3 university courses you wish you could have studied

In contrast to the ’3 university courses you wouldn’t study’, students are discussing the ones they wish they could have done if employment prospects and their GCSE/A-Level choices had not been an issue.

Students are often told to study what they enjoy if they want to do well but this discussion shows that it is not always that easy.

Choosing a degree based on future employability

With graduate employment being so competitive, students are thinking ahead when choosing their degree to maximise the chances of getting a job after university, even if it’s not the course they really want to do.

These are some of the courses they would have done if employability not been an issue:

• American Studies
• Criminology
• Classics
• Forensic Science
• Anthropology
• Shoe Engineering
• Journalism

The rise in university fees is causing students to think more carefully about the course they choose and the soon to be released KIS data, coupled with the graduate job market, emphasises the need for a degree with employment prospects.

Will we therefore see a greater decline in students studying what they are truly passionate about and instead opting for a degree that will get them a job?

Choosing the right subjects

Another reason that students are able to compile this wish list is due to not having done the right subjects early on in their education, which restricted their options, particularly regarding languages.

• Music Production – “I went to a school where music wasn’t offered as a subject and everyone was telling me how unemployable I would be.”
• French
• Japanese
• German
• Medicine
• Fashion Design

We’ve already seen that school leavers and undergraduates feel they lack relevant career advice but in many cases any advice that is given comes too late. With GCSE’s potentially being the first stage that students begin to map out their career it’s important that they are advised on choosing subjects that will benefit their chosen path, or if unsure, recommended subjects that won’t limit their options when choosing A-Levels and their degree course.

Many students will not know ‘what they want to be when they grow up’ but it’s important that when they are in a position to make a more firm decision that there earlier choices are not limiting them from doing courses like the ones above.

See the full discussion here

See also

• 3 university courses that you wouldn’t want to study
• Students call on universities to better equip them for work
• Holidays top the list of benefits for graduates