To pursue your interests
Some people go on to university because they're passionate about a certain subject and want to know everything there is to know about it. A love of learning is one of the best reasons to go to university, but it doesn’t mean you can’t plan for your career as well.
Think about what jobs your chosen subject can lead to, and what you want to do with your life when you leave education (after all, most of us are only at university for three years). Find other ways to give yourself a career boost through volunteering, doing a summer internship, or another kind of work experience placement.
Where are you trying to get to?
If you’re drifting towards university because it’s what everybody else is doing, it’s time to stop and ask yourself where you’re trying to get to.
Don’t forget that by going to university, you’ll be taking on a lot of debt from the loans you take out to pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Most universities charge about £9,000 per year in fees so over a three-year course you’ll tot up a bill in the region of £27,000 for your course alone.
You’ll also be committing yourself to a further three years of study, so you should certainly think twice if you’ve struggled with your revision or put off your coursework till the night before the deadline.
And let’s not forget there’s no guarantee of a job at the end of your course. This is particularly true if you haven’t given any thought to your career when choosing your degree subject.
If there’s no clear path from university to employment and you’re not of a naturally academic bent, there might be better options for you.
It’s impossible to make these big decisions if you don’t know where you want to get to in the first stage of your working life. Don’t panic if you’re feeling directionless – use the resources on our site to help you make your career plans before you decide on your next steps:
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When you know where you’re going, you’ll be able to find out whether you need a university degree to get there, whether university is one of a number of routes, or whether an apprenticeshipor training programme might be a better way into the job or area of work you want to pursue.