What on earth to do

[Looking for help]

My daughter is in y12 at the moment, just finished AS Levels in Maths Chemistry, Biology and History, hoping to drop Biology, but we will wait till the results come out to decide for sure.
The problem is she is trying to work out what to study at university. She is eminently capable, but fairly disinterested in the subjects she is studying at the moment. She is a typical 17 year old girl, more interested in how she looks than in silly things like what she wants to be when she 'grows up'
The last thing she was looking at was Law, but is put off by the 3As that most universities are looking for.
We have looked at management courses - but they all look fairly boring, according to her.
The problem, I think is that there is far too much choice out there, so what do we do - my advice is to go for a course that she will enjoy, rather than one that leads directly into a job
Any ideas, anyone, before I tear my hair out?

Thanks,
LFH

[Snowdrops]

She should take a gap year and think carefully for the next year

Seriously, I have absolutely no idea when it comes to things like this. My son had no idea what he wanted to do in life when he went off to university so studied the subject he enjoyed best (chemistry) doing really well and ending up with a Masters. He then went on to be .......................................................................................................................... a policeman!!

Good luck with it, hopefully someone will be along to advise you accordingly before too long.

[Looking for help]

The problem with a gap year is that she will expect me to fund it

I'm all for her doing the subject that she is best at (Maths) but she doesn't really want to, but she has no other ideas either.

My older son will be studying sports science ( ) but he is quite clear that he will be an accountant at the end

I like the idea of doing chemistry and then becoming a policeman, its very interesting........... I shall put it to her, maybe, you never know

LFH

[hermanmunster]

Hi

Deffo go for the subject you enjoy!! There are really very few university courses around that lead directly to a job (say I sitting here this afternoon doing one of those jobs).

Many eg Law, don't actually require a law degree - you can do any subject.
You can even go to KGGS then read Chemistry take law exams and then ooops become Prime Minister

She is doing a really good range of A Levels There is plenty of time in life to work - enjoy the university!!

[T.i.p.s.y]

With her AS/A'level choices I worry that she won't have the best preparation for law. Law requires a huge amount of written work and although History requires a lot it would have been better for her to have English too. This will not exclude her from getting in but she may find the volume of written work very time consuming. I would advise that she studies one of her A'levels at uni (if she enjoys them) but with another subject attached such as Economics, Business Studies, Sociollogy etc. The best she could do though is to get work experience in a few different sectors which will help her make up her mind.

[KES Parent]

Um, controversial I know, but given that if she goes to University she will graduate with at least £25,000 worth of debt (and far more than that if you don't subsidise her to the tune of at least a further £3/4K a year), why doesn't she get a job? She may well decide that she wants to get a degree later, and it will be brilliant if she has supported herself for at least 3 years because then she will count as an independent adult and will probably get a non-repayable grant rather than a loan, plus bursaries from the university. She may even get sponsored by her employer. If she spends 3 years now doing a subject she isn't really interested in just to get the uni experience, she will probably not do well and the huge debt will blight her life.
I am currently trying hard not to say I told you so to my lovely but lazy DS, who would have been much better off getting a job after A levels, having lost interest in his degree a third of the way through but he thought he had better stay the course. Even within a family there are enormous variations in ability and motivation.

[Guest55]

Yes KES parent - I agree - these days I think you do need to be sure you want to go to University. Your DS could get credit for what he has done and go back in a few years.

What about Pharmacy? Or some joint degree with Science if she is sure she wants the debt.

[Looking for help]

You are absolutely right about the debt etc, I am trying to press this home, but at this time in the current economic climate, there are not all that many jobs around.
I work for a large American corporation and they are definitely not hiring for the forseeable future so its not a good time for a school leaver
As to pharmacy, I'll see what she thinks, maybe.... finger crossed

The work experience she has had so far put her off hairdressing, thankfully
LFH

[Loopyloulou]

With your (albeit tenuous) US links, why doesn't she try a US university? No need to specialise for some time yet, and no student debt at the end either! (OK so she might have to draw lucky). Try googling "Fulbright"... you never know...

[T.i.p.s.y]

Don't want DC at Ivy League. They'll find a nice American girl, get married and stay out there and poor Mum won't be able to get a Green Card and will never see her Grandchildren!

"A daughter's a daughter all your life....
A son's a son until he has a wife!"