Choosing YOUR Perfect Degree

This week, I am going to discuss how to choose the degree course that is right for you.  It is such an individual and personalised thing, and is something that you will be committing yourself to for a minimum of three years of your life, so choosing the right one seems quite daunting and important!  About three years ago, I was attending my first Open Day at a university and getting the first taste of what my potential future may be.  Three years later and I am just finishing my second year as a student and am loving every minute.  About three years and two months ago, I was planning to do Psychology at university, and if I had not spent a lot of time researching the opportunities available, my life would have been very different.

American Studies is not a widely known or offered course, and so I did not know it existed until I looked through the course lists at a wide range of universities.  Set on doing Psychology, I came across American Studies whilst scrolling through the courses available (whilst trying to find the Psychology tab!) at the University of Birmingham.  Only then did I start to research what this course entailed, and realise that it had everything I wanted in it.

Whilst I had chosen Psychology originally because it was something I enjoyed at school, which can be a great way to choose a degree, that was the sole reason I had picked it and I was unaware that there were courses available that weren’t covered in school.  It is so important to look at everything that is available, as this can open up doors and opportunities that you never knew were there for you!  There are some weird and wonderful degrees out there, such as:

• BSc (Hons) Brewing and Distilling
• Ceramics and Mixed Media Textiles BA (Hons)
• Hand Embroidery BA (Hons)

Some people know exactly what it is they want to be doing for the rest of their lives, and so choosing a degree can come easily for them.  BUT, a lot of people are like me and have absolutely know clue what it really is that they want to do, and so choosing a degree which involves a lot of different disciplines can help with this.  I chose American Studies because I wasn’t sure what route I wanted to take later in life, and this degree incorporates History, Literature, Politics and Media.  I have now come to realise that Politics and History are the two things I would really like to specialise in, and so these are the two disciplines that I have focussed on when choosing my optional modules.  This can also be done with courses such as Human Geography and Archaeology and Ancient History (& many many more!).

The real trick is, research research research!  Once you find the right degree you will know, just like you will know exactly when you have found the right university.  Eventually everything will fall right into place, but like all things in life, it just takes a bit of time.

CLC