Careers Week: Is University Right for Me?
With National Careers Week already arriving this year, it’s around this point where some people - perhaps you included - begin to wonder if university is the right choice for them. With the constantly expanding range of options for students after they leave college and sixth form, it’s no surprise that it can feel daunting choosing your next step. As a current university student myself, allow me to explain why I think that going to university is still one of the best options available for your next step, and how it will help you in furthering your journey into your dream career.
For some people, this may just not be the case. If you are someone who already has a career in mind, and knows that there are apprenticeships and other similar pathways readily available for you, then go for it! The purpose of this article is not to force the idea of university being the best option for you - it is here rather for those of us who haven’t yet figured out what they want to do after their studies, or who have a field of interest but no clear-cut idea of where in that field they plan to go with their career. If you feel like this is you, then please read on!
Allow me to start by saying that IT IS OKAY to not be sure about where you want to go right now. There are so many options that make it incredibly daunting, and that’s without factoring in that you need to have an idea of what subjects or topics interest you enough to warrant a career in them! It is an incredibly stressful and confusing time for lots of people, but I assure you that as long as you follow your passions and interests, a degree in that area will be easily attainable, and the knowledge and skills from that degree will come naturally to you. With that being said, allow me to now explain my reasons as to why I think that university is one of the best options for you after your school life.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Universities are usually very closely linked to the jobs and companies of their respective subjects, and therefore can help you to propel yourself further into the career that you want through your degree. Whilst the degree itself may be more than enough for the career that you desire, the additional ability to:
Take part in placement years
Listen to guest lecturers from people within your field of interest
Explore a plethora of on and off campus subject-based events to take part in through your university
is something that you wouldn’t achieve in much - if any - other routes into your field. This is something that universities pride themselves on, with many giving you the option right from the start to apply specifically for 4 year bachelor’s degrees with placement years in your third year. This is also usually an option that you can discuss with your course leaders and decide to partake in later in your studies, should you choose the normal 3 years and change your mind as you go through your degree.
SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE
Of course your degree will give you enough specialist knowledge in your field as it is, but by being taught by fellow industry professionals in your field, you have the ability to pick their brains and ask any questions you may have about your field and future career. Chances are, the people taking your lectures and leading your seminars have most likely been through the things in your career that you strive to achieve and are yet to experience. This means that university is the perfect opportunity to gain knowledge past just the understanding of the topics themselves, and actually begin to shape your ideas for your future career with the help of the staff around you.
IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS
In an environment where everyone is learning together, your skills for your future career will have the opportunity to flourish. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals will help you to propel your understanding and knowledge much faster than when you are on your own in a real career and struggling to learn the ropes. Whilst some people are able to adapt and handle a career from the start, most prefer being able to nurture and explore their skills and interests with others before using what they have learned in their real careers in the future. Being surrounded by people within your desired subjects and topics allows you the freedom to explore and understand more than you may have first anticipated, thanks to the opportunity of being able to share and explore in groups within your course. This is a valuable aspect of university that many people don’t realise the effectiveness of.
HELPS GIVE YOU MORE TIME TO UNDERSTAND YOU AND YOUR CAREER
You may go to university and take a subject that you end up not enjoying, and you may want to switch to another uni, degree or even an entirely different subject altogether. At university, you have the safety to be able to do this, with the support of faculty and staff within the uni to help you through your decisions. This is especially useful to know for those of you who are planning to go into a degree that you aren’t entirely sure about yet. This is something that you have the ability to explore at uni, and help you ensure that you are making the right career choice for yourself.
Even if you don’t end up choosing a career in the subject that you studied at uni, you will still leave with extremely employable skills. University teaches you about how to continue your qualities when being independent and self-reliant. It teaches you interpersonal skills, time management, internal and external understanding, punctuality, independence and much more! For some people, the degree alone is enough to get them a career in any path they choose to take, simply thanks to the skills that any degree would give you. I personally know someone who now teaches English despite having a dance degree!
MOST IMPORTANTLY…. FREEDOM!
For some people, simply having the support and opportunity to move away and begin their own journey at university is enough of a reason to want to go and study their Bachelor’s degree. The freedom and independence of moving to a new place and studying at university can be one of the most valuable experiences that you will ever have, irrespective of the degree you choose. The personal skills that you will develop with cooking, cleaning, money management, personal relationship skills and much more will be just as valuable as the skills you will learn during university, if not more!
I hope that this information has helped clear up any confusion regarding whether university is an appropriate choice for you, and I wish you good luck on whatever you do and wherever you go after your studies! If you do go on to study at university, then my final words of advice would be to truly enjoy the opportunity. We don’t realise it in the moment but university life is something that is impossible to replicate in the ‘real world’, and is something that you need to make the most of whilst you’re there. Get involved, learn new skills, meet new people and enjoy your time - those 3/4 years truly fly by if you don’t pay enough attention to them, and in no time you’ll be out working your dream career with the skills you learned during ‘the best years of your life’!
