with an employer, or a year living and working abroad. Sandwich courses are very popular as students graduating will not only have a degree, but knowledge they learnt hands on. Sandwich courses are definitely worth looking at; the extra experience will always impress a potential employer.

*But remember that at different universities subject courses may differ substantially. Look at modules studied, accreditation status, methods of teaching and examinations*

Once you have picked your subject and settled on it, it is time to look at which university to go to, and to start looking at your personal statement and UCAS from

© Copyright 2010 fayehelen with all rights reserved.