A few posts back, I gave advice on making a decision between two or more options (linked here in case you missed it) and I said in that post that I was going to talk about my own experiences in a separate one, which is what today is going to be. I want to keep this post sort of short but I also don't want to miss out any details so I've made little subheadings just to prevent myself from getting carried away.
Firstly, I wanted to start off by saying that the sixth form I go to heavily pushes university and although they try to offer alternatives, they definitely recommend applying to university and so that has always been inevitable for me. I understand that this isn't the case for everyone, but university has definitely been the biggest decision for me in terms of the course, which university and whether I really want to go or not. Even though I am still slightly undecided now, I am definitely going to apply to university and so it is very likely that I am going to end up going just because of the career I have in mind, which I will talk about later in this post.
University Course
I am definitely the sort of person who would want to go to university for the course, for the education, and not necessarily for the life experience or memories made and so this was a huge decision for me to make. Throughout my life, I have never had a career goal to work towards which made this even harder as I could literally study anything. A few months back, I had wittled it down to two options, Law or Maths, and because they are pretty different I needed to make a decision as quickly as possible so that I could focus on making my personal statement as good and subject-focused as possible.
Each course had its own pros and cons. For Law, it was something that has always interested me, it was something I could see myself studying but it was also something that I had never tried before and so it would be a huge risk. For Maths, it was always my favourite subject in school, I am very interested in learning about it to a higher level but I wasn't sure whether I'd get bored of it or lose my love for it.
After much research on both and attempting to look at both objectively, the thing that helped me make my decision was a subject talk at a university open day. There was just something about hearing the maths course in person, being able to talk to people studying that exact degree and seeing all the possibilities that would come at the end, that helped me make the decision to apply to university for maths degree.
It is definitely unique to everyone but from contemplating all sorts of subjects from law to fine art to maths with philosophy at the start of year 12, those subject talks really helped me chose what I really wanted to study. Some people are lucky enough to have a lifelong career goal which they need a specific degree for which makes their decisions so much easier to make but for someone who is merely applying to university for the subject, I think I have chosen the best degree for me. Although I have got a few career goals in mind, nothing is definite and my time at university could definitely change my decision pretty quickly, which honestly doesn't both me anymore. I think the flexibility of a maths degree is something that made me so drawn to it.
Which University
Once again, I was never the sort of person who has been waiting to go to university their whole life just to go as far away from home as possible, instead, it was quite the opposite. It has sort of been integrated into me that going to a university close to home would be the best option for not only the financial side but also the benefits that come with living at home like less responsibility (a pro or a con) or a greater support system emotionally. However, I was also surrounded by a lot of people in my sixth form who were planning on going far away for university so what I decided to base my decision off of was open days. I know a lot of people do this and I honestly think that it is the best way to go about choosing the best university for you.
As of right now, I have only been to one university which was the University of Manchester and after visiting the university in person, I really fell in love with it. It was the first time where I actually considered living away from home to study at university which was a huge eye-opener for me, and I really felt excited by the prospects of living alone for once. I obviously plan on visiting more universities in the autumn time but as of right now, I really fell in love with Manchester. It also helped me to realise that although I now wouldn't mind living away from home, I would like to stay in the north of England as in a way, I wouldn't be too far away.
Another option that I am considering is Open University which is something I don't feel like enough people consider. There is also a lot of incorrect assumptions about an Open University degree like it not being a proper degree which it is, and that was something that I have put a lot of research into and I definitely think that it is going to be one of my options when I send off my UCAS application. I think that Open University would definitely suit me just with the flexibility it offers and it would also allow me to explore other opportunities that might come my way. For instance, if I was lucky enough to earn income from running my blog, I would probably consider Open University even more than a brick university, just because it would allow me to do both. It is these things that definitely make Open University sound really appealing to me but I guess I won't be making that decision just yet as somethings may or may not happen.
Other Options Explored
The only other option that I am really considering right now other than university is a degree apprenticeship. I love the idea of doing an apprenticeship just because of the financial benefits, the work experience opportunities and this idea that you are basically set up for life coming out of an apprenticeship but the only thing that is steering me away from doing one is because I wouldn't be able to study the university course that I would prefer. I still definitely want to apply to some apprenticeships and it is perhaps something that I want to do more research into but as of right now, nothing has really caught my eye.
Future Careers
As for future careers, although this could change in a week, month or year, as of right now, I would like to come out of university with a maths degree and then go onto become a teacher whether that be in primary or secondary school. Like I said, this may change, but I definitely think that teaching is a very likely outcome for me just because it really appeals to me as a job and from the experience I have had in teaching, I have really enjoyed it. I would take all of that with a pinch of salt though because knowing me, I could change my mind tomorrow.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little post about some of the big decisions I have made as well as me sharing some of my future plans with all of you. If you have any similar experiences I would love to hear them in the comments!
Grace xx
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